The Popularisation of Sufism in Ayyubid and Mamluk Egypt, 1173-1325 (Edinburgh Studies in Classical Islamic History and Culture)

A social, political and religious history of Sufism in Medieval Egypt After the fall of the Fatimid Empire in 1171 and the emergence of a new Sunni polity under the Ayyubids, Sufism came to extraordinary prominence in Egypt. The state founded and funded hospices to attract foreign Sufis to Egypt; local charismatic Sufi masters appeared throughout Upper and Lower Egypt; organised Sufi brotherhoods emerged in the urban centres of Cairo and Alexandria; and even Jews took up the doctrines and practices of the Sufis. By the middle of the Mamluk period in the 14th century, Sufism had become massively popular. How and why did this popularisation happen? This book is the first to address this issue directly, surveying the social formation and histories of several different Sufi collectivities from this period. Arguing that the popularisation of Sufism during this time was the direct result of deliberate and variegated Sufi programs of outreach, strategies of legitimation and performances of authority across Egypt, these programs, strategies and performances are situated within the social and political contexts of the institutionalisation of Sufism, audience participation, and Ayyubid and Mamluk state policies. Key Features Offers a wide-ranging description of the variegated social landscape of Sufism in Ayyubid and early Mamluk Egypt Presents a new theoretical model to describe the institutionalisation and popularisation of Sufism Case studies of three different groups of Sufis in medieval Egypt track this institutionalisation and popularisation A heuristic framework connects Sufism to larger social and political trends in medieval Egypt After the fall of the Fatimid Empire in 1171 and the emergence of a new Sunni polity under the Ayyubids, Sufism came to extraordinary prominence in Egypt. The state founded and funded hospices to attract foreign Sufis, and local charismatic Sufi masters appeared throughout Upper and Lower Egypt. Organised Sufi brotherhoods emerged in the urban centres of Cairo and Alexandria and even Jews took up the doctrines and practices of the Sufis. By the middle of the Mamluk period in the fourteenth century, Sufism had become massively popular. How and why did this popularisation happen? This book is the first to address the issue directly, surveying the social formation and histories of several different Sufi collectivities from the period. Nathan Hofer argues that the popularisation of Sufism during this time was the direct result of deliberate and variegated Sufi programmes of outreach, strategies of legitimation and performances of authority across Egypt. He shows that these programmes, strategies and performances are situated within the social and political contexts of the institutionalisation of Sufism, audience participation and Ayyubid and Mamluk state policies. Key features Offers a wide ranging description of the variegated social landscape of Sufism in Ayyubid and early-Mamluk Egypt, Presents a new theoretical model to describe the institutionalization and populations of suffism, Case studies of three different groups of Sufis in medieval Egypt track this institutionalization and popularization, A heuristic framework connects Sufism to larger social and political trends in medieval Egypt After the fall of the Fatimid Empire in 1171 and the emergence of a new Sunni polity under the Ayyubids, Sufism came to extraordinary prominence in Egypt. The state founded and funded hospices to attract foreign Sufis to Egypt; local charismatic Sufi masters appeared throughout Upper and Lower Egypt; organized Sufi brotherhoods emerged in the urban centers of Cairo and Alexandria; and even Jews took up the doctrines and practices of the Sufis. By the middle of the Mamluk period in the fourteenth century, Sufism had become massively popular. How and why did this popularisation happen? This book is the first to address this issue directly, surveying the social formation and histories of several different Sufi collectivities from this period. Adopting an agentival approach, the book argues that the popularization of Sufism during this time was the direct result of deliberate and variegated Sufi programs of outreach, strategies of legitimation, and performances of authority across Egypt. The book situates these programs, strategies, and performances within the social and political contexts of the institutionalization of Sufism, audience participation, and Ayyubid and Mamluk state policies. In the 12th †“ 14th centuries, Sufism (‘Islamic mysticism') became extraordinarily popular across Egypt. Elites and non-elites, rulers and ruled, the wealthy and the poor, even Jews, all embraced a variety of Sufi ideas and practices. This book is the first systematic investigation of how and why this popularisation occurred. It surveys several Sufi groups, from different regions of Egypt, and details how each of them promulgated, performed, and popularised their specific Sufi doctrines and practices. This popularisation would have a profound impact on the Egyptian religious landscape and on the subsequent history of Islam more broadly. In the 12 th 14 th centuries, Sufism (Islamic mysticism) became extraordinarily popular across Egypt. Elites and non-elites, rulers and ruled, the wealthy and the poor, even Jews, all embraced a variety of Sufi ideas and practices. This book is the first systematic investigation of how and why this popularisation occurred. It surveys several Sufi groups, from different regions of Egypt, and details how each of them promulgated, performed, and popularised their specific Sufi doctrines and practices. This popularisation would have a profound impact on the Egyptian religious landscape and on the subsequent history of Islam more broadly. Machine Generated Contents Note: Pt. One State-sponsored Sufism: The Sufis Of The Khanqah Sa'id Al-su'ada' -- 1.the Khanqah -- 2.the Sufis Of The Khanqah -- 3.what Is Popular About The Khanqah? -- Pt. Two State-sanctioned Sufism: The Nascent Shadhiliya -- 4.the Emergence Of The Shadhiliya In Egypt -- 5.al-iskandari's Image Of The Shadhili Tariqa -- 6.the Popularisation Of Shadhili Sufism -- Pt. Three Unruly Sufism: The Sufis Of Upper Egypt -- 7.the Regional Context Of Upper-egyptian Sufism -- 8.sufi Activists And Enforcers -- 9.wonder-working Sufis. Nathan Hofer. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 258-294) And Index. This book is the first systematic investigation of how and why Sufism became extraordinarily popular across Egypt in the 12 th - 14 th centuries.