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8. Soufisme
370

Matthijs van den Bos. Elements of Neo-Traditional Sufism in Iran

Mauro Valdinoci
Bibliographical reference

Matthijs van den Bos. « Elements of Neo-Traditional Sufism in Iran », in : Martin Van Bruinessen & Julia Day Howell, eds., Sufism and the ‘Modern’ in Islam. London and New York, I. B. Tauris, 2007, p. 61-75.

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1This essay on major developments in Iranian Shiah Sufism in the 20th century discusses the relations between Shiah Sufis and the state, and assesses the impact of sociopolitical changes on the organization of the Sufi orders. Focusing on two particular branches of the Ni‘matullāhiyya, namely the Ṣafī‘alīšāhī and Sulṭān‘alīšāhī orders, the author explores Sufi involvement in society and politics throughout the 20th century – in shaping the modern nation-state, from the Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) through the Reḍā Ḫān (r. 1921-1941) and Moḥammad Reḍā Pahlavī (r. 1941-1979) eras, and under the Islamic Republic since 1979. According to the author, Shiah Sufism was, during these periods, highly politicized, characterized by ideological and organizational renewal and distinguished by its focus on the nation-state. Conversely, during Khatami’s presidency (1997-2005), Shiah Sufism was virtually absent from the public sphere and characterized by another-worldly quietism. Drawing on publications by influential members of the orders studied, the author argues that this quietism did not represent a retreat into a socially disengaged Sufism but, instead, represented a complex engagement with the modern nation-state. This essay is part of the edited volume Sufism and the ‘Modern’ in Islam (See Abs. Ir. 31, 2008, c.r. n° 250).

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References

Electronic reference

Mauro Valdinoci, Matthijs van den Bos. Elements of Neo-Traditional Sufism in IranAbstracta Iranica [Online], Volume 32-33 | 2013, document 370, Online since 01 July 2016, connection on 29 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/abstractairanica/39934; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/abstractairanica.39934

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The text and other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

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