Religions of the Middle East. 12/9/02
Study guide handed out, Dates for Final exam: Monday 12/9 - Thursday 12/12

-Sufis: Mystical branch of Islam. Also known as Fakirs(poor ones).
-suf = wool
-believe in asceticism (denying bodily needs or wants for spiritual purposes).
-Sufis are monastic, meaning they live in a religious community. They are also celebate.
-Emphasis on: Experiencing oneness with god, seeing gods face in a religious vision, love and compassion(as opposed to other sects of Islam).
-originally didn't follow "outward" rules and rituals of the shari'ah. This got them into trouble, they were persecuted for not following certain rules. Their striving for oneness with god was also seen as wrong.
-Al Ghazali: Medieval sufi reformer who made sufiism less extreme and respectable in the eyes of the other sects of Islam. He taught both inner and outer obedience.
-Mawaliya AKA whirling Dervishes: Sect of Sufism(Sufi brotherhood). Name derived from ritual dancing that involves twirling around. Founded by "Rumi", a Sufi poet.
-Shi'ites
-Seveners: go by the teaching of the 7 Imams
-Twelvers: go by the teaching of the 12 Imams. Believe the 12th Imam will come again before the day of doom.
-Afterlife: Like Christianity, only more Physicalistic. Paradise has tree, flowers, birdsongs, etc. Hell: You have to eat from the Zakuum tree(grows demon heads). Drink Boiling water, burned by fire, not good.