7/26/2019 Sufi Themes

1/9

Grace OKeeffe May 5, 2008

The Arabian Nights Final Paper

Sufi Themes in the ra!ian "i#hts$

The Arabian Nightsis a st%ry a!%ut the imp%rtance %f st%ries& m%re el%'uently, a st%ry

emphasi(in# the r%le %f narrati)e in all realms, inclu*in# fantasy+ Th%u#h The Arabian Nightsis

%ften passe* %ff as chil*ren st%ries an* simple me*ie)al pr%se *ue t% this fantastical element, the

st%ries re)eal m%re than strai#htf%rar* entertainment %ul* e)er h%pe t% achie)e+ Th%u#h

many %f the inclu*e* st%ries ere circulate* in p%pular culture pri%r t% the rise %f -slam, the

-slamic influence is pre)alent in the c%llecti%n+ M%re%)er, The Arabian Nightsmay !est fit in the

c%nte.t %f -slam as a Sufi mechanism %f teachin# thr%u#h tellin# st%ries+ Perhaps /ust as elusi)e

t% m%*ern estern sch%lars as The Arabian Nights is Sufism, %ften *escri!e* as the mystical

tra*iti%n %f -slam+ Tentieth century Sufi a*)%cate -*ries Shah !elie)e* in the %)erhelmin#

stren#th %f teachin# thr%u#h st%ries e)en th%se re)%l)in# ar%un* fantastical elements, an*

pu!lishe* hun*re*s %f Sufi st%ries an* f%l1tales meant t% c%n)ey spiritual is*%m an*

un*erstan*in# thr%u#h entertainment an* hum%r+ T% this effect, lin1in# The Arabian Nightsan*

the tra*iti%n %f Sufism t%#ether is c%nsistent an* plausi!le+ hile it is clear that The Arabian

Nightsis in n% ay an e.clusi)ely Sufi te.t an* there is n% su##esti%n %f Sufi *esi#nate* %ri#ins,

there is much e)i*ence f%r a Sufi rea*in# %f The Arabian Nights+ -n this ay, The Arabian

Nightse)en fulfills s%me r%le in learnin# an* h% t% learn in the Sufi tra*iti%n+

One %f the lar#est sch%%ls %f Muslim phil%s%phical th%u#ht that has #aine* a l%t %f

attenti%n in the est is Sufism+ Sufism is %ften *escri!e* as the mystical tra*iti%n %f -slam, yet

e)en this un*erstan*in# %f Sufism may create pr%!lems f%r mysticism *%es n%t c%n)ey the %ften

meticul%us an* scientific meth%*s use*+ Sch%lar an* Pr%fess%r an* hair %f the 3epartment %f

4eli#i%us Stu*ies at the ni)ersity %f "%rth ar%lina at hapel 6ill arl 7rnst has spent m%st %f

7/26/2019 Sufi Themes

2/9

his life stu*yin# Sufism+ 7arly in %ne %f his te.ts entitle* Teachings of Sufism, 7rnst p%ints %ut

that, f%rei#n sch%lars h%stile t% -slam ha)e seen Sufism as an essentially n%n-slamic !%rr%in#,

an* s%me m%*ern Sufi teachers ha)e presente* Sufism as a uni)ersal teachin# *etache* fr%m

-slam+$9F%r 7rnst this is a !i# pr%!lem, especially since f%r m%st %f the Sufi literature a)aila!le,

the :uran ser)es as a !ac1!%ne an* Sufis are n%t the %utcasts as they are %ften p%rtraye* t% !e+

7rnst als% p%ints %ut that, li1e -slam, the term Sufism as intr%*uce* t% 7ur%pean lan#ua#es !y

Orientalists, !ut the t% terms ere !elie)e* t% !e essentially *ifferent+ Prem%*ern Muslim

s%cieties 1ne n% such *istincti%n+$2;i1e Sufism, The Arabian"i#hts is n% stran#er t% !ein#

su!/ect t% rampant %rientalism+ -n the fifteenth century, Muslim phil%s%pher -!n Khal*un

*escri!e* Sufism as the f%ll%in#, Sufism !el%n#s t% the sciences %f the reli#i%us la that

%ri#inate* in -slam+ -t is !ase* %n the assumpti%n that the practices %f its a*herents ha* alays

!een c%nsi*ere* imp%rtant !y early Muslims, the men ar%un* Muhamma*

7/26/2019 Sufi Themes

3/9

in st%ries+ Ciein# The Arabian Nightsas a Sufi te.t then, the 'uesti%n may easily !ec%me D

hat 'uesti%ns ere these st%ries tryin# t% anserE M%re%)er, Shah emphasi(es the nee* f%r

hum%r in any un*erta1in# %f life !ut especially the %ften ri#%r%us e.periences %f Sufism+ -n a

tellin# f%%tn%te, he rites, "%t %nly *% hum%r%us tales c%ntain )alua!le structures f%r

un*erstan*in#+ Their use als% helps t% ee* %ut pe%ple h% lac1 a sense %f hum%r+ Sufis h%l*

that pe%ple h% ha)e n%t *e)el%pe* %r h% ha)e suppresse* their capacity t% en/%y hum%r are,

in this *epri)e* state, als% ith%ut learnin# capacity in the Sufi sphere+$5The l%%se, fantastical

an* %ften c%mical st%ries in The Arabian Nights%ul* nicely fit int% Shahs un*erstan*in# an*

pr%)i*e an i*eal res%urce t% teach an* learn Sufi c%ncepts %r st%ries+

;i1e many Sufi st%ries t%l*, The Arabian Nightspr%m%tes an un*erstan*in# %f nature an*

the *i)ine that is imme*iate an* m%re h%ri(%ntal than hierarchal+ -n this sense, it is n%t

unc%mm%n f%r *em%ns t% su**enly interfere ith the li)es %f characters %r ma#ic use* t%

transp%rt s%me%ne fr%m %ne place %f the earth t% an%ther+ This sense %f fantasy lays a

#r%un*%r1 f%r the st%ries t% !e t%l* an* places it in a %rl* that nee*s t% !e entere* !y the

rea*er+ -n Situati%n, M%ti)ati%n an* cti%n in theArabian Nights$, !%u!a1r hrai!i states that

rea*ers are c%nfr%nte* ith t% %rl*s+ First, there is a %rl* that is neither ficti%nal n%r

hist%rical, that is r%%te* in *aily life, ith the mar)el%us n%t necessarily !ein# e.clu*e*