Beyond Dogma Rumi's Teachings on Friendship with God and Early Sufi Theories

The poet Rumi (d. 1273) has become as a best-selling author for English-speakers, but in the Islamic world his legacy remains contested. Muslim readers grapple with fundamental questions about his teachings, such as the relationship of his Sufi mysticism to the wider context of their religion. In this groundbreaking study, Jawid Mojaddedi examines Rumi's teachings onwalaya(friendship with God) in light of earlier discourse in the wider Sufi tradition and juridico-theological Islam.Walayais not only central to Rumi's teachings; it also forms the basis for the celebration of intimacy, communication with the Divine and the transcendence of conventional religiosity in Rumi's poetry. And yetwalayais the aspect of Sufism which has proven the most difficult to reconcile with juridico-theological Islam. In addition to the focus on Rumi,Beyond Dogmapresents a perceptive analysis of the historical development of the discourse onwalayain the formative centuries of Sufism. This period coincides with the time when juridico-theological Islam rose to dominance, as reflected in the harmonizing efforts of theoretical Sufi writings, especially the manuals of the tenth and eleventh century. Mojaddedi's analysis facilitates a nuanced and contextualized evaluation of Rumi's teachings onwalaya, which had already attracted a range of views before his time, from arguments in favor of its superiority to Prophethood, to guarantees of subordinate deference towards the Prophetic heritage interpreted by juridico-theological scholars. In the process,Beyond Dogmaenables a fresh evaluation of the influential early Sufi manuals in their historical context, while also highlighting the significance for juridico-theological scholars of fundamental dogma, such as "the Seal of Prophethood," in the process of consolidating their own dominance.

Jawid Mojaddedi, a native of Afghanistan, is Associate Professor of Religion at Rutgers University. In 2005 he received the Lois Roth Prize in recognition of his translations of Rumi's Masnavi, and has so far published two volumes of it, with the third forthcoming in 2013 (all as Oxford World's Classics editions). His other books include The Biographical Tradition in Sufism and Classical Islam: A Sourcebook of Religious Literature, the second edition of which is forthcoming in 2012.