Ibn Khaldun on Sufism :
New,
'Remedy for the Questioner in Search of Answers,'
Being a translation of
Shifā’ al-Sā’il li-Tahdhīb al-Masā’il,*[A5+] Paperback - 213 pages,
Back in Stock & Despatching,
by Ibn Khaldun,
Translated by Dr. Yumna Ozer,
Published by The Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge.
Description :
Can the seeker after Truth wholly depend on the guidance found in books on Sufism or are the oral teachings of a spiritual master necessary? This was a heated debate in fourteenth-century Andalusia that extended beyond the confines of Sufi circles. Ibn Khaldūn ventured into this debate with a treatise that is as relevant today as it was then.
'Ibn Khaldūn on Sufism : Remedy for the Questioner in Search of Answers' is the first ever translation into English of
Shifā’ al-Sā’il li-Tahdhīb al-Masā’il. Though Ibn Khaldūn is renowned for the
Muqaddima and the
ʿIbar—which are considered milestones in the fields of medieval sociology and the philosophy of history—little is known about his religious and spiritual life.
In her introduction to Ibn Khaldūn on Sufism, Dr Yumna Ozer seeks to restore Ibn Khaldūn and his work to the context from which his theories arose, both in intellectual and religious terms; she also draws a vivid painting of Sufism in the fourteenth century and rethinks Ibn Khaldūn’s relationship with Sufism. The translation itself addresses the dichotomies or synergies between religious law and the Sufi path, the roles played by jurists, and that played by Sufis, and the particular position of the Sufi shaykh or spiritual master.
Ibn Khaldūn (d. 808/1406), the celebrated social theorist and historian, is renowned for the
Muqaddima and the
ʿIbar, which are considered milestones in the fields of medieval sociology and the philosophy of history.
The translator,
Dr Yumna Ozer, gained a PhD in Islamic Studies from Indiana University and is an independent scholar specialising in Sufism.
Table of Contents :
---Acknowledgements,
---Translator's Introduction,
------1. A Sufi Debate and the Origins of
Shifā’ al-Sā’il li-Tahdhīb al-Masā’il,
------2. Historical Overview,
----------A. The Maghrib (The West),
----------B. The Mashriq (The East),
------3. Sufism in the Life of Ibn Khaldun,
----------A. Shaykh Abili in the Maghrib,
----------B. Ibn al-Khatib in Andalusia,
------4. The Shifa,' a Manuscript on Sufism,
----------A. Ibn Khaldun's Silence,
----------B. Authorship,
----------C. Date of Composition,
----------D. Assessment of the Manuscripts,
----------E. The Printed Editions and the Translations,
----------F. Nature and Purpose,
------5. Ibn Khaldun's Understanding of Sufism,
----------A. Sufism and the Science of Sufism.
----------B. Ibn Khaldun's Epistemology,
----------C. The Law and the Path,
----------D. Books or Master?
---Note of Chapter headings and Sub-headings.
---Remedy for the Questioner in Search of Answers, Shifā’ al-Sā’il li-Tahdhīb al-Masā’il,
------Prologue,
Chapter [1].
---On the Way of the Sufis, Its General Examination and Differentiaton from the Other Lawful Paths,
---On the Meaning of the Name for the First Sufis,
------The Individuals Legal Obligations Prescribed by the Law Divide into Two Groups,
------God Created Instincts and Forces within the Heart,
------Intention is the Principle of All Actions,
------Those Who Value Actions Stemming from the Heart Are Called 'Sufis'
------The Law is Divided into Two Branches,
------The Etymology of the Name 'Sufi'
Chapter [2].
---On the Aspirations of the Sufis Towards Spiritual Struggles and the Reasons Why They Engaged in Them,
------Preliminary 1. On the Meaning of the Spirit, the Soul, the Intellect and the Heart On the State of Perfection and What Befits It,
------Preliminary 2. On the Difference between Acquired Science (
al-Ilm al-Kasbi), Inspired Science (
Ilham) and Revelation (
wahy),
------Preliminary 3. On the Meaning of Felicity and Its Degrees,
------Preliminary 4. On the Pleasure Resulting from Knowledge Obtained through Unveiling in This Life and on Its Different Levels,
Chapter [3].
---On Spiritual Struggle in General, Its Subdivisions and Its Conditions,
------The First Spiritual Struggle,
------The Second Spiritual Struggle,
------The Third Spiritual Struggle,
------Varying Definitions for the Sufi Path,
------Concluding Remarks on the Sufi Path and the Law,
Chapter [4].
---On How the Later Sufis Transposed the Name Sufism from its Original Meaning and Our Refutation of Them on That Account,
------The First Opinion,
------The Second Opinion,
Chapter [5].
---On the Shaykh and When His Presence Is Required in the Spiritual Struggle,
------The Struggle for God-wariness,
------The Struggle for Walking on the Straight Path,
------The Struggle for Unveiling and Witnessing,
Chapter [6].
---Arbitration between the Two Debates : Ascertaining the Truth of their Words and the Soundness of Their Arguments,
------First Argument,
---------The Shaykh-Denier Will Answer,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan's Reply,
---------I Say,
------Second Argument,
---------The Shaykh-Denier Proceeds to Saying,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan's Answer,
---------I Say,
------Third Argument,
---------The Shaykh-Denier Says,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answers,
------------Firstly,
------------Secondly.
----------I Say,
------Fourth Argument,
---------The Shaykh-Denier then Said,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answered,
---------I Say,
------Fifth Argument,
---------The Shaykh-Denier Argues,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answers,
---------I Say,
------Sixth Argument,
---------Then Shaykh-Denier Contended That,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answers,
---------I Say,
------Seventh Argument,
---------Then Shaykh-Denier Said,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answered,
---------I Say,
------Eighth Argument,
---------Then Shaykh-Denier Then Says,
---------The Shaykh-Partisan Answered,
---------I Say,
---Conclusion and Ascertainment.
---Notes,
------Translators Intrduction,
------
Historical Overview,
------Sufism in the Life of Ibn Khaldun,
------The Shifa,' a Manuscript on Sufism,
------Ibn Khaldun's Understanding of Sufism,
------Prologue,
------Chapter 1.
------Chapter 2.------Chapter 3.
------Chapter 4.
------Chapter 5.
------Chapter 6.
------Conclusion and Ascertainment.
---Bibliography,
---Index.
Also see
Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddima,
Other books on
Sufism.
*Dimensions : 23.5 x 15.8cm.
