Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (c. 1145 – 1234) was a
Persian Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
and nephew of
Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi.
He expanded the Sufi order of
Suhrawardiyya that had been created by his uncle
Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi, and is the person responsible for officially formalizing the order.
[Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (2006), p. 775] Suhrawardi is the author of the ''Awarif ul-Maarif'', which is recognized as a masterpiece work in
Tasawwuf.
Life
Suhrawardi traces his lineage back to
Abu Bakr, the first Caliph. From an early age onwards, Suhrawardi studied Islamic jurisprudence, law, logic, theology, Quranic studies and Hadith studies.
Suhrawardi quickly excelled in his studies and mastered, at an early age, the
Shafi'i and
Hanbali madhabs.
Suhrawardi was eventually designated as ''Shaykh al-Islam'' by Caliph
al-Nasir
Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Mustadi' ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد بن الحسن المستضيء) better known by his laqab Al-Nasir li-Din Allah ( ar, الناصر لدين الله; 6 August 1158 – 5 October 1225) or simply as A ...
under the
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
.
The Awarif al-Maarif
Suhrawardi wrote the ''Awarif al-Maarif'', or "The Knowledge of the Spiritually Learned."
[Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (2006), p. 776] The ''Awarif ul-Maarif'' quickly became one of the most popular books on Sufism throughout the Muslim world. This book was allegedly translated into English by
Henry Wilberforce-Clarke
Henry Wilberforce Clarke (1840–1905) was the British translator of Persian works by mystic poets Saadi, Hafez, Nizami and Suhrawardi, as well as writing some works himself. He was an officer in the British India corps Bengal Engineers, and ...
and published as "A Dervish Textbook" in 1891, although the Persian text which was the basis for this translation is likely to have been misattributed. It was reprinted by
Octagon Press
Octagon Press was a cross-cultural publishing house based in London, UK. It was founded in 1960 by Sufism, Sufi teacher, Idries Shah to establish the historical and cultural context for his ideas. The company ceased trading in 2014.
Description ...
in 1980.
Gallery
File:مرقد ومقبرة الشيخ عمر السهروردي في بغداد.jpg, Umar Al Suhrawardi's tomb in Baghdad 1914
File:الباب الوسطاني قرب مرقد الشيخ عمر السهروردي.jpg, Umar Al Suhrawardi's tomb in Baghdad 1914
See also
*
Mausoleum of Umar Suhrawardi
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, image = جامع زمرد خاتون.jpg
, image_upright = 1.4
, alt =
, caption = Mausoleum of Umar Suhrawardi, 2017.
, map_type = Iraq Bag ...
*
Suhrawardy family
References
Sources
*
* Ohlander, Erik, ''Sufism in an Age of Transition: Umar al-Suhrawardi and the Rise of the Islamic Mystical Brotherhood'' (Leiden, Brill, 2008) (Islamic History and Civilization, 71).
* Huda, Qamar-ul, ''Striving for Divine Union: Spiritual Exercises for Suhrawardī Sūfīs'' (Psychology Press, 2003)
*
Iranian Sufis
1140s births
1234 deaths
13th-century Iranian people
13th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate
12th-century Iranian people
Sunni Sufis
Supporters of Ibn Arabi
Founders of Sufi orders
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