The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics

The periodization of sciences is one of the essential devices of treating a field by specification and tracing the transformations in that field. Nonetheless, it would be hard to speak of robust periodization concerning religious sciences of Islam. What Ibn Khaldūn said retained its validity quite l...

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Main Author: Ekrem Demirli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi Bilim Tarihi Enstitüsü 2016-05-01
Series:Nazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/4-4/1-m0030/ekrem-demirli.pdf
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author Ekrem Demirli
author_facet Ekrem Demirli
author_sort Ekrem Demirli
collection DOAJ
description The periodization of sciences is one of the essential devices of treating a field by specification and tracing the transformations in that field. Nonetheless, it would be hard to speak of robust periodization concerning religious sciences of Islam. What Ibn Khaldūn said retained its validity quite long for the mainstays of kalām (Islamic theology), and partially for Sufism. The basic reason was the methodological problems rather than the inadequacy of the studies in religious sciences. Yet there is no method that would also make the periodization of the religious sciences of Islam plausible, ergo the history of religious sciences has not been written scientifically. On the other hand, the history of science cannot be written solely from within; one may consider writing comparative –at least taking note of it– history of science that would take into account many internal and external factors. Sufi studies are fraught with serious challenges in the absence of that classification. We have no clear-cut opinion about which Sufi and which work should be handled in which framework. The periodization is one of the crucial tasks to be undertaken in order to obtain valid and scientific results in Sufi studies. Periodization would give us a point of view about the period independent from a Sufi and his text, and enable us to read the text from this perspective.
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spelling doaj-art-939fca819f404873af27aae68b0cb1802025-08-20T03:37:20Zengİstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi Bilim Tarihi EnstitüsüNazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences2547-94152547-94152016-05-012413210.12658/Nazariyat.2.4.M0030The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and MetaphysicsEkrem Demirli0Istanbul UniversityThe periodization of sciences is one of the essential devices of treating a field by specification and tracing the transformations in that field. Nonetheless, it would be hard to speak of robust periodization concerning religious sciences of Islam. What Ibn Khaldūn said retained its validity quite long for the mainstays of kalām (Islamic theology), and partially for Sufism. The basic reason was the methodological problems rather than the inadequacy of the studies in religious sciences. Yet there is no method that would also make the periodization of the religious sciences of Islam plausible, ergo the history of religious sciences has not been written scientifically. On the other hand, the history of science cannot be written solely from within; one may consider writing comparative –at least taking note of it– history of science that would take into account many internal and external factors. Sufi studies are fraught with serious challenges in the absence of that classification. We have no clear-cut opinion about which Sufi and which work should be handled in which framework. The periodization is one of the crucial tasks to be undertaken in order to obtain valid and scientific results in Sufi studies. Periodization would give us a point of view about the period independent from a Sufi and his text, and enable us to read the text from this perspective.https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/4-4/1-m0030/ekrem-demirli.pdf: the period of zuhdthe period of Sufismphilosophical SufismSunnī Sufismmetaphysical Sufism
spellingShingle Ekrem Demirli
The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
Nazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences
: the period of zuhd
the period of Sufism
philosophical Sufism
Sunnī Sufism
metaphysical Sufism
title The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
title_full The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
title_fullStr The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
title_full_unstemmed The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
title_short The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
title_sort problem of periodization in sufi studies the struggle of sufism to become a discipline between the religious sciences and metaphysics
topic : the period of zuhd
the period of Sufism
philosophical Sufism
Sunnī Sufism
metaphysical Sufism
url https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/4-4/1-m0030/ekrem-demirli.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ekremdemirli theproblemofperiodizationinsufistudiesthestruggleofsufismtobecomeadisciplinebetweenthereligioussciencesandmetaphysics
AT ekremdemirli problemofperiodizationinsufistudiesthestruggleofsufismtobecomeadisciplinebetweenthereligioussciencesandmetaphysics