Sanctity and Mysticism in Medieval Egypt

Richard J. A. Mcgregor

Description

Using the original writings of two Egyptian Sufis, Muhammad Wafa' and his son 'Ali, this book shows how the Islamic idea of sainthood developed in the medieval period. Although without a church to canonize its "saints," the Islamic tradition nevertheless debated and developed a variety of ideas concerning miracles, sanctity, saintly intermediaries, and pious role models. In the writings of the Wafa's, a complete mystical worldview unfolds, one with a distinct doctrine of sainthood and a novel understanding of the apocalypse. Using almost entirely unedited manuscript sources, author Richard J. A. McGregor shows in detail how Muhammad and 'Ali Wafa' drew on earlier philosophical and gnostic currents to construct their own mystical theories and notes their debt to the Sufi order of the Shadhiliyya, the mystic al-Tirmidhi, and the great Sufi thinker Ibn 'Arabi. Notably, although located firmly within the Sunni tradition, the Wafa's felt free to draw on Shi'ite ideas for the construction of their owntheory of the final great saint.

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Note on Transliteration

Introduction

1. Tirmidhi, Ibn 'Arabi, and Others on Sanctity

Tirmidhi on Walaya
Sahl Tustari on Walaya
Lesser Treatments of Walaya
Walaya and Shi'ism
Ibn 'Arabi and Walaya

2. The Early Shadhiliyya and Sanctity

Literature and History of the Shadhiliyya
Al-Shadhili, Tirmidhi, and Ibn 'Arabi
The Early Figures of the Order
The Writings of Ibn Bakhila
Proximity to the Divine
The Levels of Walaya
Sanctity and Prophecy

3. The Wafa'iyya in Time and Space

Arriving from the Maghreb
Among the Elite of Cairo

4. The Writings of the Wafa's

Poetry
Supplications (du'a)
Jurisprudence (fiqh) and Exegesis (tafsir)
Mystical Treatises (Muhammad Wafa')
Mystical Treatises ('Ali Wafa')

5. Sanctity and Muhammad Wafa'

Absolute Being and Its Self-disclosure
The Preexistential and the Everlasting
Spiritual Anthropology
Cosmology
The Teaching Shaykh and Beyond
The Muhammadan Reality and the Pole
Sanctity, the Renewer, and the Seal

6. Sanctity according to 'Ali Wafa'

Divine Oneness, Self-disclosure, and Creation
The Teacher and Oneness
On Walaya and Nubuwwa
The Seal of Sainthood
The Seal and the Renewer of Religion

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Theology
• History of religions
• Islam

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780791485477
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Sanctity and Mysticism in Medieval Egypt

SUNY series in Islam Seyyed Hossein Nasr, editor

Sanctity and Mysticism in Medieval Egypt

The Wafå<Sufi Order and The Legacy of Ibn>Arab•

Richard J. A. McGregor

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2004 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other- wise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production by Marilyn P. Semerad Marketing by Jennifer Giovani

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

McGregor, Richard J. A. Sanctity and mysticism in medieval Egypt : the Wafå<Sufi order and the legacy of Ibn>Arab•/ Richard J. A. McGregor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6011-8 (alk. paper) 1. Sufism—Egypt—History. 2. Wafå, Mu˙ammad, 1302 or 3-1363. 3. Ibn al->Arab•, 1165–1240. I. Title.4. Muslim saints—Egypt—History.

BP188.8.E3M34 2004 297.4'0962—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2003059027

To Antoinette, Ginny, Liz, and baby Liz

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Contents

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration Introduction 1. Tirmidh•, Ibn>Arab•, and Others on Sanctity Tirmidh•onWalåya Sahl Tustar•onWalåya Lesser Treatments ofWalåya Walåyaand Sh•>ism Ibn>Arab•andWalåya 2. The Early Shådhiliyya and Sanctity Literature and History of the Shådhiliyya Al-Shådhil•, Tirmidh•, and Ibn>Arab• The Early Figures of the Order The Writings of Ibn Båkhilå Proximity to the Divine The Levels ofWalåya Sanctity and Prophecy 3. The Wafå’iyya in Time and Space Arriving from the Maghreb Among the Elite of Cairo 4. The Writings of the Wafå’s 71 Poetry Supplications (du>å)

ix xi xiii 1 9

2

7

49

viii

Contents

Jurisprudence (fiqh) and Exegesis (tafs•r) Mystical Treatises (Mu˙ammad Wafå’) Mystical Treatises (>Al•Wafå’)

5. Sanctity and Mu˙ammad Wafå’ Absolute Being and Its Self-disclosure The Preexistential and the Everlasting Spiritual Anthropology Cosmology The Teaching Shaykh and Beyond The Mu˙ammadan Reality and the Pole Sanctity, the Renewer, and the Seal 6. Sanctity according to>Al•Wafå’ Divine Oneness, Self-disclosure, and Creation The Teacher and Oneness OnWalåyaandNubuwwa The Seal of Sainthood The Seal and the Renewer of Religion Conclusion Notes Bibliography Indexes

8

9

119

157 163 219 239

Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6.

Map

Table 1.0

Illustrations

Cairo cemetery (City of the Dead) Entrance to Wafå’ Mosque Tombs in Wafå’ Mosque Grave marker,>Al•Wafå’ The Wafå’ house Remains of fountain in Wafå’ house

The Wafå’s in Cairo (del. N. Lacoste)

The Early Wafå’ iyya

63 64 65 66 67 68

69

70