The Renunciants and Early Sufis of Iṣfahān

Abstract

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between renunciant piety ( zuhd ) and early Sufism in the city of Iṣfahān, a pivotal city along the Silk Road, from the late ninth to early eleventh-century CE. It focuses on the multifunctional nature of khāneqāhs (hostels) in facilitating the dynamic interplay between these two pietistic movements in early Islam. The study underscores the transformation of Iṣfahān into a significant regional center of Islamic piety by examining the gradual conversion to Islam, with particular emphasis on the inspiring role of renunciants ( zuhhād ) in catalyzing conversions and propagating Islamic ideals. To illustrate this transition, this article focuses on literary accounts concerning three major pious figures from Iṣfahān in this period, namely Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Bannāʼ (d. 899 CE), 'Alī ibn Sahl al-Iṣfahānī (d. 919 CE), and Abū Manṣūr al-Iṣfahānī (d. 1027 CE). In its discussion of these pious personalities, this article emphasizes their interconnectivity and engagement with other notable Sufis, including al-Junayd al-Baghdādī (d. 910 CE) and Manṣūr al-Ḥallāj (d. 922 CE), as well as their contributions to Sufi scholarship, including the compatibility of Sufism with Ḥanbalī jurisprudence as presented in Abū Manṣūr al-Iṣfahānī's surviving works. Altogether, this article provides a comprehensive survey of the historical and spiritual context of Iṣfahān in this period, shedding light on the interplay between renunciant piety and early Sufism in the region.