fbpx
Wikipedia

Sahl al-Tustari

November 23, 2023

Sahl al-Tustarī (Arabic: سهل التستري) or Sahl Shushtarī (Persian: سهل شوشتری) according to Persian custom, born Abū Muḥammad Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh (c.818 CE (203 AH) – c.896 CE (283 AH)), was a Persian Sunni Muslim scholar and early classical Sufi mystic.[1] He founded the Salimiyah Muslim theological school, which was named after his disciple Muhammad ibn Salim.[2]

Sahl al-Tustarī
Personal
Bornc. 818 CE (203 AH) in Shushtar, Iran
Diedc. 896 CE (283 AH) in Basra, Iraq
ReligionIslam
EraIslamic golden age
RegionAhwaz
JurisprudenceHanbali
Main interest(s)Sufism, Islamic theology
Notable work(s)Tafsir

Tustari is most famous for his controversial claim that "I am the Proof of God for the created beings and I am a proof for the saints (awliya) of my time"[1] and for his well-known Tafsir, a commentary on and interpretation of the Qur'an.

Biography edit

Sahl al-Tustari was born in the fortress town of Tustar (Arabic) or Shushtar (Persian) in Khūzestān Province in what is now southwestern Iran.[1]

From an early age he led an ascetic life with frequent fasting and study of the Qur'an and Hadith, the oral traditions, of the Prophet Muhammad. He practised repentance (tawbah) and, above all, constant remembrance of God (dhikr). This eventually culminated in a direct and intimate rapport with God with whom he considered himself a special friend and one of the spiritual elect.[1]

Tustari was under the direction of the Sufi saint Dhul-Nun al-Misri for a time, and Tustari in his turn was one of the Sufi mystic Mansur Al-Hallaj's early teachers.[3]

Tustari was also near to the Islamic Scholars of Hadith when he met (Abu Dawood) he said "O Abu Dawud, I want something from you." He said, "What is it?" Sahl said, "On a condition that you say that you will fulfill it if possible." Abu Dawud replied in the affirmative. Sahl said, "Get out your tongue with which you narrated the hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) so that I kiss it." Abu Dawud accept that and Sahl kissed his tongue.[4] This shows the close proximate of early hadith scholars and early sufis.

In these early days when the Sufis were becoming established mostly in Baghdad (the capital of modern Iraq), the most notable Sufis of the time elsewhere were: Tustari in southwestern Iran, Al-Tirmidhi in Central Asia and the Malamatiyya or "People of Blame".[5] Also the chief leader of the Hanabila, al-Barbahari, was a disciple of Tustari. [6]

An Islamic scholar who commented on and interpreted the Qur'an, Tustari maintained that the Qur'an "contained several levels of meaning", which included the outer or zahir and the inner or batin. Another key idea that he unravelled was the meaning of the Prophet Muhammad's saying "I am He and He is I, save that I am I, and He is He", explaining it "as a mystery of union and realization at the center of the Saint's personality, called the sirr ('the secret'), or the heart, where existence joins Being."[7] Tustari also "was the first to put" the Sufi exercise of remembrance of God, Dhikr, "on a firm theoretical basis."[8]

[Tustari] maintained that ultimately [...] it became clear to the recollector that the true agent of recollection was not the believer engaged in recollection but God Himself, who commemorated Himself in the heart of the believer. This realisation of God's control over the heart led the believer to the state of complete trust in the Divine.[1]


Works edit

  • al-Tustari, Sahl ibn 'Abd Allah (December 2009). Meri, Yousef (ed.). Tafsir Al-Tustari: Great Commentaries of the Holy Qur'an. Translated by Keeler, Annabel; Keeler, Ali. Fons Vitae. ISBN 978-1-891785-19-1.

