Peculiarities of the Transfer of Hidden Knowledge in Classical Islam on the Example of al-Qushayriya Tradition (According to the Materials of the System-Communication Analysis of «al-Risala» by Abu ’l-Qasim al-Qushayri, «Salvat al- ‘arifi n» by Abu Khalaf at-Tabari and «Rayhan al-haqa’iq» by Abu Bakr al-Darbandi)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the continuity of hidden knowledge in classical Islam on the basis of the system-communication approach that draws the attention of the researcher to specifi c forms and models of communication. As an example, the author refers to the origin and development of the famous Sufi tradition of al-Qushayriya, which goes back to Abu ’l-Qasim al-Qushayri (d. 477/1072). The development and creative enrichment of the tradition is associated with the names of Abu Khalaf al-Tabari, a student of al-Qushayri, and Abu Bakr al-Darbandi, a student of Abu Khalaf al-Tabari. The sources of the study were three encyclopedic dictionaries of key Sufi terms of the 11–12th centuries, used as practical manuals for beginner Sufi s. These are “ar-Risala” by al-Qushayri, “Salvat al-‘arifi n” by al-Tabari and “Rayhan al-haqa’iq” by al-Darbandi. The selection of special terms and formulas, related to specifi c ways of information transfer, allows us to separate tradition and innovation for the system-communication analysis in each of the writings.The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.