Luca Patrizi teaches Islamic Studies at the Department of Historical Studies of the University of Turin. He has been a Research Fellow at the Universities of Geneva, Sorbonne-Paris, Bonn, Exeter and at the University of Naples L'Orientale. His interests in Islamic studies focus on theological and ethical issues and on the doctrines and practices of Islamic esotericism.
By Francesca Bellino, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, and Luca Patrizi -
The notion of adab is at th... more By Francesca Bellino, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, and Luca Patrizi -
The notion of adab is at the very heart of the Islamicate cultures. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilisations of the Late Antiquity period, nourished by Greek, Syriac and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings, ranging from good behaviour, good manners, etiquette, proper knowledge of the rules, to belles-lettres, and finally, literature. This volume addresses the notion of adab through four perspectives, which correspond to the four parts into which it is divided: “Origins”; “Transmissions”; “Metamorphosis” of the “Origins” and finally “Origins” through the lens of modernity.
Intermediazione e intercessione sono nozioni centrali nella teologia delle religioni monoteistich... more Intermediazione e intercessione sono nozioni centrali nella teologia delle religioni monoteistiche, tanto da rappresentare, nel Cristianesimo, uno dei principali punti di disaccordo nello scisma tra la Chiesa cattolica e le Chiese riformate. Anche in ambito islamico questa è una delle questioni più rilevanti, ed è senza dubbio una delle maggiori fonti di contrasto tra le differenti suddivisioni religiose dell’Islam moderno e contemporaneo. In questo contesto, la dottrina specifica relativa all’intermediazione e all’intercessione del profeta Muḥammad nei confronti di Dio, in particolare nel Giorno del Giudizio, è attestata nelle fonti primarie dell’Islam. Questa funzione escatologica del Profeta è rappresentata in queste fonti attraverso una serie di metafore regali, connesse al suo rango nel Giorno del Giudizio, che gli permetterà di accedere ad una speciale stazione chiamata Stazione della lode, nonché alla gestione della Cisterna celeste che disseterà i beati. Dal punto di vista dell’elaborazione teologica, non si osservano grandi differenze nell’interpretazione di questa dottrina tra il Sunnismo e lo Sciismo. Nell’ambito dell’esoterismo islamico, invece, queste dottrine sono oggetto di un’interpretazione metafisica strettamente connessa alla realtà di Muḥammad come Uomo perfetto. Il volume, tramite lo studio e l’analisi approfondita delle caratteristiche teologiche ed esoteriche connesse alla nozione di intermediazione e intercessione in ambito islamico, offre uno strumento essenziale per la comprensione dell’origine e dello sviluppo delle differenti suddivisioni in seno all’Islam.
Intermediation and intercession are central notions in the theology of monotheistic religions, so much so that in Christianity they were one of the main points of disagreement in the schism between the Catholic Church and the Reformed Churches. In Islam, too, this is one of the most relevant issues, and is undoubtedly one of the major sources of disagreement between the different religious subdivisions in modern and contemporary Islam. In this context, the specific doctrine concerning the Prophet Muḥammad's intermediation and intercession with God, particularly on the Day of Judgement, is attested in the primary sources of Islam. This eschatological function of the Prophet is represented in these sources through a series of royal metaphors, connected to his rank on the Day of Judgement, which will allow him access to a special station called the Station of Praise, as well as the management of the heavenly Cistern that will quench the thirst of the blessed. From the point of view of theological elaboration, there are no major differences in the interpretation of this doctrine between Sunnism and Shiism. In the sphere of Islamic esotericism, on the other hand, these doctrines are the subject of a metaphysical interpretation closely linked to the reality of Muḥammad as the Perfect Man. Through the study and in-depth analysis of the theological and esoteric characteristics connected to the notion of intermediation and intercession in the Islamic context, this volume offers an essential tool for understanding the origin and development of the different subdivisions within Islam.
Edited by Francesco Chiabotti, Eberhard Karls University, Eve Feuillebois–Pierunek, Sorbonne Nouv... more Edited by Francesco Chiabotti, Eberhard Karls University, Eve Feuillebois–Pierunek, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 and Laboratoire d’Etudes sur les Monothéismes, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales and Institut Universitaire de France and Luca Patrizi The notion of adab is at the heart of Arab-Islamic culture. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilization, nourished by Greek and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings: good behavior, knowledge of manners, etiquette, rules and belles-lettres and finally, literature. This collection of articles tries to explore how the formulations and reformulations of adab during the first centuries of Islam engage with the crucial period of the first great spiritual masters, exploring the importance of normativity, but also of transgression, in order to define the rules themselves. Assuming that adab is ethics, the articles analyse the genres of Sufi adab, including manuals and hagiographical accounts, from the formative period of Sufism until the modernity. Contributors are: Alberto F. Ambrosio, Nelly Amri, Francesco Chiabotti, Rachida Chih, Ralf Elger, Eve Feuillebois-Pierunek, Maria Chiara Giorda, Denis Gril, Paul L. Heck, Nathan Hofer, Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Annabel Keeler, Pierre Lory, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Erik S. Ohlander, Samuela Pagani, Luca Patrizi, Michele Petrone, Stefan Reichmuth, Lloyd Ridgeon, Elisha Russ-Fishbane, Florian Sobieroj, Renaud Soler, Jean-Jacques Thibon, Mikko Viitamäki.
