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Суть суфизма
Английский востоковед Д.Балдок исследует богатое наследие литературы суфиев, которые наставляли людей Востока на духовный путь. Исследователь объясняет важные учения суфиев, показывает их особое представление о жизни, ведь они воспринимают мир сердцем, а не умом. Суфии предлагают совершенно неожиданные способы постижения жизни и своей сокровенной сути.
Из этой книги вы узнаете Девяносто Девять Имен Аллаха.
Суфии славятся своими притчами, главным героем которых часто выступает наполовину вымышленный герой по имени Мулла Насреддин. Иногда Насреддин выглядит глубоко мудрым человеком, а иногда он ведет себя как безумец. Он непредсказуем как сама жизнь. Как нам показывают истории о Насреддине, путь суфиев представляет собой не просто интеллектуальные упражнения. Именно практический путь преображения и самореализации помогает нам освободиться от покрова эго, объединить внутренние и внешние миры, открыть свое цельное "я".
Также предлагаются вашему вниманию избранные стихи из сборника "Матнави" великого персидского суфия Джалалуддина Руми.
Из этой книги вы узнаете Девяносто Девять Имен Аллаха.
Суфии славятся своими притчами, главным героем которых часто выступает наполовину вымышленный герой по имени Мулла Насреддин. Иногда Насреддин выглядит глубоко мудрым человеком, а иногда он ведет себя как безумец. Он непредсказуем как сама жизнь. Как нам показывают истории о Насреддине, путь суфиев представляет собой не просто интеллектуальные упражнения. Именно практический путь преображения и самореализации помогает нам освободиться от покрова эго, объединить внутренние и внешние миры, открыть свое цельное "я".
Также предлагаются вашему вниманию избранные стихи из сборника "Матнави" великого персидского суфия Джалалуддина Руми.
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First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 22, 2017
Sufism has become synonymous with Rumi in recent years but this book sets the record straight. John Baldock takes the reader on a journey tracing the roots of Sufism from the companions of Prophet Muhammad to the current day.
Sufis believe in streamlining esoteric and exoteric knowledge to free themselves from duality and to merge with the beloved in a state of higher consciousnesses.
A lay man may pay a heavy price for this knowledge because he may not understand the mysticism behind the teachings.
This book provides a great reference point for further study. Baldock clearly has a deep understanding of the path the dervish traverses. Symbolism and stories play a very important role in Sufi teachings and Baldock has taken great care to simplify the mysticism. Just when the reader starts to feel a little lost, the book dives into the lives of the saints, starting with book Hasan Al Basri's in the seventh century, touching upon the lesser known Sufi men and women who were loved, revered and sometimes despised during their lifetime, and ends with Shabistari in the fourteenth century. Anecdotes from their lives make for the best part of the book. The reverence of the pupil for his master, and their love of asceticism is fascinating. A great collection of excerpts from their most famous works are included.
For a slim volume, Baldock has packed a punch. Though it may make for slightly heavy reading for some, especially those unfamiliar with the teachings of Islam, it is highly recommended as a initiation into the world of Sufi mysticism.
Sufis believe in streamlining esoteric and exoteric knowledge to free themselves from duality and to merge with the beloved in a state of higher consciousnesses.
A lay man may pay a heavy price for this knowledge because he may not understand the mysticism behind the teachings.
This book provides a great reference point for further study. Baldock clearly has a deep understanding of the path the dervish traverses. Symbolism and stories play a very important role in Sufi teachings and Baldock has taken great care to simplify the mysticism. Just when the reader starts to feel a little lost, the book dives into the lives of the saints, starting with book Hasan Al Basri's in the seventh century, touching upon the lesser known Sufi men and women who were loved, revered and sometimes despised during their lifetime, and ends with Shabistari in the fourteenth century. Anecdotes from their lives make for the best part of the book. The reverence of the pupil for his master, and their love of asceticism is fascinating. A great collection of excerpts from their most famous works are included.
For a slim volume, Baldock has packed a punch. Though it may make for slightly heavy reading for some, especially those unfamiliar with the teachings of Islam, it is highly recommended as a initiation into the world of Sufi mysticism.
May 12, 2018
This was my first thorough read on Sufism and I found this best short one to have insights of Sufism and Sufis. This book is full of references for further information.
