Sufism represents a paradox at the heart of Islam.

As Islam’s mystical tradition, Sufism gained a reputation for harboring obscure and esoteric wisdom, but for most of Islam’s history, it was also an immensely popular, mainstream institution.

Preaching ecstatic absorption in the divine, Sufis flirted with and sometimes even defied Islam’s taboos. At the same time, they were at the forefront of conversion efforts on the Islamic frontier and even led jihadist resistance to Western colonialism.  

In the modern era, Sufism receded across the Muslim world in the face of attacks by both modernizing reformers and reactionary fundamentalists. Meanwhile, it gained a dubious following among Western audiences who often mistook Sufism for another sort of New Age spirituality and ignored what was distinctly Islamic about it.

In this course, we will set the record straight and see what Sufis have to say in their own words.

Through close reading of texts by some of the most famous Sufis, we will gain an appreciation for the full range of Sufi thought: its poetic expression, its esoteric truths, its scandalous innovations, and its own particular vision of Islam.

This course is taught in English and is open to students of all levels and backgrounds. Texts will be read in translation.

An additional Arabic section is available for students who would like to read the Arabic texts in the original.

None.

Some familiarity with Islam and Islamic history is helpful, but not required.

For the Arabic section, two years of Modern Standard Arabic will be sufficient.