Origin, History & Teachings of Sufism

What is Sufism? A Guide to the history teachings and debates of Islamic spirituality

Why is there so much controversy around the teachings and practices of Sufism? And what role does Sufism continue to play in contemporary Muslim life?

This course, with Dr Mariam Sheibani, offers answers to these questions and more while exploring the origin of Sufism, and how it evolved and contributed to diverse societies throughout Islamic history.

Spanning eight modules, the course will explore the historical origins of Sufism in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and how it evolved and contributed to diverse societies throughout Islamic history.

With a lot of ground to cover, we will chart the evolution of Islamic spirituality from:

• its beginnings, as personal ascetic devotion,

• to the establishment of Sufism as a distinct mode of piety expounded as a religious science,

• and finally, to the founding of spiritual orders (ṭarīqas) in which a large portion of medieval Muslim society participated.

Along the way, we will critically examine the debates concerning specific Sufi practices and doctrines.

The course will conclude with a discussion on how Sufism was impacted by colonialism and reform in the modern period. It will address Sufism’s enduring significance in the Muslim world and in Muslim minority communities in the West.