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p. 216, l. 315: could it not be that 6adlan translates at once dikaios tis e ` so phro nso that there is not in the strict sense an omission. p. 219, l. 13: for apodeiknumi, I wonder if, in order to do justice to the verb, it would not have been better to use the complete expression: at: (bi-qiy:sin) burh:niyyin, not just burh:niyyun in order to do justice to the verb; p. 222, l. 15: al-mub:r:tu seems to render more specically the Greek morphological indication of the adjective ikos of both hippikos and gumnikos, hence to refer to both the equestrian and physical exercise, not only the former of the two; p. 232, l. 20: kwa-huwa in undoubtedly a printing error for wa-huwa; p. 237, l. 1216: I think that bussadun translates in the present context lithotdendron rather than kouralion, which has in fact been transliterated in the Arabic translation. Note, moreover, that it is not presented as simply the Arabic rendering of the transliterated kouralion, since it is not just introduced by wa-huwa (id est), but by wa-huwa f;-m: za6ama ba6@u l-n:si (and it is according to what some of the people conjecture)wherein it appears that the verbs of the Greek original, i.e. ekalesan and dokei, have been inverted in the Arabic translation; p. 243, l. 237: the example given is clearly not an hendiadys and seems rather to constitute a separate third instanceperhaps the indication (c) has been forgotten (printing error?); p. 252, l. 307: whether the Arabic translator did not have oion in his manuscript is uncertain, hence the ut videtur is a wise decisionat least Ust:th, who uses amm: before f; l-lawni, seems to have read it so (see M. Bouyges [ed.], Averroes. Tafs;r m: ba6d a3-3ab;6a [Beirut, 1948], iii. 1517, line k); p. 255, l. 1517: I wonder whether mabs<3an s:dhig an has not to be considered as an hendiadys for haploun. I hope that these remarks may be received as a small contribution to the future improvement of what is already a marvellous work of reference, the signicance of which can hardly be overestimated. I am glad to be able to record here my sincerest thanks to and great admiration for all those actively involved in this magnicent project.

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Jules Janssens KU Leuven E-mail: Jules.Janssens@hiw.kuleuven.be

doi:10.1093/jis/ets068 Published online 27 August 2012

Al-Qushayris Epistle on Sufism (al-Risala al-qushayriyya fi 6ilm al-tasawwuf) By Abu l-Qasim al-Qushayri. Translation, introduction, and notes by Alexander D. Knysh. Reviewed by Muhammad Eissa (London: Garnet Publishing, 2007), xxvii 498 pp. Price HB $71.00. EAN 978 1859641866.

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This recent English translation of al-Qushayr;s Ris:la appears at a time when Su shrines in India and Pakistan are being targeted by suicide bombers, and when Susm is seen by many as, in the words of Hamid Algar, an extraneous growth owing little to the authoritative sources of Islam or as a sectarian development that occurred at a given point in Islamic history. Al-Qushayr;, who addressed his Ris:la, to all the Su community of the lands of Islam in the year 437/1045, was a pillar of Islamic orthodoxy, known for his mastery of Aad;th narration, Sha6i qh, and speculative theology (6ilm al-kal:m), as well as Susm. His Ris:lawritten by a scholar for the scholarlyis among the earliest and most authoritative manuals on Susm. It clearly shows Susms role in integrating the ideals and values of the Islamic revelation into the spiritual, intellectual, social and even political life of the community. This translation (with some minor reservations, to which I will return) is complete and faithful to the original; it reads very well and renders this seminal work accessible to a broader audience than ever before. Its scholarly quality is enhanced by Knyshs extensive use throughout of Richard Gramlichs German translation and commentary (p. xxvii). Together with Knyshs introductions and detailed indices and notes, the Epistle on Susm will remain an essential reference (Knyshs earlier work, Islamic Mysticism: A Short History (Leiden: Brill, 2000), is already established as a standard reference.) The Ris:la represents the conuence of two seminal Islamic traditions: (1) the tradition of textual discourse related to preservation and transmission of the Prophetic Sunna along with the Qur8:n; and (2) an oral tradition that was an integral facet of the textual one. This oral tradition established itself as the mainstay of the early works of Susm, such as Q<t al-qul<b by Ab< F:lib al-Makk; (d. 386/996), the works of Ab< 6Abd al-RaAm:n al-Sulam; (d. 412/1021), and the manuals of the formative period of Su development such as the works of al-Kal:b:dh; (d. 380/990) and Ab< NaBr 6Abdull:h al-Sarr:j (d. 378/988). The Epistle comprises the authors introduction and three chapters. The lengthy introduction (pp. 116) was written in 437/1045, just a year after al-Qushayr;s fatwa afrming the validity of the theological perspectives of al-Ash6ar; (d. 324/935). This fatwa led to years of tribulation and exile for al-Qushayr;. He composed the Ris:la therefore at a time when he perceived true Sus as being nearly extinct and Susm as a whole coming to be misunderstood by its followers and the wider Muslim community. The Ris:la thus had the dual purpose of reminding Sus of the authentic ancestral tradition and vindicating Susm against those who doubted its legitimacy: I have begun to fear that the hearts of men might think that this whole affair [Susm] from the very beginning rested upon all those [faulty] foundations and its early adherents followed the same corrupt habits. So I have composed this epistle for you [. . .] that [it] would give strength to the followers. (pp. 3/3484/1) Al-Qushayr;s double intention is a key element in the present relevance of The Epistle for Muslim intra-faith dialogue. As Hamid Algar points out, Sus were not the only intended audience of the book; it was also concerned to demonstrate to all, the shar6; appropriateness of distinctive Su practices (such as sam:6) and

