Exchange of Mystical Thoughts between Persian and Andalusian Scholars(711-1492)

Abstract

After the military defeat of the Persian Empire in confronting the invasion of the Arabs(633-654 AD), the ancient Persian multicultural and religious community was in direct contact with the beliefs and values of the new religion(Islam). The Arabs did not simply conquer the Sassanid kingdom, but dominated an important civilization and great cultural heritage. Persia became an arena of intellectual competition between various religions and philosophies. However, the Persians welcomed Islam and turned the invasion into an opportunity. As a result of their active intellectual and religious interactions, many schools of thought were formed, including a few schools of Sufism. They all had many proponents as well as many strong opponents who played important roles in spreading Sufism through education, books, and other means of propaganda in the Mediterranean. When Andalusia was conquered by Muslims, the Andalusians were initially influenced by various Eastern schools as well as Sufism. However, later on they produced some of the most famous Sufis such as Ibn Masarra, Abdullah Ibn Tumart, and Ibn al- Arabi, whose thoughts are broadly reflected in the East. By studying the lives and thoughts of the leaders of the Sufi schools of Persia and Andalusia, and by revising the intellectual situation of their time, this study tries to discover how Sufi thoughts shaped and circulated in the Mediterranean.