Features of Sufi Literature in Islamic and Christian Thought: An Analytical Study
Anas Al-Rifai
Mağallaẗ ğāmiʿaẗ al-anbār li-luġāt wa-al-ādāb June 30, 2025 DOI: 10.37654/aujll60 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Sufi literature expresses a unified spiritual experience across Islamic and Christian traditions despite doctrinal differences, using symbolic language to convey knowledge that surpasses rational understanding. Proposes that Sufism is a humanistic philosophy with aesthetic and spiritual dimensions that can serve as a cultural bridge and foster interfaith dialogue. |
Abstract
This study explores the features of Sufi literature within both Islamic and Christian thought through an analytical approach. It focuses on the shared mystical experience between the two religions by shedding light on artistic concepts such as symbolism and imagination, as well as spiritual-philosophical notions like annihilation (fanā') and divine love, among others. The study also examines prominent figures such as Ibn Arabi, al-Hallaj, and Ibn al-Farid in Islamic mysticism, alongside Wordsworth, Blake, and John Keats in Christian mystical thought. The study concludes that Sufi literature reflects a unified spiritual experience despite doctrinal differences, employing symbolic language to express a knowledge that surpasses rational understanding. Sufism is not merely a religious current but a humanistic philosophy imbued with aesthetic and spiritual dimensions, making it a cultural bridge among nations. It also emphasizes the role of Sufism in fostering interfaith and intercultural dialogue between Islam and Christianity, and calls for further comparative studies to deepen our understanding of the literary and philosophical dimensions of mysticism across various religious traditions.