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Jihad in Premodern Sufi Writings

  • Book
  • © 2017

Overview

Authors:
  1. Harry S Neale

    1. Oakland, USA

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  • Explores the complementary nature of jihad as both a spiritual and military endeavor in Sufi writings

  • Analyzes Arabic and Persian Sufi writings from the eleventh through the seventeenth centuries

  • Demonstrates that historically, Sufi writings never espoused a purely peaceful understanding of the doctrine of jihad

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
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  2. Introduction

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 1-14

  3. Overview of the History of Sufi Studies

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 15-34

  4. Islamic Scripture and the Doctrine of Jihad

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 35-46

  5. The Concept of Spiritual Jihad in Learned Sufi Texts

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 47-56

  6. The Martial Jihad in Learned Sufi Texts

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 57-73

  7. Representations of Jihad in Sufi Hagiography and Poetry

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 75-121

  8. Historical Role of Sufis in Military Endeavors

    • Harry S. Neale
    Pages 123-131

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 133-168
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Keywords

About this book

This book is the only comprehensive study in a European language that analyzes how Sufi treatises, Qur’anic commentary, letters, hagiography, and poetry define and depict jihad. Harry S. Neale analyzes Sufi jihad discourse in Arabic and Persian texts composed between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries, providing access to many writings that have hitherto been unavailable in English. Despite the diversity of practice within Sufism that existed throughout the premodern period, Sufi writings consistently promulgated a complementary understanding of jihad as both a spiritual and military endeavor. Neale discusses the disparity between contemporary academic Sufi jihad discourse in European languages, which generally presents Sufis as peaceful mystics, and contemporary academic writing in Arabic that depicts Sufis as exemplary warriors who combine spiritual discipline with martial zeal. The book concludes that historically, Sufi writings never espoused a purely spiritual interpretation of the doctrine of jihad.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Oakland, USA

    Harry S Neale

About the author

Harry S. Neale holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona. He has taught courses on Islamic Humanities, Early Islamic History, Middle Eastern literature, Elementary and Intermediate Arabic, and Elementary Persian at UC Berkeley, Lehigh University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has published articles in the Journal of Arabic Literature, Journal of Indo-European Studies, and Middle Eastern Literatures.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Jihad in Premodern Sufi Writings

  • Authors: Harry S Neale

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56155-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan New York

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-56748-2Published: 02 December 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95399-8Published: 28 April 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-56155-8Published: 01 December 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 168

  • Topics: Islam, History of Religion, History of the Middle East

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