The Presence of the Prophet in Early Modern and Contemporary Islam Volume 3. Prophetic Piety: Individual and Collective Manifestations, 2023
The veneration of the relics of the Prophet Muḥammad perpetuates down the centuries the physical ... more The veneration of the relics of the Prophet Muḥammad perpetuates down the centuries the physical dimension of the devotion that the Companions paid to him, touching his sacred body while he was alive. Approaching the relics of the Prophet, touching them directly or touching objects that have been in contact with them, or drinking liquids that carry the blessing of these relics or objects, means for Muslims entering into the very presence of the Prophet. For the first generations of Muslims, devotion to relics was a perfectly natural practice, and their preservation was equated with the transmission of his holy words, the ḥadīths, which share with the relics their denomination of āthār.
Geographies of Encounters The Making and Unmaking of Multi-Religious Spaces, 2021
On a number of religious, historical and geographical reasons, we can consider Egypt as a huge sa... more On a number of religious, historical and geographical reasons, we can consider Egypt as a huge sacred open-air place shared by different religions. Islamic tradition reached Egyptian soil relatively late in relation to the very long history of the land. It therefore found an extremely rich cultural substratum and adapted it naturally to its own religious conceptions. In this chapter I will first of all argue that the primary layer of sharing is constituted by the intangible cultural heritage associated with the various denominations that the Egyptian holy landscape has assumed over the centuries. These designations offer valuable information about the longstanding connection between history and sacred geography in the land of Egypt. I will then address the issue of the Egyptian holy landscape and its natural sacred sites, most notably the Nile and the Sinai. Specific emphasis will be placed on the recognition that the different religions on Egyptian soil have often shared very similar interpretations and rituals, both in a diachronic and synchronic way. Finally, I will present some remarkable examples of shared holy places connected to the ancient Egyptian heritage as to the sacred history of Christianity and Islam.
Within the context of Brotherhood Sufism, the collective ritual dhikr session, usually referred t... more Within the context of Brotherhood Sufism, the collective ritual dhikr session, usually referred to as majlis, shows similar characteristics even in very different contexts. Although this practice has an absolutely primary importance and function in the context of Sufism, no specific study has yet been devoted to its analysis. In particular, no attention has been paid until now to its formation process, not only in its practical dimension, but also and above all from a symbolic and metaphorical point of view. In this paper I will therefore try to highlight how the practice of Sufi majlis shows the direct influence of two complex theological metaphors: the metaphor of kingship, which is exercised on Sufi majlis through the metaphorical and real relationship between kingship and spiritual power, and the metaphor of the banquet of the blessed in paradise.
Nell’ambito del Sufismo delle confraternite, la sessione di dhikr rituale collettiva, solitamente definita majlis, mostra caratteristiche analoghe anche in contesti molto differenti. Nonostante questa pratica ricopra un’importanza e una funzione assolutamente primarie nel contesto del Sufismo, alla sua analisi non è ancora stato dedicato alcuno studio specifico. In particolare, nessuna attenzione è stata portata fino ad oggi al suo processo di formazione, e questo non soltanto nella sua dimensione di pratica, ma anche e soprattutto dal punto di vista simbolico e metaforico. In questo articolo cercherò quindi di mettere in luce come la pratica del majlis sufi mostri l’influenza diretta di due complesse metafore teologiche: la metafora della regalità, che si esercita sul majlis sufi grazie al rapporto, allo stesso tempo metaforico e reale, che intercorre tra regalità e potere spirituale, e la metafora del banchetto dei beati nel paradiso.
Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture 10, 2021
More than thirty years after the first celebrated attempt to portray the Prophet Muhammad on the ... more More than thirty years after the first celebrated attempt to portray the Prophet Muhammad on the big screen (The Message, 1976), we have witnessed, from the new millennium onwards, a new wave of movies and tv series that focus on Islamic religious topics, in particular on the life of the Prophet. In this battle for hegemony in the visual representation of Islamic themes, the most active players are the Muslim Brotherhood Society, operating from their well-funded new base in Qatar, and Iranian Shi'ism. Between movies and tv series designed and realized on the life of the Prophet, and the series created for the month of Ramadan on the life of prophets and prominent religious authorities of the past, the list is enriched every year with new titles. These are now able to find global diffusion and exert a global influence through various pay and free access streaming platforms. Some of these productions seem to match the needs of political propaganda of certain Islamic denominations, in some cases even winking at the action of certain radical movements.
