"I Put on my Khirqah to Become a Sufi": The Malāmatiyya Movement and the Construction of Sufi History in the Writings of the 10 – 13 Centuries

Abstract

The critical task of textualization of Sufi practices in the 10-13 centuries was legitimization and establishing Sufism within the framework of "orthodox" Islam. That is why the authors of this period strive to present Sufism as an authoritative "science," which uses other Muslim sciences' methods and techniques. Another important aspect of legitimizing the Sufi movement was creating its pious history, which traces the roots of Sufi teachings back to the Prophet Muhammad's time. The authors of Sufi bio- and hagiographic works of this period constructed the history of Sufism that involved the early Islamic renunciants and representatives of the local mystic-ascetical movements that Sufism encountered after spreading its influence outside Baghdad. One of those movements was the "Path of Blame" (malāmatiyya) representatives, which was initially one of Sufism's regional competitors. However, as the 10-13 century sources demonstrated, its representatives, ideas, and practices were actively incorporated into the "Sufi science." They became part of the history of Islamic piety constructed by the Sufi authors.