As I believe that a question answered leads to another question, so my quest of answers regarding Sufism has led me to millions of other questions. To, only understand Sufism is a big deal; to become one must be work of maestro.
Hence Quest to understand Sufism continues with more thirst.
Between its really a good read for beginners on the subject of Sufism.
As I believe that a question answered leads to another question, so my quest of answers regarding Sufism has led me to millions of other questions. To, only understand Sufism is a big deal; to become one must be work of maestro.
Hence Quest to understand Sufism continues with more thirst.
Between its really a good read for beginners on the subject of Sufism.
August 19, 2017
Buku kedua Baldock yang saya baca selepas The Essence of Rumi. Berbeza dengan buku yang menyorot sisi penting Maulana Rumi, buku mengenai sufi yang relatifnya lebih tipis berbanding buku-buku lain yang membicarakan sufisme atau dalam istilah yang lebih tepat adalah tasawuf.
Buku ini lebih kepada pendedahan awal kepada masyarakat Barat yang semakin akrab dengan konsep sufi tetapi memiliki definisi dan pemahaman yang berbeza sehingga mencetuskan persoalan 'apakah mungkin sufi tanpa agama' atau spiritual dunia timur yang diibaratkan sebagai 'pasar raya besar yang produk jualannya tersedia untuk dikutip dan dipilih'.
Bagaimanapun penekanan yang diberikan dalam buku ini seperti kedudukan Nabi Muhammad SAW yang sentiasa berada pada kedudukan sentral dan dianggap nakhoda dalam kafilah dan asas-asas kepada Islam sama ada prinsip mahupun rukunnya, menunjukkan pandangan pengarang bahawa sufi dan Islam tidak dapat dipisahkan.
Bahagian kedua buku ini menumpukan empat tokoh penting, iaitu Sheikh Farid ud-Din Attar, Imam Akbar Ibn Arabi, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi dan Shabistari serta sedikit ulasan dan terjemahan bahagian daripada magnum opus masing-masing.
Buku ini lebih kepada pendedahan awal kepada masyarakat Barat yang semakin akrab dengan konsep sufi tetapi memiliki definisi dan pemahaman yang berbeza sehingga mencetuskan persoalan 'apakah mungkin sufi tanpa agama' atau spiritual dunia timur yang diibaratkan sebagai 'pasar raya besar yang produk jualannya tersedia untuk dikutip dan dipilih'.
Bagaimanapun penekanan yang diberikan dalam buku ini seperti kedudukan Nabi Muhammad SAW yang sentiasa berada pada kedudukan sentral dan dianggap nakhoda dalam kafilah dan asas-asas kepada Islam sama ada prinsip mahupun rukunnya, menunjukkan pandangan pengarang bahawa sufi dan Islam tidak dapat dipisahkan.
Bahagian kedua buku ini menumpukan empat tokoh penting, iaitu Sheikh Farid ud-Din Attar, Imam Akbar Ibn Arabi, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi dan Shabistari serta sedikit ulasan dan terjemahan bahagian daripada magnum opus masing-masing.
July 13, 2016
Well I have a slightly poorer opinion of Sufism after reading that. Lots of emphasis on anti-rationality, selflessness, and anti-egoism. I know there are Sufis who are lax on one or more of these points, but not enough attention was payed to them. I guess that makes sense. Sufism is already heterodox, focusing on the heteroxodies of a heterodox movement would be a bit crazy.
August 27, 2021
A wide ranging and informative summary of Sufism and Sufi literature. However it disappointingly shied away from pursuing the difficult questions about the relationship of Sufism to Islam.
The first half of the book is a helpful overview of Sufism (and Islam) and the second half summarises important Sufi texts. It included the well known male writers like Al Ghazali and Rumi, and it also included female Sufis like the eighth century Rabah Al Adawiyyah of Basra.
Sufism is a complex set of overlapping perspectives within Islam, rather than a specific set of doctrines. This makes it difficult to describe, apart from identifying common themes.
A key theme is ‘enlightenment’ and ‘secret knowledge.’ Sufis have a direct relationship with God which gives them direct information (or experience). This leads to allegorising and spiritual interpretations of Scriptures, which expresses a ‘higher’ or ‘purer’ doctrine than the merely literalistic teachings which others follow.
