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摘要
The soaring voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the ecstatic dance of the Whirling Dervishes, the rapturous verse of Jalaluddin Rumi--all are expressions of Sufism, often regarded as the mystical tradition of Islam. Who are the Sufis? They are more than mystics; they are empowered by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. They are guided by saints and masters. They belong to orders ranging from North Africa and Turkey to India and Central Asia. In addition to prayer and fasting, they practice techniques of meditation. They recite poetry, delight in music, and perform dance, all towards one goal--union with God, the Divine Beloved. This comprehensive introduction clarifies the concept of Sufism and discusses its origin and development. In addition, the author discusses the important issues of Sufism's relationship with the larger Islamic world and its encounters with fundamentalism and modern secularism, along with the appropriation of Sufism by non-Muslims and the development of Sufi traditions in the West.
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出版社周刊评论
Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, is often overshadowed in the news by attention to Shiite Islam. Ernst, who teaches religion at UNC-Chapel Hill, seeks in this fine little guide to introduce readers to Sufism. In an opening chapter, Ernst provides an elaborate history of Sufism's origins, as well as an overview of the ways in which many Western scholars and practitioners of Islam use the word "Sufi" in a pejorative way to mean a person who follows certain ascetic and ethical rules. Ernst shows that Sufism is a movement that involves people who are simply attempting to follow the commands of the Qur'an, guided by saints, and seeking union with God. In subsequent chapters, Ernst examines the sacred sources of Sufism. He emphasizes saints and sainthood in Sufism; the spiritual practices, like meditation, that help Sufis internalize the Word of God; the Sufi orders of master and disciple; Sufi poetry, music and dance; and Sufism's relationship to fundamentalist Islam. In the process, Ernst gives us one of the most complete and accessible guides to Sufism available. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Westerners think of Sufism as Islamic mysticism, but Ernst, translator of the twelfth-century Sufi classic The Unveiling of Secrets and author of the newest Shambhala guide to an Eastern wisdom tradition, advises a more nuanced understanding. The West sees Sufism as "a kind of mystical philosophy," related to, if not derived from, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian mysticisms, but in Sufi texts, Ernst says, "we find a prescriptive use of the term which sets forth goals of ethical and spiritual perfection." Sufi mysticism has its sources in the Koran, particularly in the night journey of Muhammad and his ascent to God from the Dome of the Rock, and Sufi literature abounds in images of ascent. The Sufi pursuit of the divine has flowered in centuries of literature, music, and dance--phenomena that Ernst also discusses, as he does Sufi saints and sainthood, the Sufi orders or lineages of masters and disciples, Sufi spiritual practices, and Sufism's troubled place in contemporary Islam, in which fundamentalists see it as an outworn medievalism, blasphemously idolatrous in its reverence for saints. Introducing the gathering of sayings, poems, and prose passages that is Essential Sufism, coeditor Frager re-encourages the mostly mystical conception of Sufism, letting drop that "many Sufis" say that Sufism's great truths are shared by all religions and "in this universal sense, Sufism existed before Islam." Still, in 30 pages he firmly roots Sufi faith and practice in Islam, so that his readable precis should upset Ernst only mildly. The 23 chapters of selections follow the order of topics in the introduction, from the Sufi way to the contemplation of death. Frager suggests it is best to skim the book, "letting your eyes run over several pages until you come to a passage or a poem that strikes you." Unfortunately, he also suggests making notes in the margins. Ruzbihan Baqli (Ruzbihan the Grocer; he is referred to by his given name) is one of the greatest Sufi prose writers. Ruzbihan's Unveiling is his spiritual autobiography and diary. It takes the form of numbered paragraphs, seldom even a page long, that tell of his encounters with God. Imagery of ascension and allusions to the Koran are everywhere. Unlike most Sufi authors, Ruzbihan refers to personal events occasionally, thereby exemplifying the Sufis' dedication to living in the everyday world. Ernst's clean, idiomatic translation makes smooth reading that, because of its visionary content, frequently dazzles but which, because it tells no story whatsoever, is probably better skimmed and sampled than read through. The ecstatic poems of Rumi, a thirteenth-century Persian, have elicited enthusiam for centuries. Rumi's son founded the Sufi order the Mevlevis, and the Mevlevis put Rumi's poems to music and danced so impressively that Westerners called them "whirling dervishes." Rumi has found favor in New Age circles, which may overlook his extensive symbolism and Islamic allusions and take to his work as blazingly ardent love poetry. Well, it is, but it expresses love of God rather than of the human being or the inner person that often seems to be the object. Translator Star follows his Garden beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi (1992) with another set of fine vernacular versions, and his brief introduction shows he doesn't want Rumi's symbolism and Sufism forgotten. --Ray Olson