1. Islamic Thought and Mysticism
“Postponers” & Muʿtazili
Forgiveness of Sins
Nature of the Qur’an
Anthropomorphism
Free Will

2. Ash’arism: al-Ash’ari (873-935)
Sides w/ Postponers
No Free Will
Qur’an = “divine” Word; uncreated & eternal
Anthropomorphism: middle ground

3. Islamic Philosophy al-Kindi (d. 870) ca. 1100: decline in philosophy
Ibn Rushd ( ) [Averroes]
Aristotle

4. Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) Champions mysticism: Sufism
The Incoherence of the Philosophers
Ibn Rushd: The Incoherence of Incoherence

5. Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
Rab’iah ( )
Bayazid ( )
Sheikh
“Theosophical” or “Esoteric” Sufism
Ibn Arabi ( )
Rumi ( )

6. Sufi Practices Dhikr: Breathing Technique; Word Repitition
Sama’: Hypnotic Music
Dance
Whirling Dervishes