As an undergraduate student majoring in history at the college of wooster ohio, chittick spent the 19641965 academic year abroad, studying islamic history at the american university of beirut. Chahar nama az shadrawan ustad ashtiyani bi duktur wiliyam chitik wa guftugu ba u. Given its concision, clarity and focus on the essentials, this little book can also be considered as a very good and widely accessible introduction to the sufi. What is much less well known is that the theological vision shared by these poets was given explicit formulation by a series of prose works written in the century leading up to cattar, who died in 1221. Nicholson, who produced the first critical edition of rumis 25,000verse mathnawi along with a complete english translation and two volumes of commentary eight volumes in all. He has written for the huffington post, is best known for his groundbreaking work on rumi and ibn arabi, has been featured on press tv and shia tv, and is frequently mentioned on various websites and in publications related to islamic spirituality. This is a short, richly illustrated book on the thought behind the great sufi poets mystical words. There are almost no authoratative books readily available for the general reader that provide, in clear and accessible l.
Past often appropriated quotes from rumi, it was this book along with the mathanawi that truly introduced me to rumi a few years ago. This is the most accessible work in english on the greatest mystical poet of islam, providing a survey of the basic sufi and islamic doctrines concerning god and the world. Afdal aldin kashani was a contemporary of a number of important muslim thinkers, including averroes and ibn alarabi. An expert on islam, its arts and crafts, and its mystical dimension. Rumi is justly celebrated as one of the great poets of human history.
Chittick, state university of new york, from the foreword titus burckhardt 19081984 was a leading member of the traditionalist or perennialist school of comparative religious thought. Universal man a lthough the universe is one when seen from the point of view of the divine essence, from the point of view of relativity there is a fundamental polarization into microcosm and macrocosm. The spiritual teachings of rumi and nine other books. The spiritual teachings of rumi, all published by suny press. William chittick translates into english for the first time certain aspects of rumis work.
Chittick state university of new york, stony brook, 21 june 1992 for rumis life and work see annemarie schimmel, i am wind, you are fire. Chittick state university of new york in this version of professor chitticks article, all of the diacritical marks have been removed. Italian translation of chapter 4 of the sufi doctrine of rumi by e. The sufi doctrine of rumi is a revised edition of a work that was initially published in 1974 in iran by the aryamehr university in tehran to celebrate the sevenhundredth anniversary of rumi s death, when professor chittick was an assistant professor of religious studies at the university. Practically every biography highlights his encounter with shamsi tabrizi, the wandering mystic. Chittick born 1943 is a philosoper, writer, translator and interpreter of classical islamic philosophical and mystical texts. Sanai, nizami, attar, rumi, sadi, and hafiz arguably the six greatest poets in.
Chittick, the leading scholar in the field, offers a compelling insight into the origins, context, and key themes of this fascinating movement. The spiritual path of love in ibn arabi and rumi william c. May 25, 2011 rumi gave a great variety of names to the human participation in gods love hunger, thirst, need, desire, craving, passion, fire, burning. The spiritual path of love in ibn alarabi and rumi. Although rumi is bestknown as a poet, he also had a scholarly side which is illustrated in this volume. Chittick there are almost no authoratative books readily available for the general reader that provide, in clear and accessible language, an introduction to the spiritual perspective illuminating rumi s magical poetry. Professor william chittick, one of the greatest contemporary american scholars of sufism, has authored numerous books on rumi, sufism, and particularly on the life and teachings of the great th century spanish born sufi master and philosopher, ibn arabi. Imagine that you could go somewhere each morning, say to a corner of the sugar merchants caravansary, and hear shams tabriz talk.
William chittick has given us a translation of numerous passages from the work of the magister magnus and placed them in their theological context, thus removing many misunderstandings that have prevailed both among muslims and in the west when interpreting ibn al. He selects and rearranges rumis poetry and prose in order to leave aside unnecessary complications characteristic of other english translations and to present rumis ideas in an orderly fashion, yet in his own words. The spiritual teachings of rumi 1983, the psalms of islam 1988, the selfdisclosure of god. William chittick translates into english for the first time certain aspects of rumi s work. William chittick is a professor of religious studies at state university of new york, stony brook. Arabi has commonly been called alshaykh alakbar, the greatest teacher, not least because he explained in unprecedented detail and at the highest level of discourse all the implications of the islamic worldview. All the divine qualities are contained within him and integrated together. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read sufi path of love, the. Three thirteenthcentury sufi texts ebook written by william c. There are almost no authoratative books readily available for the general reader that provide, in clear and accessible language, an introduction to the spiritual perspective illuminating rumis magical poetry. Chittick state university of new york in this version of professor chittick s article, all of the diacritical marks have been removed. For his original article ebn alarabi with the complete diacritical transliteration, see encyclopaedia iranica.
