Synopses & Reviews
This eye-opening, insightful exploration of Sufism, the spiritual tradition that has supported Islam for more than a thousand years, shows why it offers a promising foundation for reconciliation between the Western and Muslim worlds.
Many Americans today identify Islam with maniacal hatred of the West. The Other Islam transforms this image and opens the way to finding common ground in our troubled times. Sufism, a blend of the mystical and rational tendencies within Islam, emerged soon after the revelation of Muhammad. A reforming movement against the increasing worldliness of Muslim society, it focuses on Islams spiritual dimension. Described as “Islam of the Heart,” Sufism has attracted adherents among both Sunni and Shia Muslims, as well as Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.
In The Other Islam, Stephen Schwartz traces the origins and history of Sufism, elucidates its teachings, and illustrates its links to the other religions. He comments on such celebrated Sufi poets and philosophers as Rumi and Al-Ghazali, and narrates their influence on the Kabbalah, on the descendants of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, and on Christian mystics like Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila as well as the American transcendentalists.
Furthermore, Schwartz presents a fresh survey of Sufism in todays Islamic world, anticipating an intellectual renaissance of the faith and alternatives to fundamentalism and tyranny in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran.
Synopsis
Sufism, a profound blend of the mystical and rational traditions within Islam, emerged in the late tenth century. A reformist movement created as a reaction against the increasing worldliness of Muslim society, it focuses on Islam's spiritual dimension. Described as Islam of the Heart, Sufism has attracted adherents among both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, and among Western Jews and Christians as well.
In THE OTHER ISLAM, Stephen Schwartz traces the origins and history of Sufism, elucidates its teachings, and demonstrates its links to the mystical traditions of Western religions. He introduces such celebrated Sufi poets and philosophers as Rumi, Omar Khayyam, and Al-Ghazali, and illuminates their influence on the Kabbalah, on the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, and on Christian mystics like Saint John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.
Many Americans today identify Islam with the maniacal hatred of the West manifested in Arab celebrations of the Twin Tower massacres, the bloodshed in Iraq, and the militant speeches of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. By shining a light on the spiritual power and depth of Sufism, THE OTHER ISLAM transforms this image and opens the way to finding common ground in our troubled times.
Synopsis
Described as "Islam of the Heart," Sufism has attracted adherents among both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, as well as Jews and Christians. Schwartz traces the origins and history of Sufism, elucidates its teachings, and demonstrates its links to the mystical traditions of Western religions.
About the Author
is an internationally published journalist and author of The Two Faces of Islam: Saudi Fundamentalism and Its Role in Terrorism. He is Executive Director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism, at www.islamicpluralism.org. He lives in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and the Balkans.