Annemarie Schimmel

"Islamic Literatures of India" by Annemarie Schimmel invites readers on a captivating journey through the enchanting world of Islamic literature flourishing in the Indian subcontinent. Schimmel, a distinguished scholar in Islamic studies, meticulously unravels the intricate threads of this vibrant literary tradition. From the early days of Muslim rule to the present era, Schimmel paints a vivid picture of the historical, cultural, and linguistic landscapes that have shaped Islamic literature in India. Through her scholarly lens, she explores the myriad forms of expression that have emerged - from soul-stirring poetry to insightful prose, from religious texts to mystical Sufi literature. At the heart of the book lies a profound exploration of the interplay between Islamic and indigenous influences, revealing the fascinating synthesis of cultures and ideas that define Indian Islamic literature. Through the works of luminaries such as Amir Khusrau, Mir Taqi Mir, and Allama Iqbal, Schimmel showcases the rich tapestry of themes, motifs, and styles that characterize this literary tradition. One of the book's key strengths lies in its examination of linguistic diversity, as Schimmel navigates the intricate web of languages - Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and regional tongues like Bengali and Punjabi - through which Islamic literature has found expression in India. Each language becomes a vessel for the transmission of profound spiritual insights and poetic beauty, weaving together the diverse strands of India's cultural mosaic. Moreover, "Islamic Literatures of India" offers a nuanced understanding of the regional variations that enrich this literary landscape, taking readers on a journey across the subcontinent to explore the unique flavors of Islamic literature in different geographical and historical contexts. But perhaps, what truly sets this book apart is its timeless relevance. Published in 1973, Schimmel's masterpiece continues to stand as a beacon of scholarship, illuminating the path for generations of scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike. Its insights into the multifaceted relationship between Islam and Indian civilization resonate as strongly today as they did upon its publication. For anyone seeking to delve into the captivating realm of Indian Islamic literature - whether scholar, student, or simply an avid reader - "Islamic Literatures of India" promises an enriching and enlightening experience. It is not just a book; it is a gateway to a world of literary wonders, waiting to be explored and cherished for years to come. Dive in and discover the timeless treasures that await within the pages of this seminal work.

This book offers an examination of the sources and evolution of personal authority in one Islamic society.""Sufi Heirs of the Prophet"" explores the multifaceted development of personal authority in Islamic societies by tracing the transformation of one mystical sufi lineage in colonial India, the Naqshbandiyya. Arthur F. Buehler isolates four sources of personal authority evident in the practices of the Naqshbandiyya - lineage, spiritual traveling, status as a Prophetic exemplar, and the transmission of religious knowledge - to demonstrate how Muslim religious leaders have exercised charismatic leadership through their association with the most compelling of personal Islamic symbols, the Prophet Muhammad. Buehler clarifies the institutional structure of sufism, analyzes overlapping configurations of personal sufi authority, and details how and why revivalist Indian Naqshbandis abandoned spiritual practices that had sustained their predecessors for more than five centuries. He looks specifically at the role of Jamacat cAli Shah (d. 1951) to explain current Naqshbandi practices.

Translated by Corinne AttwoodThe Mughal empire (1526-1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure; it was in fact the mightiest Islamic empire in the history of India. In this comprehensive cultural history, now available in paperback, Annemarie Schimmel describes the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals, their system of rule, the incredible unfolding of their power and splendour, and their gradual collapse, finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1857. Beginning with a concise historical overview, she paints a detailed picture of life at court: of rank and status in this strictly hierarchical society; of the life of women; of the various religions, languages and literatures of the Mughal era; of the patronage of the arts by the rulers; and the remarkable accomplishments and techniques of artists at the Mughal court. Who, for example, has not heard of the Taj Mahal, the renowned mausoleum that the emperor Shah Jahan constructed for his wife in the Indian city of Agra? This amazing edifice of white marble, inlaid with a filigree of precious stones, is an impressive demonstration of the refined sense of beauty of the Mughal rulers. Building and landscape architecture, painting and literature, indeed, the entire court culture of the Mughals, all testify to an aesthetic sensibility within which they strove to harmonise all aspects of life. The Empire of the Great Mughals is a richly illustrated and fascinating portrait of an advanced civilization, the historical and cultural legacy of which still inspires universal admiration today.

