Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi ( – 1234) was a
Persian Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
and nephew of
Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi
Abū al-Najīb Abd al-Qahhar Suhrawardī () (1097–1168) was a Sunni Persian people, PersianQamar al-Huda, ''Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi'', ed. Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, Vol. 2. . pp 775-776: "Shahab al-D ...
.
He expanded the Sufi order of
Suhrawardiyya
The Suhrawardi order (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order founded by Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi, Abu ’l-Nad̲j̲īb Suhrawardī (died 1168). Lacking a centralised structure, it eventually divided into various branches. The order was especially prominent i ...
that had been created by his uncle
Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi
Abū al-Najīb Abd al-Qahhar Suhrawardī () (1097–1168) was a Sunni Persian people, PersianQamar al-Huda, ''Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi'', ed. Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, Vol. 2. . pp 775-776: "Shahab al-D ...
, and is the person responsible for officially formalizing the order.
Suhrawardi is the author of the ''ʿAwārif al-Maʿārif'', which is recognized as a masterpiece work in
Tasawwuf
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
.
Life
Suhrawardi traced his lineage back to
Abu Bakr
Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
, the first Caliph. From an early age onwards, Suhrawardi studied Islamic jurisprudence, law, logic, theology, Quranic studies and Hadith studies.
[Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (2006), p. 775] Suhrawardi quickly excelled in his studies and mastered, at an early age, the
Shafi'i
The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
and
Hanbali
The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...
madhabs.
Suhrawardi was eventually designated as ''Shaykh al-Islam'' by Caliph
al-Nasir
Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn al-Hasan al-Mustaḍīʾ (), better known by his al-Nāṣir li-Dīn Allāh (; 6 August 1158 – 5 October 1225) or simply as al-Nasir, was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1180 until his death. His literally can m ...
under the
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes i ...
.
The ʿAwārif al-Maʿārif
Suhrawardi wrote the ''ʿAwārif al-Maʿārif'' (translated as "Benefits of Intimate Knowledge", or other as "The Knowledge of the Spiritually Learned").
[Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (2006), p. 776] The ''ʿAwārif al-Maʿārif'' 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 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.
Descriptio ...
in 1980.
Gallery
File:مرقد ومقبرة الشيخ عمر السهروردي في بغداد.jpg, Umar Al Suhrawardi's tomb in Baghdad 1912
File:الباب الوسطاني قرب مرقد الشيخ عمر السهروردي.jpg, Umar Al Suhrawardi's tomb in Baghdad 1912
See also
*
Mausoleum of Umar Suhrawardi
*
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
Iranian people of Arab descent
Suhrawardy family
Banu Taym
{{Iran-academic-bio-stub