Ioannis Mylonelis

During the stage of systematization οf the Oriental Studies starting in the 19th c., Ibadism became marginalized. Furthermore, Ibadism suffered from being misunderstood by other Islamic schools. Early Islamic heresiographical works, due to their nature, considered Ibadism to be one of the extremist divisions of the Kharijite (Khawarije) movement. These approaches influenced both Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who tried to understand Ibadism, because several researchers considered heresiographic literature as the main source for understanding Islam. Due to the reproduction of stereotypical ideas about Ibadism, it became difficult to distinguish between actual Ibadi doctrine and the superstructure of opinion and especially to see Ibadism and Ibadis independent of the Kharijites. The two primary approaches to Ibadis that dominated Western Oriental studies appeared in the mid-19th century. The first consisted in an attempt to understand Ibadism through the translated texts, whilst the second involved the compilation of bibliographic lists of Ibadi literature, most of which focused on historical works. The middle of the nineteenth century witnessed the expansion of European colonization in the Near East, which produced explorers’ accounts of the places they visited. During this period, travelers’ reports, politician’s writings and scholars’ works on geography, politics and social life spread and proliferated. The general historical framework of the literature on Ibadi history was expanded and enriched. At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of interdisciplinary, historical and philological studies promoted the study of Islamic theology and jurisprudence. The comparisons between different Islamic groups led researchers to write books and articles on heresiography and the history of Islamic theology. Given the growing interest of international scholars in Ibāḍī studies, Ibāḍī theology will certainly play a prominent role in future scholarship.

During the stage of systematization οf the Oriental Studies starting in the 19th c., Ibadism became marginalized. Furthermore, Ibadism suffered from being misunderstood by other Islamic schools. Early Islamic heresiographical works, due to their nature, considered Ibadism to be one of the extremist divisions of the Kharijite (Khawarije) movement. These approaches influenced both Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who tried to understand Ibadism, because several researchers considered heresiographic literature as the main source for understanding Islam. Due to the reproduction of stereotypical ideas about Ibadism, it became difficult to distinguish between actual Ibadi doctrine and the superstructure of opinion and especially to see Ibadism and Ibadis independent of the Kharijites. The two primary approaches to Ibadis that dominated Western Oriental studies appeared in the mid-19th century. The first consisted in an attempt to understand Ibadism through the translated texts, whilst the second involved the compilation of bibliographic lists of Ibadi literature, most of which focused on historical works. The middle of the nineteenth century witnessed the expansion of European colonization in the Near East, which produced explorers’ accounts of the places they visited. During this period, travelers’ reports, politician’s writings and scholars’ works on geography, politics and social life spread and proliferated. The general historical framework of the literature on Ibadi history was expanded and enriched. At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of interdisciplinary, historical and philological studies promoted the study of Islamic theology and jurisprudence. The comparisons between different Islamic groups led researchers to write books and articles on heresiography and the history of Islamic theology. Given the growing interest of international scholars in Ibāḍī studies, Ibāḍī theology will certainly play a prominent role in future scholarship.

During the stage of systematization οf the Oriental Studies starting in the 19th c., Ibadism became marginalized. Furthermore, Ibadism suffered from being misunderstood by other Islamic schools. Early Islamic heresiographical works, due to their nature, considered Ibadism to be one of the extremist divisions of the Kharijite (Khawarije) movement. These approaches influenced both Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who tried to understand Ibadism, because several researchers considered heresiographic literature as the main source for understanding Islam. Due to the reproduction of stereotypical ideas about Ibadism, it became difficult to distinguish between actual Ibadi doctrine and the superstructure of opinion and especially to see Ibadism and Ibadis independent of the Kharijites. The two primary approaches to Ibadis that dominated Western Oriental studies appeared in the mid-19th century. The first consisted in an attempt to understand Ibadism through the translated texts, whilst the second involved the compilation of bibliographic lists of Ibadi literature, most of which focused on historical works. The middle of the nineteenth century witnessed the expansion of European colonization in the Near East, which produced explorers’ accounts of the places they visited. During this period, travelers’ reports, politician’s writings and scholars’ works on geography, politics and social life spread and proliferated. The general historical framework of the literature on Ibadi history was expanded and enriched. At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of interdisciplinary, historical and philological studies promoted the study of Islamic theology and jurisprudence. The comparisons between different Islamic groups led researchers to write books and articles on heresiography and the history of Islamic theology. Given the growing interest of international scholars in Ibāḍī studies, Ibāḍī theology will certainly play a prominent role in future scholarship.

