In this lecture, Professor Safi delves deeper into the essence of the spiritual path with a story from Rumi鈥檚 Masnavi to demonstrate how the mystics conveyed their teachings of the Divine.
On 26 March, Professor Omid Safi, Director of Duke University鈥檚 Islamic Studies Centre, took audiences through a mystical journey in his talk entitled,聽Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition聽at the聽Aga Khan聽Centre. He spoke about the goals of the spiritual path and聽traced the popular poetic tradition that celebrates love for both humanity and the Divine.
Islamic mysticism, often referred to as聽Sufism聽or聽迟补蝉补飞飞耻蹿听emphasises introspection and the spiritual closeness with God, whilst cherishing the qualities of tolerance and pluralism.聽Speaking about what the spiritual path ultimately means, Professor Safi said:
鈥淚f you want to call yourself a Muslim, you should rise to see the face of God and experience your own ascension. The whole goal of the spiritual path is to learn to breathe with God. The whole of who you are, in one. Be present wholeheartedly.鈥
Sufism聽has shaped literature and art for centuries and is associated with some of the most resonant pieces of Islam鈥檚 golden age – lasting from roughly the 8th聽through to the 13th聽centuries – including the poetry of the renowned Persian poet and philosopher Jalaluddin Rumi.聽To date, his poetry continues to inspire hearts and minds across the world.聽Situating Rumi within the larger narrative of Islam, Professor Safi commented:
鈥淲e talk about Rumi as if he is Mount Everest standing alone. If we take a more humble approach, we will see that Everest does not stand alone, it is part of the Himalayas, there is a whole mountain range that is propping up, holding, making space for, supporting, and pushing Everest onto ever higher heights. Mawlana Rumi is grounded and anchored in a tradition of love that goes all the way back to the Prophet, comes through聽Imam聽Ali and through an unfolding of 500 years of love mystics.鈥
