er-Riâye bi-vasiyyeti’l-müridîn fî mekârimi’l-ahlâk

The Careful Counsel for Disciples on Attaining Noble Morals

Each field of knowledge possesses its own unique terminology, with terms serving as the fundamental conceptual tools and analytical instruments of that discipline. These terms, referred to as “concepts,” “technical terms,” or “istilah”, are developed to articulate complex theoretical matters in a more systematic and comprehensible manner. Sufi scholarship, often described as the “science of spiritual states” (ʿilm al-aḥwāl), employs a distinctive language to express spiritual and psychological experiences. Consequently, from the early periods of Islamic spirituality, Sufi masters have placed significant emphasis on the notions of ḥāl (spiritual states) and maqām (spiritual stations), addressing these concepts extensively in both general works on Sufism and specialized treatises dedicated exclusively to the subject. The present study focuses on er-Riʿāya, a classical Sufi text authored by Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Bustī (d. 584/1188). This work offers a systematic exposition of “ḥāl” and “maqām”, central themes in Sufi spirituality, outlining the stages of the spiritual path (sulūk) and the transformative journey of the sālik (spiritual traveler). The first chapter of this study explores the historical and cultural context in which al-Bustī lived, along with an examination of his life, scholarly contributions, teachers, and disciples. The second chapter provides a detailed analysis of the manuscript tradition of er- Riʿāya, its structure, content, sources, and the methodological principles adopted in the critical edition. Finally, the concluding section presents a thoroughly reviewed and critically edited version of er-Riʿāya, rescuing the text from centuries of obscurity and making it accessible for contemporary academic research and the scholarly community.

Keywords: Abu Abdullah al-Busti, Sufism, Maqam Stations, Hal Spiritual State, er-Riʿāya