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to show that the creed of the Sus was identical to that of the Ahl al-Sunna (in its Ash6ar; formulation). Al-Qushayr;s introduction concentrates on explaining the categories of knowledge and the beliefs of the Sus concerning the fundamentals of religion (pp. 414); he then enumerates certain corrupt habits and presents a detailed exposition of the Sus creed, stressing their perception of divine unity (tawA;d) and the relation of the divine attributes to the divine Essence (pp. 1416). All his citations in the present translation are provided complete with chains of transmission (asn:d). Chapter One (pp. 1774), On the Masters of this path and their deeds and sayings that show how they uphold the Divine Law is a concise presentation of the biographies and sayings of 83 early mentors of the tradition until al-Qushayr;s time. These narratives afrm the centrality of Susm as a living oral tradition resonating from the textual tradition of Islamic scholarship. Its aim is to establish a virtue based ethics where virtue as correct perception leads to correct comportment and an intimate knowledge of God. As Kristin Sands (in her paper presented at the 2008 AAR conference in Atlanta) stated so eloquently in her comments on al-Qushayr;s commentary of the Qur8:n, Al-Qushayr; does not just quote wise sayings rather he is mapping out a strategy for becoming s: wise. The lives and teachings of mentors such as Ab< Yaz;d Tayfur b. 6I al-Bis3:m; (d. 261/875), Ab< NaBr Bishr b. al-E:rith al-E:f; (ca. 152227/ ca.769841), Ab< l-Fay@ Dh< l-N<n al-MiBr; (d. 245/859), and Ab< 6Abdill:h al-E:rith al-MuA:sib; (d. 243/857), exemplied this mode of conduct as an attainable norm for the community, as al-Qushayr; explains: Here I have mentioned some of the masters of this [Su] community in order to show that all of them have a great respect for the Divine Law, that they are committed to the paths of spiritual [self-]discipline, that they follow unswervingly the Prophets custom and that they never neglect a single religious rule. They all agree that whoever is remiss in the rules of proper conduct or in striving for perfection and does not build his life on scrupulous piety and fear of God lies before God in whatever he claims. Such a person is deluded. Not only has he perished, himself, but also he has caused to perish those who were deluded by his lies. (p. 74/207) Chapter Two (pp. 75119), An Explanation of the Expressions used by this [Su] Community and of their Difculties, begins with the need for specialized terminology: It is well known that each group of scholars has its own terms <. . .> within its own eld. <. . .> The people of this community [the Sus] use these terms among themselves with the goal of unveiling their meaning to one another, achieving concision and concealing them from those who disagree with their method, so that the meaning of their words would be hidden from outsiders. They have done so to protect their mysteries from being spread among those to whom they do not belong. For their realities cannot be collected by self-exertion or acquired by any deliberate action. They are subtle meanings that God deposits directly into

