Sufi Warrior Saints: Stories of Sufi Jihad from Muslim Hagiography

Description

This book presents a thematic collection of hagiographical stories of Sufi saints, often referred to as friends of Gods. Despite the diverse wealth of Sufi works, much of the rich, global and centuries old literature of Sufi warrior-saints, has yet to be translated into English. Examining hagiographical depictions of Sufi mujahids, Neale corrects frequent misunderstandings of the term jihad in relation to Sufi thought and practice. Using Sufi hagiography, treatises, travel narratives and Muslim histories, each chapter comprises the lives of Sufi saints during significant historical events, from the Crusades to the Mongol Invasion and in regions ranging from Islamic Spain to North Africa and India. Using Persian and Arabic sources, this compendium of translated hagiographies gives us a sense of the range, themes and global dissemination of the Sufi literature on war and heroism.

Harry S. Neale holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, USA and is the author of Jihad in Premodern Sufi Writings (2017).

In a welcome contribution to the study of Islamic hagiography, Neale offers a nuanced reassessment of the often misunderstood and underappreciated role of jihad broadly understood in relation to Sufi thought and practice. A representative selection of major figures from a broad expanse of space and time yields a richer, more complex retelling of already colorful and engaging stories of Sufis from Rock Stars like to Rumi to several less celebrated now but of regional importance in their day. -- John Renard, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, Saint Louis University, USA