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Description: |
Sufism, often referred to as Islamic mysticism, is a broad term referring to paths of spiritual development aimed at the cultivation of pious lifestyles and experiences of the divine. Literature has been integral to Sufi traditions not only as a space for the expression and representation of those experiences of the divine through language and metaphor, but also as a teaching tool to educate disciples through storytelling, hagiographies, and manuals of conduct. This course will examine these genres of Sufi literature to introduce students to styles of Sufi literature, as well as to examine key concepts, figures, and practices in Sufi traditions. Specific genres will include hagiographies (tabaqat), poetry (qasida, ghazal), allegories, and manuals of conduct (adab). While texts will be available in English translation, the course will also incorporate an Arabic language component for each component in which upper-level Arabic language students will have the opportunity to practice reading and translating short excerpts of texts. Note that significant amounts of Sufi literature are composed in other languages such as Persian and while we will be engaging some of this literature (e.g., Rumi), given the Arabic language component the course will deal primarily (though not exclusively) with Arabic sources of Sufi literature. |