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An introduction to the history of modern Persian Sufism,1 Part I: The Ni'matullāhī order: persecution, revival and schism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

Leonard Lewisohn
Leonard Lewisohn
Affiliation:
Centre of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, SOAS, University of London
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Extract

Following the political upheavals of 1978, the history and development of Shiite religious thought in modern-day Persia has been the subject of detailed scholarly studies, but the modern development of Sufism—the mystical tradition that lies at the heart of traditional Persian culture, literature and philosophy, which is, from the cultural and literary point of view at least, the most fascinating aspect of the Perso-Islamic religious tradition—remains almost completely uncharted. In contrast to the classical and medieval periods of Persian Sufism which have undergone much scholarly investigation in recent years, the study of the modern period of Iranian tasawwuf, though far better known and documented, has been seriously neglected by scholars.

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Articles
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Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 61 , Issue 3 , October 1998 , pp. 437 - 464
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Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1998

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References

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