Die von der bekannten Islamwissenschaftlerin - Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels 1995 - am Leitfaden des christlichen Vaterunsers zusammengestellten wunderschönen islamischen Gebete erfreuen sich auch unter Christen großer Beliebtheit und haben sich - häufig rezensiert und gelobt - gerade in der Praxis interreligiöser Begegnung einen festen Platz erobert. ? O Gott, was immer Du mir an weltlichem Gut zugeteilt hast, gib es Deinen Feinden, und was Du mir an jenseitigem Gut zugedacht hast, gib es Deinen Freunden - Du bist genug für mich.? (Rabia)

The astounding autobiography of the man who transformed Rumi from a learned religious teacher into the world's greatest poet of mystical love.

The devotional and mystical literature of the Ismailis in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is a little known but rich seam of creativity in the cultural heritage of Islam. This book focuses on the ginans - a large corpus of hymns and poems composed in a variety of Indic languages and attributed to a series of preacher-saints who propogated the Ismaili form of Islam in the subcontinent over several centuries. Situating the gians in the larger context of Sufi, Bhakti and Sant poetry in medieval India, the author explores their history, characteristics, themes and prosody, as well as the unique Khojki script in which they were recorded. He also highlights the continuing vitality of this tradition in the religious life of Nizari Ismaili communities of South Asian origin.

R"umi and the Whirling Dervishes is an account of the Mevlevi Sufi order and its founder, the poet and mystic Mevlana Jalalu'ddin Rumi. After Rumi's death in 1273, the whirling dance was introduced as part of the Mevlevi ritual by Rumi's son Sultan Veled. Author Shems Friedlander has been making documentary photography of the whirling dervishes since his first trip to Konya in 1973, and this book features haunting, evocative pictures of the order's dancers, clad in their traditional white skirts and tall hats that represent their tombstones. Taken within the dervish lodges, known as tekkes, these photographs provide an insider's view of ceremonies usually closed to the public. Friedlander's images of the dervishes in mid-whirl evoke the exaltation of union with the divine source. In addition to Rumi's life story and the accounts of dervishes past and present, the book features excepts from Rumi's poetry and the teachings of other Sufi masters, descriptions of the tekke and the symbolism of the dervish ceremony, an overview of the music that accompanies the Mevlevis' turn and a concluding section on the universality of Rumi's message of love. This classic account of the Whirling Dervishes is now presented in a new and revised edition containing additional text and photographs.

An internationally acclaimed scholar, who has dedicated more than fifty years of her life to understanding the Islamic world. Annemarie Schimmel examines a much-misunderstood feature of Islam: the role of women. Schimmel is critical of those--especially Western feminists--who take Islam to task without taking the time to comprehend the cultures, language, and traditions of the many societies in which Islam is the majority religion. Shattering stereotypes, Schimmel reconstructs an important but little-known chapter of Islamic spirituality. With copius examples, she shows the clear equality of women and meni nthe conception of the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran, the feminine language of the mystical tradition, and the role of holy mothers and unmarried women as manifestations of God. This work is studded with luminous texts from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and particularly Indo-Muslim cultures, which reveal how physical love can give expression to the highest forms of mysticism.

The late Annemarie Schimmel drew exhaustively on an enourmous range of sources both ancient and modern to create this thorough survey of a unique body of literature. Travelling from continent to continent and across the centuries, this story of Islamic poetry encompasses a wide spectrum of traditions and cultures, from Arabic religious verse to the ecstasies of the persian Sufis and the popular folk poetry of India and Pakistan.

The life and work of the great Sufi poet.

Although a large body of the great poetry of the Islamic world has been translated into English, except for a few fragments, the poetry of the Isma'ilis is still only accessible in the original. This anthology should enable lovers of devotional and mystical poetry to sample the great range and depth of Isma'ili poetry. The selection spans 1000 years of Isma'ili history, from the time of the Fatimid caliphate to the present day. It includes both sophisticated and popular verses from the Isma'ili poets of Arabia, Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, India and Pakistan composed in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Burushaski and Urdu. In addition to the theme of divine love and the virtues of the prophet and the Immans, the poems present some of the central ideas of the Isma'ilis and their esoteric interpretation of Islam.