An oft recurring idea is the concept of ‘fana,’ which is an absorption of the individual into God. More usually found in Asian faiths like Buddhism, this is a vision of the self as merging into God, like a drop of water merges into the ocean. Expressed in this way it can sound pantheistic. Or worse, it can sound like a claim that a person is turning into God. Interpreted in this later sense, Sufis like Al Hallaj were executed for blasphemy.
One of the questions raised by Sufism is its relationship to Islam. Public religions like Islam exist as bodies of prescribed actions and beliefs. But Sufism is an interior spiritual transformation of the individual. For example, the Sufi Junayd of Baghdad said that those doing hajj (pilgrimage) may physically do the prescribed actions of the hajj, but it doesn’t ‘count’ if they do not also spiritually divest themselves of their desires for sin (22%).
If the inner spiritual attitude ‘overrides’ the significance of the outer actions, then the question must arise whether there is any point doing the outer actions of organised religion at all. Why go to the mosque, or do the Salah prayers, when a Sufi can have a direct spiritual relationship with God in their hearts?
The author recognises that this is a key question raised by Sufism. He asks: ‘is it possible to be a Sufi without Islam?' But the book then completely avoids the issue by simply answering: ‘Allah knows best’ (Kindle 30%).
This is an inadequate answer. If Sufism is right, then it is hard to escape the conclusion that organised religions (like Islam) are ultimately unnecessary. But Muslims are committed to the fact that Islam is necessary, so this seems to imply that Sufism (or aspects of Sufism) are incorrect, or at least incompatible with Islam.
This issue of the compatibility of Sufism and Islam is a central problem of Sufism. It needs properly exploring and resolving. But this book seems to avoid that issue. This means that ultimately the book is a helpful summary of aspects of Sufism, but it is crucially incomplete in clarifying the implications of the Sufism which it describes.
The first half of the book is a helpful overview of Sufism (and Islam) and the second half summarises important Sufi texts. It included the well known male writers like Al Ghazali and Rumi, and it also included female Sufis like the eighth century Rabah Al Adawiyyah of Basra.
Sufism is a complex set of overlapping perspectives within Islam, rather than a specific set of doctrines. This makes it difficult to describe, apart from identifying common themes.
A key theme is ‘enlightenment’ and ‘secret knowledge.’ Sufis have a direct relationship with God which gives them direct information (or experience). This leads to allegorising and spiritual interpretations of Scriptures, which expresses a ‘higher’ or ‘purer’ doctrine than the merely literalistic teachings which others follow.
An oft recurring idea is the concept of ‘fana,’ which is an absorption of the individual into God. More usually found in Asian faiths like Buddhism, this is a vision of the self as merging into God, like a drop of water merges into the ocean. Expressed in this way it can sound pantheistic. Or worse, it can sound like a claim that a person is turning into God. Interpreted in this later sense, Sufis like Al Hallaj were executed for blasphemy.
One of the questions raised by Sufism is its relationship to Islam. Public religions like Islam exist as bodies of prescribed actions and beliefs. But Sufism is an interior spiritual transformation of the individual. For example, the Sufi Junayd of Baghdad said that those doing hajj (pilgrimage) may physically do the prescribed actions of the hajj, but it doesn’t ‘count’ if they do not also spiritually divest themselves of their desires for sin (22%).
If the inner spiritual attitude ‘overrides’ the significance of the outer actions, then the question must arise whether there is any point doing the outer actions of organised religion at all. Why go to the mosque, or do the Salah prayers, when a Sufi can have a direct spiritual relationship with God in their hearts?
The author recognises that this is a key question raised by Sufism. He asks: ‘is it possible to be a Sufi without Islam?' But the book then completely avoids the issue by simply answering: ‘Allah knows best’ (Kindle 30%).
This is an inadequate answer. If Sufism is right, then it is hard to escape the conclusion that organised religions (like Islam) are ultimately unnecessary. But Muslims are committed to the fact that Islam is necessary, so this seems to imply that Sufism (or aspects of Sufism) are incorrect, or at least incompatible with Islam.
This issue of the compatibility of Sufism and Islam is a central problem of Sufism. It needs properly exploring and resolving. But this book seems to avoid that issue. This means that ultimately the book is a helpful summary of aspects of Sufism, but it is crucially incomplete in clarifying the implications of the Sufism which it describes.
