Margaret Smith was born in Southport, Lancashire to William Smith and Alice Ann Tullis, the sixth of seven daughters. Her family belonged to the Church of England, and Smith remained a religious Christian throughout her life.[2] She obtained a teacher's diploma from Oxford in 1916 and taught in the Middle East until 1925.[3] She obtained her doctorate from the University of London in 1928 where she studied with Reynold Alleyne Nicholson, Thomas Walker Arnold and Louis Massignon.[4][5] Smith's dissertation became her seminal work on the early female Sufi mystic Rabi'a, titled Rabi‘a the Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam, one of the first English language biographies of Rabi'a.[4][6] Smith was the first orientalist to focus her research on women Sufis.[4]
From 1930 to 1932, she served as a lecturer on Islamic mysticism at the School of Oriental Studies. She then served as a research fellow at Girton College and a senior research student at Manchester College from 1936 to 1938.[2] During World War II, she worked for the Wartime Social Survey, translating and writing texts for broadcasting in the Middle East and teaching Arabic to military personnel.[2]
Legacyedit
Smith's work on female Sufis influenced the German orientalist Annemarie Schimmel, who referenced her in her work on gender and Sufism, My Soul is a Woman.[4] Smith succeeded in bringing attention to the overlooked role of women mystics in Islam, being referenced by future writers such as Schimmel and Sachiko Murata.[4]
However, her work has been critiqued by modern scholars of Sufism. Atif Khalil and Shiraz Sheikh state that Smith saw Sufism as inauthentically Islamic and primarily derived from Christian mysticism.[7]
Rabi'a the Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam. Being the life and teachings of Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya al-Qaysiyya of Basra, Sufi saint, ca A.H. 99-185, A.D.717-801. Together with an account of the place of the women in Islam and with a survey of sources, references, a concise bibliography and indexes, 1928
An Introduction to the History of Mysticism: From the oldest elements of mysticism in the Old Testament and in Judaism through classical times and the Orient up to the nineteenth century, 1930
Studies in Early Mysticism in the Near and Middle East. Being an account of the rise and development of Christian mysticism up to the seventh century, of the subsequent development in Islam, known as Sufism, and of the relationship between Christian and Islamic mysticism. With references, a bibliography and two indexes, 1931
An Early Mystic of Baghdad: Al-Muhasibi, ca 781-875 A.D. Master of primitive Islamic mysticism and precursor of the great Muslim Mystics, 1935
Her work Rabi'a the Mystic was reprinted by Oneworld as Muslim Women Mystics: The Life and Work of Rabi'a and Other Women Mystics in Islam in 2001. Her book Studies in Early Mysticism in the Near and Middle East was also reprinted by Oneworld.[5]
Her other works include:
The Persian Mystics: 'Attar, 1932, E.P. Dutton and Company
Readings from the mystics of Islam; translations from the Arabic and Persian, together with a short account of the history and doctrines of Sufism and brief biographical notes on each Sufi writer, 1950, Luzac and Company
The Sufi Path of Love: An Anthology of Sufism, 1954, Luzac and Company
Al-Ghazali: The Mystic: A Study of the Life and Personality of Abu Hamid Muhammad Tusi al-Ghazali, together with an account of his Mystical Teaching and an estimate of his place in the History of Islamic Mysticism, 1944
Referencesedit
^Smith, Margaret (30 July 2001). Muslim Women Mystics: The Life and Work of Rabi'a and Other Women Mystics in Islam. ISBN1851682503.
^ abc"Personal Papers of Margaret Smith, 1900 - 1963 | ArchiveSearch". archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
^ abcdeSharify-Funk, Meena. "Gender and Sufism in Western Scholarship: Contemporary Constructions and Contestations". Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses. 49 (1): 50–72. doi:10.1177/0008429819854345. ISSN 0008-4298.
^ ab"Margaret Smith". Oneworld. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
^Murata, Sachiko (1 January 1992). The Tao of Islam: A Sourcebook on Gender Relationships in Islamic Thought. SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-0913-8.