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the hearts of [His] folk, [after He has] prepared their innermost selves for [the reception of] these realities. (p. 75/419) The chapter comprises the denitions of 29 key terms in all, each preceded by citations from Qur8:n and Aad;th and followed by extensive narrations from early Sus. M. Fitzgerald has written that, Nearly every lexical entry is a short treatise unto itself in which so many different denitions of a term are given that it is often difcult to get a sense of what is most essential (M. Aresmouk and M. Fitzgerald, The Book of Ascension by AAmad ibn Aj;ba [Louisville, KY: Fons Vitae, 2011]). Among the terms are: waqt (the present moment), maq:m (a spiritual station), A:l (a spiritual state), qab@ (contraction) and bas3 (expansion), hayba (awe) and uns (intimacy), jam6 (collectedness) and farq (separation), fan:8 (annihilation), baq:8 (subsistence), 6ilm al-yaq;n (certain knowledge), 6ayn alyaq;n (essential certainty), Aaqq al-yaq;n (the truth of certainty), qurb (proximity) and bu6d (distance), maAw (erasure) and ithb:t (afrmation). Chapter Three (pp. 111339), The Stations of the Path (maq:m:t), the longest in the Ris:la, presents detailed descriptions of the various stations of the Su path beginning with repentance. Among the stations treated are: muj:Aada (striving), khalwa (spiritual retreat) and 6uzla (seclusion), taqw: (God-wariness), zuhd (renunciation), Bamt (maintaining silence), khawf (fear), raj:8 (hope), Auzn (sorrow), khush<6 (awe before God) and taw:@u6 (humility), qan:6a (sufciency), tawakkul (trust in God), yaq;n (certainty), and ikhl:B (sincerity). The Ris:la ends with individual sections on: How God protects the hearts of the shaykhs of the path and on the necessity of not opposing them (pp. 33942); The Su practice of sam:6 (pp. 34257); The miracles of Gods friends (awliy:8) (pp. 35792), The visions of the Sus (ru8ya al-qawm) (pp. 392403); and Spiritual advice for Su aspirant on the path (waB;ya l; l-mur;d;n) (pp. 40316). In general, this is a well done translation. A few aspects of the presentation detract from its quality, however. Perhaps most noticeable is the fact that the transliteration of Arabic names and words is minimal. Why, for a scholarly work such as this, did The Center for Muslim Contribution to Civilization take this approach? It is also somewhat bothersome that the frequent Qur8:nic citations are set off with quotation marks. Other similar endeavours have employed italics to distinguish words considered as Divine revelation. The translator, in many instances uses non-standard English; for example scrupulosity for al-wara6, usually translated as scrupulousness, and Godspeed (p. 103) for al-tawf;q, usually translated as seeking accord with Gods will; I also found likening for (tashb;A) instead of similarity, and stripping for (tanz;h) (p. 4) rather than afrming incomparability unclear. A considerable body of scholarly translations of Su literature has appeared over the years, which can be protably consulted. The translation could perhaps have been more closely checked against the Arabic text and proofread. At times simple translation error arises; for example, on p. 94/19 AaCC is translated as good fortune, whereas AaCC, in the Su context, means personal inclination or the egos share; a more suitable translation might be, One whose drunkenness is mixed with personal inclination, i.e., not a loss of self-awareness. On p. 105/35, in the denition of nafas, Breath is the perfuming (Ar.: tarw;A al-qul<b) of

