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Teosofi : Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam
Number of Followers: 1

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 2088-7957 - ISSN (Online) 2442-871X
Published by UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya

[6 journals]

The Revival of an Old Narrative to Counter Terrorism: The “Balkh School
Approach” to Neutralizing the Neo-Kharijite Narrative in the Islamic
World
- Authors: Mirwais Balkhi
  Abstract: With the end of the bipolar world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Islamic world faced a great power vacuum. This situation led to the formation of various Islamic political groups, each of which, in its own way, sought to gain power and fill the void left by the Cold War among the Muslim Ummah. In the meantime, several Islamic groups, following the ostentatious views and thoughts of the followers of the Ahl al-Hadith, adopted a violent method of struggle for power. Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS, ISK, the Taliban, and dozens of other extremist organizations revived the Kharijite method so many centuries later. These extremist groups based their policies on stubbornness against their own governments in the Islamic world as well as against global powers, the US and EU. The second half of the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century marked the bloodiest scenes in world history. The highest number of victims of the deadly attacks by these extremists were Muslims. Today, both Islamic and non-Islamic countries are trying to eradicate Islamic extremism by conventional means. However, they have not been successful after three decades of struggle. The main challenge of the method of combating extremism among Muslims is the lack of attention to successful models in their history. The Kharijite movements in past centuries were also a great threat to Islam and Muslims which were destroyed by the great theologians of Khorasan, especially Balkh, through a theological counter narrative. Currently, the revival of the Balkh school of theology could be an effective approach to counter and suppress the neo-Kharijites of today. This essay examines the potential capabilities of the Balkh Theological School against indicators of contemporary religious extremism.
  PubDate: 2022-05-11
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)
Agency of the Self and the Uncertain Nature of the Beloved in Persian Love
Mysticism: Earthly, Ethereal, Masculine, or Feminine'
- Authors: Mahdieh Vali-Zadeh
  Abstract: It seems that the controversies over the nature of the beloved in classical Persian mystic poetry (also known as Sufi poetry) as an earthly or ethereal phenomenon would never end. Those in favor of the celestial reading of it consider their counterparts to be narrow-minded. The adherents of terrestrial love, though, see mystical readings dogmatic and outdated, prevailed by traditionalists. The topic gets even more complicated when one takes into account the attitudes in the medieval Muslim world toward pederasty, shāhid-bāzī, on the one hand, and the Divine Feminine/Masculine Beloved, on the other hand, and, thus, the gender of this beloved. The present article explores the beloved in Persian classical mystical poetry via five different but related approaches: historical, philosophical, translational and comparative, linguistic and poetic, and, ultimately, developmental. The study concludes that an essentialist reading of the beloved in Persian love mystic poetry would create numerous problems, and that the spirit of Persian classical poetry in this regard is the spirit of uncertainty with a certain purpose: it is the manifestation of the self-poet’s agency, choosing one’s object of desire without explicitly revealing it and, thus, living one’s own life of choice without fearing the threads of religious fundamentalism.
  PubDate: 2022-05-11
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)
Ibn Taymiyya's Conception of Jihad: Corpus, General Aspects, and
Research Perspectives
- Authors: Mehdi Berriah
  Abstract: The question of jihad is fundamental to Ibn Taymiyya since he is one of the theologians of the Mamluk period—and probably of the entire medieval period—who wrote the most on this subject. Jihad was an essential part of the life of the famous theologian of Damascus, who took part in the Mamluk war effort as a volunteer in various expeditions. Over the last decades, scholars have been interested in the issue of jihad in Ibn Taymiyya and have highlighted several elements. These works have helped us learn more about the ideology of jihad in Ibn Taymiyya. However, it should be noted that those works focus on the jihad against a particular enemy (Mongols, heretics of the Kisrawān, Shi’ites) in a particular context and do not deal much with Ibn Taymiyya’s general conception of jihad, for which several grey areas remain. This article will discuss Ibn Taymiyya and his general conception of jihad. My method is broken down into two steps to provide new elements and research perspectives. In the first instance, I will identify the maximum of Ibn Taymiyya’s writings and passages related to jihad, making the beginning of a type of inventory. Then I will analyze their content and cross-check them to bring to light general aspects of Ibn Taymiyya’s conception of jihad.
  PubDate: 2022-05-11
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)
Soundness of the Heart: An Analysis of the Unique Qualities of the Qalb
Salīm
- Authors: Abu Bakr Sirajuddin Cook, Salih Yucel
  Abstract: Within Islam, the topic of the heart (qalb) occupies an important place. In order to understand the breadth and depth of this topic, it is necessary to understand its intricacies. The Qur’ān, the Ḥadīth, and scholarly interpretations detail the potentialities that, to varying degrees, lie dormant within each and every individual. The heart is described as being able to be pure and to find peace, while equally being able to be darkened and rust. The qalb is mentioned frequently throughout the sacred texts of Islam. This article examines the notion of qalb salīm, mentioned twice within the Qur’ān, both times with regard to the Prophet Ibrahim. Firstly, the importance of qalb will be elaborated. Secondly, an examination of the qalb salīm within the major Qur’ānic commentaries (tafsīr), particularly Sufi exegesis, is examined. Thirdly, related ḥadīth literature is analyzed. An attempt is made to understand the soundness of a sound heart. The analysis in this article will highlight the qualities associated with the qalb salīm. While a comprehensive analysis of the notion of qalb salīm is beyond the scope of this article, an attempt is made to open further discussion on this important concept and address the dearth of currently available academic literature.
  PubDate: 2022-04-06
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)
‘Alī bin al-Ḥusayn’s View on Asceticism: Analysis
and Review
- Authors: Vahid Mahmoudi, Maryam Cheraghi
  Abstract: Asceticism as a lifestyle is highly esteemed by leaders, scholars, and mystics due to its prominent position in Islam. A survey into the lifestyle of the most significant historical religious figures of the Islamic world shows their detachment from the world and luxurious living. The main question of the research is around this issue in the thought of one of the descendant of Prophet Muhammad whether his noble behavior is the same as asceticism in mystical texts and to know whether asceticism is wearing old clothes, poverty, and abstaining from the lawful blessings. This article intends to explore the concept of asceticism based on content analysis and by referring to main Islamic mysticism texts as well as ‘Alī bin al-Ḥusayn. Asceticism has effects and signs that are mentioned in some words of ‘Alī bin al-Ḥusayn, such as avoiding the apparent, yearning for death and eternal reward of the Hereafter, and striving to obey God. We have discovered and analyzed these words and compared them with its mystical concept. The result of the study indicates the main approach of ‘Alī bin al-Ḥusayn towards the world and emphasizes that Muslim mystics follow the Prophet and his lineage in their ascetic method.
  PubDate: 2022-01-30
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)
Back Matter
- Authors: Mukhammad Zamzami
  PubDate: 2022-01-18
  Issue No: Vol. 11, No. 2 (2022)

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