Islamic mysticism or Sufism is one of the most outstanding appearances of Islamic culture that has had a fundamental and undeniable role in the history of Islam. A careful study of the history and development of the movements of Islamic culture shows that this movement, like most other ones, has been originated from, developed, and cultivated in an Islamic environment, though it has undoubtedly...

[This paper, delivered at the Colloquium on Symbolism in Paris in June 1964, appeared in the Cahiers internationaux de symbolisme 6, Brussels 1964, pp. 3-26. The version printed here has been condensed (with the permission of the author) by omitting paragraphs of a technical nature on pages 5 and 8 of the original, as well as an account (pp. 17-23) of the topography of the Eighth Clime. The com...

from its genesis, islamic mysticism has relied upon asceticism and withdrawal from the world and its inhabitants, and there are numerous words by the great figures of such manner in line with this. world-escaping and retiring from the people is one of the prevailing ideas in this intellectual school which has been fashioned based on the actions and claims of its followers. however, numerous evi...

religious view point is a part of social character structure. the religion is made of two parts: the first part is the legal section which is documented by the religious texts and prays and the second part is the issues that the social life has influence on them such as superstition, myths and traditions. one of the phenomenon which have been created because of the social traditions entrance is...