Society & Religion in Early Ottoman Egypt,
Studies in the Writings of
Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha'rani [d.973h]
*[A5+] Paperback - 262 pages, New,
by Michael Winter,
Published by Routledge.
Description :
Society & Religion in Early Ottoman Egypt : Studies in the Writings of Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha'rani, may Allah be pleased with him.
The sixteenth century was a watershed in Egyptian history. After being the center of powerful Islamic empires for centuries, Egypt was conquered in 1517 and made an outlying province of the Ottoman Empire.
This study illuminates aspects of Egypt's social, intellectual, and religious life in the sixteenth century, as described by the Egyptian Sufi 'Abd al-Wahhb al-Sha'rani, one of the last original writers before cultural decadence permeated the Arab world in the late Middle Ages. A prominent social commentator, Abd al-Wahhab Sha'rani reflected the intense Turkish-Egyptian struggle of the period and provided a vivid and intimate account of the Muslim world during the later medieval stage.
Now available in paperback, Society and Religion in Early Ottoman Egypt attempts to give a comprehensive analysis of Imam al-Sharani's writings. This is a classic text that will of interest to students of the Middle East, Islam, comparative religion, history, and cultural studies.
Table of Contents :
---Preface,
---Introduction,
------Earlier Research on Al-Sharani,
------A Note on the Primary Sources of the Present Work,
---------Chronicles,
---------Biographical Dictionaries,
---------Sufi and Anti-Sufi Treatises,
---------Al-Sharani's Writings,
------Notes.
Chapter [1]. Historical and Cultural Background,
---Historical Background,
------Political Developments,
------Egyptian Society; The Impact of Ottoman Rule,
---Sufism,
------Religious and Cultural Aspects,
------The Social Position of Sufism in Al-Sharani's Time,
---Notes.
Chapter [2]. Al-Sha'rani’s Biography,
---Sources,
---Origin and Ancestors,
---Early Life and Zawiya,
---Wives and Children,
---Studies,
---Teachers,
---Enemies and Rivals,
---Relations with Members of the Ruling Class,
---Death,
---Successors and the Development of Sha'rani's Order,
---Relatives and Pupils,
---Excursus : Al-Sha'rani as a Historical Source,
---Notes.
Chapter [3]. Sufi Orders in Egypt;
---The Shadhiliyya,
---The Ahmadiyya,
---The Burhaniyya, the Rifa'iyya, & the Mutawiy'a,
---The Khalwatiyya,
---The Malamatiyya,
---Notes.
Chapter [4]. Structure & Organisation of the Sufi Orders,
---Affiliation with Sufi Orders,
---The Sufi's Substinence,
---The Social Structure of the Orders,
---Women in Sufism,
---The Motivation for Joining the Sufi's,
---The Position of the Shaykh,
---Succession and Continuity in the Sufi Order,
---The Shaykh's Tomb,
---Rivalry,
---Notes.
Chapter [5]. Social & Religious Aspects of Sufism in Al-Sha'rani’s Time;
---Asceticism; Complete Trust in God, and Scrupulousness,
------Zuhd,
------Tawakkul,
------Wara.
---Mysticism,
------Ibn al-Arabi and ibn al-Farid,
------Al-Sharani as ibn al-Arabi's student and apologist,
---Alchemy and other Occult Sciences,
---The Mawlid's,
---Karamat,
---Sama'
---Coffee,
---Clothes,
---The Place of Books in Sufi Education,
---Popular Religion ; Beliefs and Practices,
---Notes.
Chapter [6]. Ulama and the World of Learning;
---The Madhhabs,
------The Shafi'is,
------The Maliki's,
------The Hanafi's,
------The Hanbali's,
---Al-Azhar,
---Ulama vis-a-vis Sufis,
---Al-Sharani & the Differences between the Madhhabs,
---Al-Sharani's views on the Qadi's and Ottoman Justice,
---'Ilm,
---Memory and Inspiration versus Notes and Erudition in Teaching & Preaching,
---Al-Qur'an and Ta'wil,
---Poetry,
---Notes.
Chapter [7]. Al-Sharani and Egyptian Society in the 16th Century;
---Relationship between Religious Leaders (Especially Sufis) and the Rulers,
---The Common People: Fellahs and Labourers,
---Ashraf,
---The Dhimmis (Christians and Jews),
---Women,
---Notes.
---Conclusion,
---Abbreviations,
---Bibliography,
---Index.
*Dimensions : 23 x 15.4cm.
