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.
There are no prerequisites for this course. It is suitable for people of all backgrounds with a general familiarity with Islam. Registered users will be invited to an annual online workshop in which they can pose course related questions to the instructor.
Your Instructor
Dr Mariam Sheibani is Associate Academic Director at Cambridge Muslim College. She received her PhD in Islamic Thought from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago and postdoctoral training at Harvard Law School. Dr Sheibani was previously Assistant Professor in History at The University of Toronto and Lecturer at Harvard Divinity School. Her research interests are in Islamic intellectual and cultural history, with a focus on the theory and practice of Islamic law, ethics, and Sufism. She has studied with Muslim scholars and conducted research in Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, North America, the UK, and West Africa. Learn more about her work at www.mariamsheibani.com
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