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hearts; tarw;A al-qul<b might have been better rendered as, gives repose from the world. In the rest of the denition we see that nafas, A:l, and waqt have something in common, in that they all relate to a state of refreshment or relaxation. At times there are what appears to be grammatical misreadings; such as on page 98/9 (italics as in the original): The person in the state of presence is bound by its signs. The person in the state of unveiling rejoices in its attributes. As for the person in the state of witnessing, his self is erased by his knowledge of God. The pronoun its in this passage refers back to three states all of which are feminine nouns. The passage elucidates Junayds statement, Gods existence appears when you lose yours. It seems therefore that the third person pronoun hu in the passage is referring to His, or Gods signs, His attributes. At times, excerpts of the text are left untranslated. As in the passage just cited. The Arabic text reads fa-B:Aibu l-muA:@arti marb<3un bi-:y:tihi; wa-B:Aibu l-muk:shafati mabs<3un bi-Bif:tihi; wa-B:Aibu l-mush:hadati mulqan bi-dh:tihi; wa-B:Aibu l-muA:@arati yahd;hi 6aqluhu wa-B:hibu l-muk:shafati yudn;hi 6ilmuhu; wa-BaAibu l-mush:hadati tamA<hu ma6rifatuhu. The translation has skipped from the rst to the second occurrence of B:Aib al-muA:@ara, omitting the text in between. The omitted text leaves out al-Qushayr;s intent, which is to say that in muA:@ara, there is recourse to formal proofs, His signs; in muk:shafa, there is an expansive joy related to a direct consciousness of Gods attributes; and in mush:hada, the individual is, as it were, lost by being cast into the ocean of the Divine Essence. Then the passage continues, in muA:@ara, his rational faculty directs him, in muk:shafa, his knowledge brings him near, and in mush:hada his self is effaced by his knowledge of God. Another example occurs on p. 34/78, citing the well-known story of Sahl al-Tustar; (d. 283/896) and his uncle. The translation reads, Say [. . .] God is my watcher. The full citation has not been translated and could be, Say [. . .] God is with me, God is watching me, God is bearing witness over me (All:h ma6;, All:h n:Cir ilayya, Allahu sh:hidun 6alayya). Although the translation by Alexander Knysh may, here and there, leave a fellow-Arabist unsatised, it is on the whole the most complete and faithful translation into English of the original text in style and content to appear, and makes this seminal work of formative Susm accessible to a broader audience. This was a mammoth undertaking and Knyshs efforts deserve the highest respect and gratitudethe reservations just mentioned may be accepted as the observations (mul:AaC:t) of a colleague. Other translations of Qushayr;s Ris:la have appeared prior to this one. B. R. Von Schlegells, with an introduction by Hamid Algar: Principles of Susm by al-Qushayr; (Berkeley: Mizan Press, 1990), is a translation of only Chapter Three: The Stations of the Path (maq:m:t), with four sections not pertaining to states and stations omitted. Also omitted are the chains of transmissiononly the nal narrator is citedand there are few notes and minimal transliteration. Von Schlegells translation is accurate and eloquent. The introduction by Hamid

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Algar contextualizes well the Ris:las place in Islamic scholarship and provides a concise biography of al-Qushayr; and his works. Rabia Harris (ed. Laleh Bakhtiar): Su Book of Spiritual Ascent (al-Risala al-Qushayriya), (ABC International Group, Inc., 1997) is likewise a translation of Chapter Three. Harris continued her work and completed the translation in Rabia Harris (ed. Bakhtiar): The Risalah: Principles of Susm (Great Books of the Islamic World Inc., 2002). This translation includes a lengthy introduction by the translator and a Foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. It cites the rst and nal narrators of each narration, and the missing references being presented in notes. Transliteration is, again, minimal. More important, as Knysh comments, it is but a free paraphrase of the Arabic text, which is frequently misconstrued and, consequently, mistranslated (p. xxvii).

Kenneth Honerkamp University of Georgia E-mail: hnrkmp@uga.edu

doi:10.1093/jis/ets061 Published online 26 June 2012
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Soufisme, religion et me decine en Islam indien By Fabrizio Speziale (Paris: Karthala, 2010), 300 pp., glossary, bibliography, index. Price PB E25.00. EAN 9782811104122.
In scholarly literature on the history of science in Islam, the connection between Susm and science has received only marginal attention. Fabrizio Speziales work is groundbreaking and makes a major contribution to the studies on traditional medicine and its relationship with religion and Susm. The monograph, based on the authors doctoral dissertation, illustrates the Sus role as well as that of the religious class in the transmission of medical knowledge in Muslim South Asia. It attempts to show how Sus and other religious gures contributed to shaping signicant features of medical studies, the transmission of knowledge and literary works on medicine. Focusing mainly on the areas of Delhi and the Deccan, his study covers a long period from the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate (1206) to the end of the twentieth century. Drawing on the methods of social and historical anthropology, Speziale combines ethnographic research with textual analysis. He examines an impressive amount of original primary sources, mostly in Persian and Urdu, which include saints biographies, Su writings, works on medicine by Sus, as well as non-Sus and archival reports. The book is divided into three lengthy chapters. In the introduction, the author challenges the established theory, put forward by Western historians and Orientalists, of the negative impact of Susm on medicine. He shows that this theory is based on essentialist oppositions such as science/religion, philosopher/ Su, Galenic medicine/Prophetic medicine, which are strongly inuenced by positivist assumptions and nd no correspondence in the Indian Muslim world. By pointing out the absence of a clash between religion and scientic thought in