A short introduction 2000, and the heart of islamic philosophy. Full text of the sufi path of love the spiritual teachings. Chittick born 1943 is a philosopher, writer, translator and interpreter of classical islamic philosophical and mystical texts. The spiritual teachings of rumi ebook written by william c. What is sufism an interview with professor william c. Pdf the sufi path of knowledge download full pdf book. In this monograph william chittick, who has already given us the wonderful sufi path of love dealing with rumi, has suc ceeded in accomplishing. Reza shahkazemi, scholar and author on islam and sufism the sufi doctrine of rumi representswilliam chitticks lifelong scholarly and spiritual dedication to rumis work. The spiritual teachings of rumi suny series, islamic spirituality. When i started reading him as an undergraduate 45 years ago, i did not know persian and relied on the work of r. This book introduces the work of an important medieval islamic philosopher who is little known outside the persian world. William c chittick rumi has become one of the bestselling poets in north america. Read divine love islamic literature and the path to god by william c. The autobiography of shemsi tabrizi william chittick isbn.
Chittick is professor of religious studies at stony brook university. Jun 16, 2005 the sufi doctrine of rumi is a revised edition of a work that was initially published in 1974 in iran by the aryamehr university in tehran to celebrate the sevenhundredth anniversary of rumi s death, when professor chittick was an assistant professor of religious studies at the university. The sufi path of love the spiritual teachings of rumi by william c. Chittick is a professor of religious studies at state university of new york, stony brook. Full text of the sufi path of love the spiritual teachings of rumi by william c. His research focuses on premodern islamic intellectual history and its relevance for. Chittick eaders of this journal are no doubt familiar with persian poets like cattar and rumi, famous for their celebration of love. The sufi doctrine of rumi by william chittick traditional hikma. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read faith and practice of islam. Chittick i state university of new york press albany \j\x bp r8 3 harvard university.
Practically every biography highlights his encounter with shamsi tabrizi, the wandering mystic who became his beloved companion. Chittick there are almost no authoratative books readily available for the general reader that provide, in clear and accessible language, an introduction. Chittick is associate professor of religious studies at state university of new york, stony brook. Like many others, he identified love with the poverty mentioned in the koranic verse, o people, you are the poor toward god, and god is the rich, the praiseworthy 35. The sufi doctrine of rumi the sum total of all levels of reality in a permanent synthe sis. Chittick chronological list of publications books 1974 the sufi doctrine of rumi. After a general overview of the tradition, he draws upon the words of some of the greatest sufi writers among them ibn arabi, baha walad and rumi himself to give a fresh and revealing. After a general overview of the tradition, he draws upon the words of some of the greatest sufi writers among them ibn arabi, baha walad and rumi himself to give a fresh and revealing perspective on the teachings and beliefs of sufism. He selects and rearranges rumi s poetry and prose in order to leave aside unnecessary complications characteristic of other english translations and to present rumi s ideas in an orderly fashion, yet in his own words. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. Chittick see other formats suny series in islamic spirituality seyyed hossein nasr, editor the sufi path of love the spiritual teachings of rumi william c. This is the most accessible work in english on the greatest mystical poet of islam, providing a survey of the basic sufi and islamic doctrines concerning god and the world, the role of man in the cosmos, the need for religion, mans ultimate becoming, the states and. Beatific vision and poetic imagery in baha walad studies in mystical literature 52 1985, pp.
Chittick is a professor in the department of comparative studies at the state university of new york, stony brook. It has become a commonplace to remark that islam is not only a. Talat halman and metin and in mevlana celaleddin rumi and. He is best known for his work on rumi and ibn arabi, and has written extensively on the school of ibn arabi, islamic philosophy, and islamic cosmology. A spiritual mentor had taken me through part of the mathnawi, plus the writings of chittick, which in turn opened me to the teachings of ibn alarabi, and the foundation of my view of islam comes from that background. Ibn alarabi is still known as the great sheik among the surviving sufi orders. Professor chittick is one the worlds leading translators and interpreters of the mystical poetry of jalaluddin rumi and. Rumi puts it, this world is the house of gods severity,6. Born in muslim spain, he has become famous in the west as the greatest mystical thinker of islamic civilization.
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