Title: Female sufism in Central Asia: from poetry to music
Abstract:1. sufism The Muslims first entered Central Asia in the middle of the seventh century through raids during their conquest of Persia. The new way of life brought by the Muslims spread throughout the re...1. sufism The Muslims first entered Central Asia in the middle of the seventh century through raids during their conquest of Persia. The new way of life brought by the Muslims spread throughout the region. In the ensuing centuries native cultures were replaced or transformed as Islam moulded the people into single community - the Islamic ummah. During the height of the Abbasid Caliphate in the eighth and the ninth centuries, Central Asia and Mawarannahr experienced blossom, Bukhara became one of the leading centres of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivalling contemporaneous cultural centres such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba. Some of the greatest historians, scientists, and geographers in the history of Islamic culture were natives of the region. Our understanding of Islam in Central Asia will not be complete without considering the Islamic teaching called sufism. The word sufism (originally - tasavvuf), which is probably, according to one broadly spread explanation, derived from the Arabic suf (wool; hence sufi, a person wearing an ascetic's woollen garment), denotes Islamic mysticism. Although outside movements have had some influence on sufi terminology, sufism is definitely rooted in Islam itself. During the early years of development of the religion of Islam (under the Prophet Muhammad, and later Abu Bakr, Omar, Usman and Ali) there was no state based on the rule of law. A source for the solution of every single problem which occurred in social life had to be found. The Holy Qur'an, as the revelation of Allah, was the first book used as such, and later the Hadith - the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad - were added. The profession of Muhaddith - collectors and interpreters of the Hadithes - was developed at that time. As the French scholar Louis Massignon has pointed out, to follow Hadith meant to follow in every single step of private life the life style of the founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, i.e. an ascetic life style full of trembling admiration for Allah. This ascetic development within the Muhaddith is considered to be the embryo of sufism. Consequently, within the first century of Islam, for every Muslim believer the image of God (Allah) appeared mixed with threats and admonishments concerning every single step of his life. Allah warned everyone that there was no escape from payment, and every single matter would be questioned in the other world. At time of internecine strife, when everyone was involved in struggle for power, the fear of theRead More
Publication Year: 2007
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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