Schimmel Annemarie: Mističke dimenzije islama

Annemarie Schimmel: Mystical Dimensions of Islam

What is all this life? It is real only insofar as God sheds His light on it, but it is like a puppet show, like a dream. Dard's famous verses read:

Alas, ignorant: on the day of death this will be proven:

A dream is all we have seen, what we have heard, a fairy tale.

Dard takes the hadith: "People sleep, and when they die, they wake up" - a hadith that has been a favorite among mystics for centuries. Rumi often warned people not to worry about the facts of this life - why should we worry about the pain that we feel in our sleep and that will end as soon as the morning of eternal life dawns on us [...].

In her book Mystical Dimensions of Islam Annemarie Schimmel offers a deep and comprehensive view of Sufism. Through the analysis of Sufi texts, poetry and rituals, it brings the reader closer to the ideas of love for God, striving for unity and the search for spiritual perfection. Revealing to us the beauty and complexity of the Sufi path, Schimmel, with an exquisite sense of detail, helps us understand how Sufi mystics, throughout the centuries, aspired to the direct knowledge of the divine and the perfection of the human spirit, seeking the deeper meaning of faith. This book is a valuable guide for all those who want to deepen their understanding of Islamic spirituality, and for those who want to better understand the mystical side of Islam and its influence on Islamic culture.

"Covering a wide range of Muslim cultures, Schimmel also draws attention to the fact that the concept of Islamic civilization needs to be divided into multiple locations. Especially today, in the current climate of indiscriminate hostility to Islam, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the example that Annemarie Schimmel provided regarding the possibility of strict, but a benevolent engagement with Islamic civilization. With her we find an exceptional example of a bridge between cultures. […] Annemarie Schimmel's extraordinary learning of Mystical Dimensions, combined with an exceptional aesthetic and even spiritual engagement with the Sufi mystical tradition, make this book a classic that will be difficult to replace. editions)

Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003), German orientalist and one of the world's most influential experts on Islam, especially on Sufism. She taught at Harvard University and Ankara University. Her research covers various aspects of Islam, from poetry and art to theology and mysticism. Schimmel not only studied Islam, but also deeply understood it. Her works are imbued with empathy and respect for Islamic culture and have helped to see Islam from a new perspective, and to break many stereotypes. She was an excellent translator, and her translations of classic Islamic texts allowed the Western reader to become familiar with the richness of Islamic thought.

In a world marked by misunderstandings and prejudices, the life and work of Annemarie Schimmel is an example of how through knowledge and understanding we can build bridges between cultures and civilizations. Her legacy reminds us of the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue and that all religions are part of the same human experience.