The polished mirror : storytelling and the pursuit of virtue in Islamic philosophy and Sufism / Cyrus Ali Zargar.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zargar, Cyrus Ali, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islamic ethics.

Islamic philosophy.

Sufism.

Virtues.

Virtues in literature.

Physical Description:

341 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London, England : Oneworld Academic, 2017.

Summary:

Islamic philosophy and Sufism evolved as distinct yet interweaving strands of Islamic thought and practice. Despite differences, they have shared a concern with the perfection of the soul through the development of character In The Polished Mirror, Cyrus Ali Zargar studies the ways in which, through teaching and storytelling, pre-modern Muslims lived, negotiated, and cultivated virtues. Examining the writings of philosophers, ascetics, poets, and saints, he locates virtue ethics within a dynamic moral tradition. Innovative, engaging, and approachable, this work - the first in the English language to explore Islamic ethics in the fascinating context of narrative - will be a valuable resource for both students and scholars. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Islamic Philosophy

Chapter 1 The Humors (Al-AKhlat) and Character Traits (Al-Akhlaq) According to the Brethren of Purity 33

Chapter 2 Virtue Ethics in Avicenna's Philosophical Allegories 53

Chapter 3 The Virtues, from Philosophy to Scripture: Refining Character Traits in Miskawayh And Ghazali 79

Chapter 4 Reason, Revelation, and Discovering the Virtuous in Ibn Tufayl's Literary Thought Experiment 107

Chapter 5 From Humors to Pure Light: Knowledge And Virtue in the Allegories of Suhrawardi 127

Part 2 Sufism

Chapter 6 The Soul's Constant Returning: Repentance (Tawba) in the Sufi Legacy of Ja'far al-Sadiq 153

Chapter 7 Distancing Oneself From The Worldly: Renunciation (Zuhd) According to Al-Muhasibi And Al-Sarraj 177

Chapter 8 Self-Awareness That Leads to Self-Loss: Futuwwa As a Compound Virtue In The Legacy Of Ansari 203

Chapter 9 The Completion of Ethics: Self-Annihilation (Fana') Through The Lens Of 'Attar 237

Chapter 10 Virtue in the Narrative Poetry Of Rumi 263.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [305]-330) and index.

ISBN:

9781786072016

1786072017

OCLC:

988858375

Publisher Number:

99975326588