Sayings edit

  • "I am the Proof of God for the created beings and I am a proof for the saints (awliya) of my time"[1]
  • Asked "What is food?" Tustari replied: "Food is contemplation of the Living One."[9]
  • "Whoever wakes up worrying about what he will eat -- shun him!"[10]
  • "If any one shuts his eye to God for a single moment, he will never be rightly guided all his life long"[11]

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (Professor) (2007). Sufism: The Formative Period. University of California Press. pp. 38–43. ISBN 978-0-520-25269-1.Co-publisher: Edinburgh University Press.
  2. ^ Staff. "Salimiyah (Muslim theological school)". Encyclopædia Britannica (online). Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  3. ^ Mason, Herbert W. (1995). Al-Hallaj. RoutledgeCurzon. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-7007-0311-1.
  4. ^ Okasha, Mohamed (3 September 2014). "Abu Dawud: The Faqih and Scholar of Hadith". The-faith.com. E-Da`wah Committee (EDC). from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  5. ^ Cornell, Vincent J. (2006). Voices of Islam, Volume 1: Voices of Tradition. Praeger Publishers. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-0-275-98732-9.
  6. ^ JSTOR: The Ḥanābila and the Early Sufis. Page 353
  7. ^ Glasse, Cyril (2008). The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 393. ISBN 978-0-7425-6296-7.
  8. ^ Hovannisian, Richard G.; Sabagh, Georges (1998). The Persian presence in the Islamic world. Cambridge University Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-521-59185-0.
  9. ^ Shah, Idries (1983). Learning How to Learn: Psychology and Spirituality in the Sufi Way. Octagon Press. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-900860-59-1. First published 1978. According to Idries Shah this refers to the fact that "Sufi learning comes through nutrition."
  10. ^ Jami, Al-Ghazzali and Hakim Sanai (1980). Four Sufi Classics: "Salaman and Absal", "Niche for Lights", "Way of the Seeker" and "Abode of Spring". Octagon Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-900860-69-0.
  11. ^ Nicholson, Reynold A. (2002). The Mystics of Islam. World Wisdom. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-941532-48-8.

References edit

  • Massignon, Louis; Mason, Herbert W (translator and editor) (1994). The passion of Al-Hallaj: mystic and martyr of Islam. Princeton University Press. pp. 35–37. ISBN 978-0-691-01919-2. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  • Hovannisian, Richard G.; Sabagh, Georges (1998). The Persian presence in the Islamic world. Cambridge University Press. pp. 187–188. ISBN 978-0-521-59185-0.
  • Glasse, Cyril (2008). The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. pp. 393–394. ISBN 978-0-7425-6296-7.

