99011 - Sufism: Doctrines, Institutions and Practices (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students have an advanced understanding of the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of Sufi traditions. They are able to analyze religious phenomena seen through the lens of multiple tools from several disciplines and apply research methodologies to address issues relating to Sufism. They are able to give form to the results of their own research on the history of Sufism, documenting in an accurate and complete way the information on which they base their conclusions and giving an account of the methodologies and research tools used.

Course contents

The course intends to present the birth and development of Sufism as a phenomenon internal to Islam, through the main historical phases, starting from the context of Revelation. up to the period of the formation of the brotherhoods. Reference will be made in particular to the doctrine of the Oneness of Being in the works of some medieval authors

During the lessons the following topics will be covered:

The formative period
The Baghdad school and the Khorasan school
The hagiographic works of the first Sufi authors
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's magisterium
The Uniqueness of Being and its critics
The birth of the brotherhoods and the eponymous masters
Methods of spiritual realization and modern rituals.

Readings/Bibliography

Program for attending students

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending. Classes will start on January 30, 2023, subject to timetable changes.

Attending students will have to study two texts chosen from the following list:

• Alberto Fabio Ambrosio: Dervisci.Storia,antropologia, mistica.Roma 2012
• William C Chittick: Il sufismo, Torino 2000
• Al-Ghazali: Le meraviglie del cuore, Torino 2006
• Demetrio Giordani: La vita perfetta di Mirza Mazhar Jan-i Janan. Milano 2010
• Demetrio Giordani: I Naqshbandi. Uomini storia, e dottrine di un ordine sufi. Milano 2019
• Toshihiko Izutsu: Unicità dell'esistenza e creazione perpetua nella mistica islamica. Genova 1991
• Muhammad ibn 'Ali al Sahlaji: Il Libro della Luce. Fatti e detti di Abu Yazid Bistami. A cura di Nahid Norozi.Torino 2018.
• Seyyed Hoseyn Nasr: Il sufismo Milano 1995 (Sufi Essays, Internet Archive).
• Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi: Le profondità del cuore. Milano 2015
• Alberto Ventura: L'esoterismo islamico. Milano 2017.
  

Two papers chosen from the following list:

• Demetrio Giordani:“Le metamorfosi dell’anima e gli stadi della via spirituale. Considerazioni intorno a Al-Sayr wa-l-sulûk ilâ Maliki-l-Mulûk dello shaykh Qâsim ibn Salâh al-Dîn di Aleppo (1619-1697)” in Divus Thomas n° 48, Bologna, Settembre-Dicembre 2007.
• Luca Patrizi: "Trasmissione iniziatíca e regole dell'invocazione (dhikr)secondo 'Abd al-Wahhàb al-Sha'rànî". in Divus Thomas, n°54, Bologna, settembre-dicembre 2009.
• Paolo Urizzi: L’Uomo teomorfico secondo Ibn ‘Arabi (PDF)

 

 

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson with the help of multimedia tools; historical-critical analysis of primary sources. Attendance at class is not essential, but it helps to better assimilate the contents of the course.

Assessment methods

A student who attends at least 75% of the lessons is considered to be attending. The non-attending student will have to add an extra text from the list of books on the list. Attendance to lessons does not affect the outcome of the exam.

Students have two possibilities either the classic oral test, or a 20-page essay in Italian which will be the basis of the discussion with the teacher during the exam. The thesis must be accompanied by a bibliography.

Both the ability to read original texts and specific knowledge on the history and doctrines of Sufism will be evaluated. Students will have to demonstrate mastery of the specific vocabulary and knowledge of the basic concepts of Islam.

Teaching tools

Multimedia tools, articles and handouts to support face-to-face lessons

Office hours

See the website of Demetrio Giordani