As Through a Veil

 As Through a Veil - Mystical Poetry in Islam,
*[A5] Paperback - 369 pages,
by Annemarie Schimmel,
Published by OneWorld.




Description :


Drawing on a large range of sources, this book covers the development of Islamic mystical poetry in detail, from individual Sufi poets like the legendary Rumi, to such topic as the intricacies of sacred verse and the delightful vagaries of cryptic poetry.


An accessible introduction for the general reader, this insightful account also contains detailed notes and a full bibliography for scholars and students, and will serve as an indispensable companion to some of the most exquisite literature ever penned.



"I read the story of the lovers day and night -
Now I have become a story in my love for you
!"



Annemarie Schimmel has drawn exhaustively on an enormous range of sources both ancient and modern to create this thorough survey of a unique body of literature. Travelling from continent to continent and across the centuries, this fascinating story of Islamic Poetry encompasses a wide spectrum of traditions and cultures, from Arabic religious verse to the ecstasies of the Persian Sufis and the popular folk poetry of India and Pakistan. Showing how the varying strands of the tradition unite to form one single message of all-embracing love, Schimmel also covers such topics as :

  •     *** the challenges of interpreting verse that is both sensual and sacred,
  •     *** sacrifice and spiritual love,
  •     *** the role of the feminine in folk poetry.


An insightful account of some of the most exquisite literature ever penned.
This text presents the complicated story of how a poetic tradition evolved in a number of different languages over a period of twelvehundred years. It involves the history of Sufism, the tensions between mysticism and orthodoxy in Islamic thought and the problem of interpreting a poetic language which is both sensual and sacred.



They say to me : "Did you not praise Muhammad, ﷺ,
The Prophet of the God of everything created, the most well-shaped among them?"
I said to them : " What shall I say in his praise
Since his Creator has praised him and has not left anything?
"
                                                             ---Imam Yusuf an-Nabahani.




Summary of Contents :


The first three chapters consider initially the development of mystical poetry in Arabic from the 9th century, including the work of Mansur al-Hallaj, and then move on to discuss Persian poetry in a similar manner, with particular focus on the work of Rumi.


The diffusion of Arabic and Persian literary influence in the many other languages spoken in the vast area affected by Islam is the subject of the final two chapters, which cover firstly folk poetry and, subsequently, poetry in Praise of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.



The Author : Annemarie Schimmel was until recently Professor Indo-Muslim studies at Harvard University. Regarded as the foremost expert in the fields of Islamic mysticism and poetry, she has published extensively in both English and German, and has lectured at universities all over the world.  





Table of Contents :


--Acknowledgements,
---Introduction.

---[1]. Flowers of the Desert :
--------The Development of Arabic Mystical Poetry,
---[2]. Tiny Mirrors of Divine Beauty :
--------Classical Persian Mystical Poetry,
---[3]. Sun Triumphal - Love Triumphant :
--------Maulana Rumi and the Metaphors of Love,
---[4]. The Voice of Love :
--------Mystical Poetry in the Vernaculars,
---[5]. God's Beloved, ﷺ, and Intercessor for Man :
--------Poetry in Honour of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.


---Abbreviations Used in Notes and Bibliography,
---Notes,
---Bibliography,
---Index of Selected Quotations,
---Index of Proper Names,
---Index of Technical Terms.








*Dimensions : 21.6 x 14 x 2cm.







  • Shipping Weight: 0.505 kgs
  • 1 Units in Stock
  • Written by: Annemarie Schimmel

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