As-Sulami; Author of the Female Sufi Encyclopedia

 

As-Sulami; Author of the Female Sufi Encyclopedia

Who wants to understand the purpose and path taken by the "heroes", then learn from the two sisters of Bisyr al-Hafi. Listen to their advice and see how they behave. ~ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (quoted from Muhammad at-Thanahi, in the introduction to "dzikrun niswah al-mutaabbidat as-Shufiyyat" )

Not much is known by most Muslims about female Sufi figures, except for Rabiah al-Adawiyyah. Information related to female Sufis is rarely found on library shelves. A number of writers and observers of Sufism have commented on Rabiah al-Adawiyyah. Then what about other Sufi women? If we refer to the work written by Abu Abdurrahman as-Sulami, there are very many female Sufis. Not only Rabiah al-Adawiyyah.

A Brief About As-Sulami

His full name is Abu Abdurrahman Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin Muhammad bin Musa al-Azdi as-Sulami. Born in Naisabur on Tuesday the tenth of Jumadil Late in the year 325 H or coinciding with the year 936 AD. He died in the year 412 H or coinciding with the year 1021 AD.

It is said that in the year 333 H, he studied under the guidance of Abu Bakr as-Shabghi where he was only eight years old at the time. He was also a student of a famous hadith expert: Imam ad-Daruquthi (author of the canonical hadith book, sunan Daruquthni), he also studied Sufism directly from Abu Nashr as-Sarraj (author of al-Luma' book) and Abu Amr Najid.

As-Sulami made his intellectual odyssey to Iraq and the Hijaz where in both places he learned from hadith experts as well as Sufi leaders.

He wrote many works in various fields such as Sufism, interpretation of the Qur'an ( haqaiq at-tafsir ), hadith science. One of his most famous works is Thabaqat as-Shufiyyah (a Sufi encyclopedia written based on generations which is a complement to the book "al-Zuhd").

Based on the notes summarized by Fuat Sezgin, as-Sulami's works are as follows:

Haqaiq at-Tafsir

Thabaqat as-Shufiyyah

Manahij al-Arifin

Jawami' Adab as-Shufiyyah

Kitab 'Uyub an-Nafs wa Mudawatiha

Treatise of al-Malamatiyyah

Darajat al-Muamalah

Adab as-Shuhbah wa Husnul 'Usyrah

Adab al-Faqr wa syaraituhu

Al-Farq bayna 'Ilm as-Syariah wa al-Haqiqah

Mas'alah Dajarat as-Salihin

Ghalat as-Shufiyyah

Bayan Zalal al-Fuqara wa Mawajib Adabihim

Kitab al-Futuwwah

Suluk al-Arifin

Muqaddimah fi at-Tasawwuf

Bayan ahwal as-Shufiyyah

Tahdzib an-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh fi al-Quran libni Syihab az-Zuhri

al-Arbaun fi Akhlaq as-Shufiyyah

Masail waradat fi Makkah

Wahiyyat

Adab as-Shufiyyah

Book of as-Sama'

Hadith as-Sulami

Sualat li addaruquthni 'an ahwal al-Masyayikh wa ar-Ruwat

Maqamat al-Awliya'

Arrad 'Ala Ahli al-Kalam

 

Encyclopedia of Sufi Women

As mentioned above, it is rare to find written works that discuss the figure and work of female Sufis. As-Sulami, one of the Sufis of the 4th century Hijriyyah, filled the void by writing a work entitled "dhikrun niswah al-mutaabbidat as-Shufiyyat".

According to Abu Muhammad Mahmud Muhammad at-Thanahi, the manuscript of the book "dhikrun niswah al-mutaabbidat as-Shufiyyat" (encyclopedia of female worshipers and Sufis) is in the manuscript entitled as-Sulaimiyyat on behalf of Abu Abdurrahman as-Sulami. This book contains twenty-six treatises. This female Sufi encyclopedia written by As-Sulami includes eighty-four biographies. In the latest issue, this work is a complement to As-Sulami's other work Thabaqat as-Shufiyyah .

This work is a treatise that collects female Sufis. On the other hand, this work dismisses accusations by some people who think that the science of Sufism is only controlled and practiced by men. This relatively thin book with a thickness of about 157 pages is worthy of reading by anyone. Especially for observers of Sufism studies.