Currently reading
January 16, 2023Opposed to all these positive or somewhat critical reviews, mine is a little bit different. I have found factual incorrectness at several places in this book.
To mention a few, in the first chapter, "The Prophet Muhammad" (PBUH) under the heading of The Early Years, it is stated, "When he (PBUH) was eight years, he (PBUH) went to live with his uncle, Abu Talib...", which is wrong because he was his paternal uncle.
Again, in the same chapter, under the heading of Recite, it is written, "The early (singular surah or chapter) of the Quran are a reminder of Allah's benevolence." Now singular chapter of Holy Quran is called ‘Surah’, not suwar which is the name of an animal prohibited to eat in Islam, otherwise known as pig.
Moving on in this chapter, there was a heading called The Night Journey and Ascent. The description of the animal Buraq is not given right either. It is mentioned there that it had a head of but according to my knowledge and research, it had a man’s head.
These were the factual errors that did not let me read the whole book. And I am finding it somewhat surprising that now else wrote a similar review to mine.
To mention a few, in the first chapter, "The Prophet Muhammad" (PBUH) under the heading of The Early Years, it is stated, "When he (PBUH) was eight years, he (PBUH) went to live with his uncle, Abu Talib...", which is wrong because he was his paternal uncle.
Again, in the same chapter, under the heading of Recite, it is written, "The early (singular surah or chapter) of the Quran are a reminder of Allah's benevolence." Now singular chapter of Holy Quran is called ‘Surah’, not suwar which is the name of an animal prohibited to eat in Islam, otherwise known as pig.
Moving on in this chapter, there was a heading called The Night Journey and Ascent. The description of the animal Buraq is not given right either. It is mentioned there that it had a head of but according to my knowledge and research, it had a man’s head.
These were the factual errors that did not let me read the whole book. And I am finding it somewhat surprising that now else wrote a similar review to mine.
February 3, 2023
I am an atheist, but that doesn't prevent me from being deeply interested in the religious beliefs of others. Sufism is an exceptionally interesting religion, representing as it does the mystical arm of Islam. I had no idea that the Sufis had such a troubled and oppressed history, often at the hands of less understanding or compassionate Muslim rulers and demagogues.
Baldock's book is a good introduction to the area, although it reads too much in places like a glossary or encyclopedia. However, my interest is piqued, and I will look for books by the authors he mentions sometime soon.
Baldock's book is a good introduction to the area, although it reads too much in places like a glossary or encyclopedia. However, my interest is piqued, and I will look for books by the authors he mentions sometime soon.
August 24, 2020
Another book that took me so long to read even though it's not that long. I just didn't want it to end. I just didn't want to part ways. Books on Sufism are journeys that have to be experienced. And if you let them, you come out on the other end a different person, a better person in my opinion.
January 2, 2025
"Beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.Ideas, language, even the phrase each other, doesn't make any sense."
August 2, 2020
.......
January 11, 2022
Baldock tends to be rather repetitious (and frequently belabors the point).
April 1, 2022
Absolutely enthralling. A profound primer that encourages deep thought, resonant reflection, and extended study.
August 28, 2016
"Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam.
Mysticism makes its appearance as an inward dimension in every religion, and to attempt to separate the mystical element from the religion which is its outward support is an arbitrary act of violence which cannot but be fatal to the mysticism, or spiritual path, concerned." pg: 10 (introduction).
John has tried all possible ways to provide information, as much as possible, through his book.
Introduction, Qura'n, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), definition and meaning of Sufism, stories of the saints and their teachings, all these are briefly absorbed in the book by the writer.
Quite informative and helpful for the curious readers in a simple language.
Mysticism makes its appearance as an inward dimension in every religion, and to attempt to separate the mystical element from the religion which is its outward support is an arbitrary act of violence which cannot but be fatal to the mysticism, or spiritual path, concerned." pg: 10 (introduction).
John has tried all possible ways to provide information, as much as possible, through his book.
Introduction, Qura'n, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), definition and meaning of Sufism, stories of the saints and their teachings, all these are briefly absorbed in the book by the writer.
Quite informative and helpful for the curious readers in a simple language.
June 5, 2020
The author does not give any citation or reference for the historical background in the case of Caliph Usman (RA). Most likely he has used Shiite resources without mentioning any specifically. Hence, the scholarship of this book is very weak.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews