<<The>> Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality

A ground-breaking and comprehensive collection on various facets of Islamic spirituality throughout history and in the modern world The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality is an authoritative reference work comprising twenty-eight scholarly essays that explore the expressive and performative dimensions of Islamic spirituality. Edited by two of its most prominent scholars, and bringing together a stellar cast of contributors, this wide-ranging volume covers religious practices, sacred texts, history and places, gender, music, poetry, the visual arts, and politics. Spirituality has had a long and important history in Islam, where a focus on spirituality is required of every believer. Each Muslim is asked to achieve a state of devotion through prayer, fasting, supplications, recitations, pilgrimage, and ascetic practices. The essays in this volume explain the role of spirituality in Islam―from its beginnings, through the development of its institutions, and into the present day. They also reflect important new research, and discuss contemporary debates and issues affecting Islamic spirituality such as the Internet, social justice, the role of women, ethics, and religious fundamentalism. Offering readers a thought-provoking way to engage with the topic, this comprehensive work includes: The spirituality of words and letters, including the Qur’an, prophetic traditions in Islam, and litanies, invocations, and devotional texts Devotional practices in Islam, including the spirituality of prayer, ascetic spirituality, Qur’an recitation, and spirituality of the Sufi path Spirituality in literature, including Arabic and Persian poetry, spirituality in the modern novel, and the art of translation Spirituality in the arts, including the visual arts, music, song, and film Islamic spirituality and post-modern practices, including the Internet, Islamic hip-hop, and Salafism From the personal to the political, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality offers a fresh and revitalized view of all aspects of spirituality in Islam. It is a must-have scholarly resource for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, instructors and scholars studying Islam, spirituality, and Asian and Middle Eastern history as well as general readers with an interest in the subject. "The major feature of the Qurʼān is its holistic value as a revealed, recited and enacted text. The self-disclosure of the Qurʼān underscores its eternity, unboundedness, and embodiment in the lives of Muslims. Particular phrases, verses, and sūras also have acquired spiritual value in the everyday performance of most devout Muslims. Beyond understanding their commonality, one must also note the discrete distinctions made between these phrases, verses and chapters in a variety of contexts. Equally important, but usually overlooked, is the scholarly attention to the Qurʼān as itself an act of devotion prompted by the sacred lure of the text. Whether through recitation or interpretation, in calligraphy or the act of translation, the Qurʼān as a spiritual magnet, in Rūmī's words "an amazingly jealous piece of magic" (Rūmī1994), becomes evident from medieval to modern times, from Senegal to Sumatra, in the creative labor of artists as well as scholars"-- Provided by publisher This is an authoritative reference for the field, edited by two of its most prominent scholars. The essays explain the historical role of spirituality from the founding of Islam, to the rise of Sufism, through to present day concerns.