Η παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή εργασία με τίτλο Σουφισμός στα Βαλκάνια. Η περίπτωση των Ριφαΐ του Κοσόβου έχει έναν διττό σκοπό. Αφενός μεν εντοπίζει τις σύγχρονες πρακτικές του σουφισμού στα Βαλκάνια και συγκεκριμένα της tariqa Rifā῾iyya στην περιοχή του Κοσσυφοπεδίου, παρατηρώντας την τελετή για τον εορτασμό των γενεθλίων του Αλί και την έλευση της άνοιξης, ‘darb al-shish’, αφετέρου δε ψηλαφεί την πορεία των σουφικών tariqas/turuq (αδελφοτήτων). Η εργασία αναπτύσσεται σε δύο σκέλη. Το πρώτο, με ιστορική καταγραφή και θρησκειολογική ανάλυση, παρουσιάζει την εμφάνιση του σουφισμού και προσπαθεί να απαντήσει σε ερωτήματα, όπως, τι είναι ο ισλαμικός μυστικισμός, ποια είναι η σημασία του όρου σουφισμός και ποια τα χαρακτηριστικά και οι μορφές του. Η έρευνα επιχειρεί να εξετάσει το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της παρουσίας του Ισλάμ και του σουφισμού συγκεκριμένα στα Βαλκάνια, και τον ποικιλόμορφο εν εξελίξει ιστορικό, κοινωνικο-πολιτικό και θρησκευτικό του χαρακτήρα. Το δεύτερο σκέλος, με εθνογραφική έρευνα και εστιασμένη καταγραφή, στοχεύει στην παρουσίαση και περιγραφή της τελετής ‘darb al-shish’ της tariqa Rifā῾iyya στην περιοχή του Prizren, συνεισφέροντας με αυτό τον τρόπο στον εμπλουτισμό του εθνογραφικού υλικού

This Master thesis entitled “Sufism in the Balkans. The case of tariqa Rifā῾iyya in Kosovo” serves a dual purpose. On the one hand the thesis identifies the modern practices of Sufism in the Balkans, and in particular the tariqa Rifāiyya in the Kosovo region, observing the celebration ceremony of Ali's birthday and the arrival of spring, the so-called ‘darb al-shish’, while on the other hand it examines the presence and progress of tariqa / turuq (brotherhoods). The project is developed in two strands. The first section presents the appearance of Sufism using historical and religious analysis, and attempts to answer questions concerning the nature of Islamic mysticism, the meaning of the term ‘Sufism’ and the latter’s features and forms. The research attempts to examine the historical context of the presence of Islam and in particular Sufism in the Balkans, and its diverse historical background, as well as its socio-political and religious character. The second part, with ethnographic research and focused recording, aims at presenting and describing the darb al-shish ceremony of tariqa Rifā῾iyya in the Prizren region, thereby contributing to the enrichment of the ethnographic material

Η παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή εργασία με τίτλο Σουφισμός στα Βαλκάνια. Η περίπτωση των Ριφαΐ του Κοσόβου έχει έναν διττό σκοπό. Αφενός μεν εντοπίζει τις σύγχρονες πρακτικές του σουφισμού στα Βαλκάνια και συγκεκριμένα της tariqa Rifā῾iyya στην περιοχή του Κοσσυφοπεδίου, παρατηρώντας την τελετή για τον εορτασμό των γενεθλίων του Αλί και την έλευση της άνοιξης, 'darb al-shish', αφετέρου δε ψηλαφεί την πορεία των σουφικών tariqas/turuq (αδελφοτήτων). Η εργασία αναπτύσσεται σε δύο σκέλη. Το πρώτο, με ιστορική καταγραφή και θρησκειολογική ανάλυση, παρουσιάζει την εμφάνιση του σουφισμού και προσπαθεί να απαντήσει σε ερωτήματα, όπως, τι είναι ο ισλαμικός μυστικισμός, ποια είναι η σημασία του όρου σουφισμός και ποια τα χαρακτηριστικά και οι μορφές του. Η έρευνα επιχειρεί να εξετάσει το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της παρουσίας του Ισλάμ και του σουφισμού συγκεκριμένα στα Βαλκάνια, και τον ποικιλόμορφο εν εξελίξει ιστορικό, κοινωνικο-πολιτικό και θρησκευτικό του χαρακτήρα. Το δεύτερο σκέλος, με εθνογρα...

La presente etude a pour objet la recherche grecque contemporaine sur l'Islam. Le monde grec, de meme que le christianisme en Orient, ont croise l'Islam des les premieres decennies de son apparition, a travers une grande variete de formes de dialogue. Cette rencontre qui a evolue en une coexistence durant des siecles jusqu'au XIXe -epoque au cours de laquelle le monde grec s'est detache de l'Empire ottoman- s'est souvent traduite dans le domaine intellectuel sous la forme de dialogues theologiques et d'ecrits de controverses qui ont fixe les differences et les positions des deux religions. La recherche grecque contemporaine etudie d'une part la litterature byzantine et post-byzantine sur l'Islam et, d'autre part, s'interesse aux sources, a l'histoire et a la civilisation de l'Islam, developpant ainsi une nouvelle optique objective de cette religion, conformement aux exigences de la recherche contemporaine. L'etude presente se d...