From Zāhır to Bātın
The Development of Religious Sciences and Sufism within the
Context of Understanding of Knowledge of Abu Talib al-Makki
(EN) This study, consisting of an introduction, four chapters, and a conclusion,
will attempt to clarify the place of Sufism among the religious
sciences within the context of Abu Talib al-Makki’s (d. 386/996) understanding
of knowledge. As one of the leading authors in early Sufi
history, Abu Talib al-Makki describes the development of Sufism in his
work Kûtü’l-Kulûb through his criticism of other religious sciences such
as hadith, fiqh, kalam, and tafsir, as well as certain groups he describes
as bid’ah. In this context, al-Makkī states that Sufism is a “science”
that has existed since the time of the Prophet, that it has taken various
names but that the goal of this science has never changed, and that
Sufism is the original source of other religious sciences that emerged
later. This study will classify Abu Talib al-Mekki’s understanding of
knowledge under various headings and investigate how it influenced
the emergence of his understanding of Sufism.
The first section of the study presents al-Makkī’s understanding of
knowledge and his thoughts on the means and methods of acquiring
knowledge, thereby identifying al-Makkī’s contribution to the process
of codifying Sufism as a science. In the second section, Mekkî’s classifications
of knowledge are identified based on Kûtü’l-Kulûb. This section
also provides a general framework for the main subject of the study,
which is Mekkî’s criticism of religious sciences. In this context, it is seen
that Mekkî basically deals with religious sciences in two parts: “known
by the predecessors” and “emerging later.” The third and fourth chapters
generally address the prevailing understanding of Sufism in the
fourth century hijri and Mekkî’s views on about the science of sufism
touching upon his commonalities with early Sufis such as Serrâc and
Kelâbâzî. Within this framework, the views of Sufis on topics such as
the sources of sufism, sufi etiquette, sema, ecstasy, music, and shatahat
are presented alongside Mekkî’s thoughts on the science of certainty
and spiritual stations.
Keywords: Abû Tâlib al-Makkî; Qût al-qulûb; Yakīn; Early Period of
Sufism; Formative Period; Religious Sciences; Classification of Sciences