Further reading edit

External links edit

  • Al-Tustari: A short bio by Shaykh Gibril Haddad

November 23, 2023
sahl, tustari, sahl, tustarī, arabic, سهل, التستري, sahl, shushtarī, persian, سهل, شوشتری, according, persian, custom, born, abū, muḥammad, sahl, ʿabd, allāh, persian, sunni, muslim, scholar, early, classical, sufi, mystic, founded, salimiyah, muslim, theologi. Sahl al Tustari Arabic سهل التستري or Sahl Shushtari Persian سهل شوشتری according to Persian custom born Abu Muḥammad Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allah c 818 CE 203 AH c 896 CE 283 AH was a Persian Sunni Muslim scholar and early classical Sufi mystic 1 He founded the Salimiyah Muslim theological school which was named after his disciple Muhammad ibn Salim 2 Sahl al TustariPersonalBornc 818 CE 203 AH in Shushtar IranDiedc 896 CE 283 AH in Basra IraqReligionIslamEraIslamic golden ageRegionAhwazJurisprudenceHanbaliMain interest s Sufism Islamic theologyNotable work s TafsirTustari is most famous for his controversial claim that I am the Proof of God for the created beings and I am a proof for the saints awliya of my time 1 and for his well known Tafsir a commentary on and interpretation of the Qur an Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Sayings 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksBiography editSahl al Tustari was born in the fortress town of Tustar Arabic or Shushtar Persian in Khuzestan Province in what is now southwestern Iran 1 From an early age he led an ascetic life with frequent fasting and study of the Qur an and Hadith the oral traditions of the Prophet Muhammad He practised repentance tawbah and above all constant remembrance of God dhikr This eventually culminated in a direct and intimate rapport with God with whom he considered himself a special friend and one of the spiritual elect 1 Tustari was under the direction of the Sufi saint Dhul Nun al Misri for a time and Tustari in his turn was one of the Sufi mystic Mansur Al Hallaj s early teachers 3 Tustari was also near to the Islamic Scholars of Hadith when he met Abu Dawood he said O Abu Dawud I want something from you He said What is it Sahl said On a condition that you say that you will fulfill it if possible Abu Dawud replied in the affirmative Sahl said Get out your tongue with which you narrated the hadiths of the Prophet peace be upon him so that I kiss it Abu Dawud accept that and Sahl kissed his tongue 4 This shows the close proximate of early hadith scholars and early sufis In these early days when the Sufis were becoming established mostly in Baghdad the capital of modern Iraq the most notable Sufis of the time elsewhere were Tustari in southwestern Iran Al Tirmidhi in Central Asia and the Malamatiyya or People of Blame 5 Also the chief leader of the Hanabila al Barbahari was a disciple of Tustari 6 An Islamic scholar who commented on and interpreted the Qur an Tustari maintained that the Qur an contained several levels of meaning which included the outer or zahir and the inner or batin Another key idea that he unravelled was the meaning of the Prophet Muhammad s saying I am He and He is I save that I am I and He is He explaining it as a mystery of union and realization at the center of the Saint s personality called the sirr the secret or the heart where existence joins Being 7 Tustari also was the first to put the Sufi exercise of remembrance of God Dhikr on a firm theoretical basis 8 Tustari maintained that ultimately it became clear to the recollector that the true agent of recollection was not the believer engaged in recollection but God Himself who commemorated Himself in the heart of the believer This realisation of God s control over the heart led the believer to the state of complete trust in the Divine 1 Works edital Tustari Sahl ibn Abd Allah December 2009 Meri Yousef ed Tafsir Al Tustari Great Commentaries of the Holy Qur an Translated by Keeler Annabel Keeler Ali Fons Vitae ISBN 978 1 891785 19 1 Sayings edit I am the Proof of God for the created beings and I am a proof for the saints awliya of my time 1 Asked What is food Tustari replied Food is contemplation of the Living One 9 Whoever wakes up worrying about what he will eat shun him 10 If any one shuts his eye to God for a single moment he will never be rightly guided all his life long 11 Notes edit a b c d e f Karamustafa Ahmet T Professor 2007 Sufism The Formative Period University of California Press pp 38 43 ISBN 978 0 520 25269 1 Co publisher Edinburgh University Press Staff Salimiyah Muslim theological school Encyclopaedia Britannica online Retrieved 2009 06 20 Mason Herbert W 1995 Al Hallaj RoutledgeCurzon p 83 ISBN 978 0 7007 0311 1 Okasha Mohamed 3 September 2014 Abu Dawud The Faqih and Scholar of Hadith The faith com E Da wah Committee EDC Archived from the original on 5 April 2018 Retrieved 5 April 2018 Cornell Vincent J 2006 Voices of Islam Volume 1 Voices of Tradition Praeger Publishers pp 254 255 ISBN 978 0 275 98732 9 JSTOR The Ḥanabila and the Early Sufis Page 353 Glasse Cyril 2008 The New Encyclopedia of Islam Rowman amp Littlefield Publishers Inc p 393 ISBN 978 0 7425 6296 7 Hovannisian Richard G Sabagh Georges 1998 The Persian presence in the Islamic world Cambridge University Press p 187 ISBN 978 0 521 59185 0 Shah Idries 1983 Learning How to Learn Psychology and Spirituality in the Sufi Way Octagon Press p 149 ISBN 978 0 900860 59 1 First published 1978 According to Idries Shah this refers to the fact that Sufi learning comes through nutrition Jami Al Ghazzali and Hakim Sanai 1980 Four Sufi Classics Salaman and Absal Niche for Lights Way of the Seeker and Abode of Spring Octagon Press p 191 ISBN 978 0 900860 69 0 Nicholson Reynold A 2002 The Mystics of Islam World Wisdom p 41 ISBN 978 0 941532 48 8 References editMassignon Louis Mason Herbert W translator and editor 1994 The passion of Al Hallaj mystic and martyr of Islam Princeton University Press pp 35 37 ISBN 978 0 691 01919 2 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a first2 has generic name help Hovannisian Richard G Sabagh Georges 1998 The Persian presence in the Islamic world Cambridge University Press pp 187 188 ISBN 978 0 521 59185 0 Glasse Cyril 2008 The New Encyclopedia of Islam Rowman amp Littlefield Publishers Inc pp 393 394 ISBN 978 0 7425 6296 7 Further reading editGerhard Bowering 1979 The Mystical Vision of Existence in Classical Islam The Qur anic Hermeneutics of the Sufi Sahl At Tustari Walter de Gruyter ISBN 978 3 11 083705 6 External links editAl Tustari A short bio by Shaykh Gibril Haddad Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sahl al Tustari amp oldid 1139495887, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.