The Friends of God and Reading Travelers’ Narratives HIST /4/13

Near Eastern Mysticism and Asceticism Early Muslims attracted to Christian ascetics Desert Fathers St. Simeon Stylites (d. 459) Merkabah – Jewish mysticism focused on divine visions Kabbalah – 12 th century Jewish mystical movement Christian Monasticism

Sufism Sufi masters develop practices and doctrines Dhikr – remembrance of God Muraqaba – repetition of God’s names Visitation and pilgrimage 10 th -13 th centuries – following coalesce around Sufi masters Development of Sufi institutions

Sufism and Poetry Intense love of God Reflected in love poetry Double meaning? Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273) – Persian poet – Mathnawi – Founder of Mawlana Sufi Order

Sufism ijaza – diploma and license to teach khirqa – cloak of the master, symbolic robe ribat – residence for mystics, from frontier forts 13 th century – Sufism, khanaqas, and ribats become important pieces of urban framework, similar to madrasa Khanaqa Bayburs, Cairo

Are Sufis Saints? Mystics and “Friends of God” Populist Islam Sufism and miracles? Baraka – blessings Shrines and ziyara Khanqah-i Shaykh `Abd al-Samad, Iran Il-Khanid construction, 14 th century

Sufism and Politics Sufi shaykh as political agent Baraka and the sultan State sponsorship of Sufi Orders State sponsorship of khanaqas, shrines, etc. Descendants of shaykhs and political authority Shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din, Ardabil, Iran 14 th century

Reading Travel Narratives What does a travel narrative actually tell us about? What kinds of details do you notice when you are traveling that are worth mentioning? What don’t you see when you are traveling?

Naser-e Khusraw’s Safarnama Naser-e Khusraw ( ): Persian poet, philosopher, and Isma`ili scholar from Khurasan Secretary and tax collector under Seljuq Sultan Tughril Beg Safarnama – “Book of Travels” 1046: A dream tells Naser to go on pilgrimage Writes a report on his seven year journey

Pax Mongolica and Travel

Paisa - passport

Marco Polo ( ) 1260: Marco’s father and uncle find their way to Bukhara and then China 1269: Niccolo and Maffeo Polo Return : Marco, Niccolo, and Maffeo in China

Marco Polo’s Travels

1298: In a Genoese prison. Can we believe Rustichello’s embellishment of Marco’s prison yard bragging?

Ibn Battuta ( ) Tangier, Morocco Family of legal scholars (ulama) 1325: Ibn Battuta leaves for Hajj 1354: Finally returns home.

Ibn Battuta’s Travels