^Khalil, Atif; Shaikh, Shiraz. "Sufism in the World of Islam & Orientalist Scholarship" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
margaret, smith, orientalist, margaret, smith, 1884, february, 1970, british, orientalist, specializing, comparative, religion, sufism, margaret, smithborn1884southport, lancashire, englanddied23, february, 1970nationalitybritishknown, forscholarship, islamic,. Margaret Smith 1884 23 February 1970 was a British orientalist specializing in comparative religion and Sufism 1 Margaret SmithBorn1884Southport Lancashire EnglandDied23 February 1970NationalityBritishKnown forScholarship on Islamic mysticism Contents 1 Biography 2 Legacy 3 Works 4 References 5 See alsoBiography editMargaret Smith was born in Southport Lancashire to William Smith and Alice Ann Tullis the sixth of seven daughters Her family belonged to the Church of England and Smith remained a religious Christian throughout her life 2 She obtained a teacher s diploma from Oxford in 1916 and taught in the Middle East until 1925 3 She obtained her doctorate from the University of London in 1928 where she studied with Reynold Alleyne Nicholson Thomas Walker Arnold and Louis Massignon 4 5 Smith s dissertation became her seminal work on the early female Sufi mystic Rabi a titled Rabi a the Mystic and Her Fellow Saints in Islam one of the first English language biographies of Rabi a 4 6 Smith was the first orientalist to focus her research on women Sufis 4 From 1930 to 1932 she served as a lecturer on Islamic mysticism at the School of Oriental Studies She then served as a research fellow at Girton College and a senior research student at Manchester College from 1936 to 1938 2 During World War II she worked for the Wartime Social Survey translating and writing texts for broadcasting in the Middle East and teaching Arabic to military personnel 2 Legacy editSmith s work on female Sufis influenced the German orientalist Annemarie Schimmel who referenced her in her work on gender and Sufism My Soul is a Woman 4 Smith succeeded in bringing attention to the overlooked role of women mystics in Islam being referenced by future writers such as Schimmel and Sachiko Murata 4 However her work has been critiqued by modern scholars of Sufism Atif Khalil and Shiraz Sheikh state that Smith saw Sufism as inauthentically Islamic and primarily derived from Christian mysticism 7 Works editIn the 1970s four of Smith s works by then hard to come by were reprinted in Amsterdam by Philo Press in arrangement with The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge London Rabi a the Mystic and Her Fellow Saints in Islam Being the life and teachings of Rabi a al Adawiyya al Qaysiyya of Basra Sufi saint ca A H 99 185 A D 717 801 Together with an account of the place of the women in Islam and with a survey of sources references a concise bibliography and indexes 1928 An Introduction to the History of Mysticism From the oldest elements of mysticism in the Old Testament and in Judaism through classical times and the Orient up to the nineteenth century 1930 Studies in Early Mysticism in the Near and Middle East Being an account of the rise and development of Christian mysticism up to the seventh century of the subsequent development in Islam known as Sufism and of the relationship between Christian and Islamic mysticism With references a bibliography and two indexes 1931 An Early Mystic of Baghdad Al Muhasibi ca 781 875 A D Master of primitive Islamic mysticism and precursor of the great Muslim Mystics 1935 Her work Rabi a the Mystic was reprinted by Oneworld as Muslim Women Mystics The Life and Work of Rabi a and Other Women Mystics in Islam in 2001 Her book Studies in Early Mysticism in the Near and Middle East was also reprinted by Oneworld 5 Her other works include The Persian Mystics Attar 1932 E P Dutton and Company Readings from the mystics of Islam translations from the Arabic and Persian together with a short account of the history and doctrines of Sufism and brief biographical notes on each Sufi writer 1950 Luzac and Company The Sufi Path of Love An Anthology of Sufism 1954 Luzac and Company Al Ghazali The Mystic A Study of the Life and Personality of Abu Hamid Muhammad Tusi al Ghazali together with an account of his Mystical Teaching and an estimate of his place in the History of Islamic Mysticism 1944References edit Smith Margaret 30 July 2001 Muslim Women Mystics The Life and Work of Rabi a and Other Women Mystics in Islam ISBN 1851682503 a b c Personal Papers of Margaret Smith 1900 1963 ArchiveSearch archivesearch lib cam ac uk Retrieved 2 April 2023 Diaries Volume 9 1912 06 02 1916 07 29 ArchiveSearch archivesearch lib cam ac uk Retrieved 3 April 2023 a b c d e Sharify Funk Meena Gender and Sufism in Western Scholarship Contemporary Constructions and Contestations Studies in Religion Sciences Religieuses 49 1 50 72 doi 10 1177 0008429819854345 ISSN 0008 4298 a b Margaret Smith Oneworld Retrieved 2 April 2023 Murata Sachiko 1 January 1992 The Tao of Islam A Sourcebook on Gender Relationships in Islamic Thought SUNY Press ISBN 978 0 7914 0913 8 Khalil Atif Shaikh Shiraz Sufism in the World of Islam amp Orientalist Scholarship PDF a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help See also editMysticism Sufi studies nbsp nbsp This article about a writer or poet from the United Kingdom is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Margaret Smith orientalist amp oldid 1159352025, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