Adab and Modernity A civilising process ? (Sixteenth-Twenty-First Century), 2019
L’une des confrontations les plus intéressantes à l’intérieur de la société arabe et islamique es... more L’une des confrontations les plus intéressantes à l’intérieur de la société arabe et islamique est celle qui voit s’opposer, mais selon des lignes de fracture complexes et changeantes, le réformisme/fondamentalisme d’une part et le soufisme d’autre part. Un angle particulièrement pertinent pour étudier opposition, mais aussi confrontations et rencontres, entre ces deux courants de pensée de l’islam est précisément l’étude de l’adab et de ses reformulations à partir du XIXe siècle – dans le contexte de la modernisation du monde musulman. Le soufisme élabore un système éthique qui repose sur le système éthique islamique classique, mais qui est plus complexe du point de vue introspectif, comme le montrent ses catégories morales, qui sont beaucoup plus détaillées. A partir de Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī (m. 1897), les réformistes musulmans essayent de développer un nouveau type d’éthique, probablement aussi en compétition avec l’éthique de dérivation soufi. Dans ce but, ils récupèrent l’éthique du Tahdhīb al-akhlāq (Raffinement des mœurs) du célèbre philosophe persan Miskawayh (m. 1030), dérivée à son tour directement de l’éthique grecque et persane. En même temps, ils récupérèrent la théologie rationaliste mu‘tazilite, et même, d’une façon générale, la perspective mu‘tazilite qui privilégie la raison et la logique : cette démarche permet d’intégrer dans cette vision la nouvelle éthique « scientifique » moderne anglo- saxonne et européenne. Un cas très particulier est représenté, cependant, par le réformiste syrien Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī (m. 1914), dont la vision est proche de la salafiyya, mais dans laquelle il cherche à intégrer et à récupérer aussi l’apport doctrinal et la dimension spirituelle du soufisme. Son Jawāmi‘ al-ādāb fī-l-akhlāq wa-l-anjāb est un résumé très détaillé de toute l’éthique et l’éducation islamique, pliées en outre aux exigences sociales de la vie moderne, des relations familiales, jusqu’à proposer, entre autres, des manières correctes d’utiliser les nouveaux transports en commun ! L’analyse de ce texte fournit des indications précieuses sur la formation de l’éthique et de la morale arabes et islamiques contemporaines, tant dans leur rapport avec l’éthique classique islamique qu’avec l’éthique universelle et occidentale moderne.
Annali di studi religiosi n. 20 - Fondazione Bruno Kessler - Trento, 2019
Before the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1970, Egyptians have always had to confront the primo... more Before the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1970, Egyptians have always had to confront the primordial power of the Nile. This struggle caused the emergence of religious strategies, aiming at removing an impending danger; strategies that often went beyond the strict confessional subdivision, to result in real collaboration and solidarity. The banks of the Nile, and later the building of the Nilometer on the island of Rawḍa, in particular during the Islamic period, frequently turned into sacred places shared by different religions, in which ancestral rituals, aiming at controlling the fluctuating moods of the river, were to be staged. In these rituals, Muslim saints became protagonists and acted as intercessors between the population of Egypt and God, imploring the floods of the river and abundant harvests.
The recourse to the symbolism of precious stones is attested in different religious contexts. Whi... more The recourse to the symbolism of precious stones is attested in different religious contexts. While several specialists of Judaism and Christianity analyzed this symbolism in the context of the Old and New Testaments, as in the Jewish and Christian exegetical literature, its presence and nature in the Islamic sources so far did not gain the attention of the scholarly world. Yet in Islamic literature, this symbolism already occurs in its two main sources, the Quran and the sayings of the prophet Muḥammad. Precious stones appear likewise in the title of a number of Islamic literary and religious texts, and some of these texts have been even structured according to the gemstones’ names. Their symbolism is used in particular in the Islamic esoteric literature, exerting in this way a strong influence on Western Hermetic and Alchemical doctrines. Numerous examples are to be found in Sufi literature, including in the works of two of its most important authorities, al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) and Ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 1240). The symbolism of precious stones, as it is the case for the Jewish and Christian contexts, appears moreover in Islamic sources as closely related to the idea of language, as we intend to show in this article.
By Francesca Bellino, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, and Luca Patrizi -
The notion of adab is at th... more By Francesca Bellino, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, and Luca Patrizi -
The notion of adab is at the very heart of the Islamicate cultures. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilisations of the Late Antiquity period, nourished by Greek, Syriac and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings, ranging from good behaviour, good manners, etiquette, proper knowledge of the rules, to belles-lettres, and finally, literature. This volume addresses the notion of adab through four perspectives, which correspond to the four parts into which it is divided: “Origins”; “Transmissions”; “Metamorphosis” of the “Origins” and finally “Origins” through the lens of modernity.
Intermediazione e intercessione sono nozioni centrali nella teologia delle religioni monoteistich... more Intermediazione e intercessione sono nozioni centrali nella teologia delle religioni monoteistiche, tanto da rappresentare, nel Cristianesimo, uno dei principali punti di disaccordo nello scisma tra la Chiesa cattolica e le Chiese riformate. Anche in ambito islamico questa è una delle questioni più rilevanti, ed è senza dubbio una delle maggiori fonti di contrasto tra le differenti suddivisioni religiose dell’Islam moderno e contemporaneo. In questo contesto, la dottrina specifica relativa all’intermediazione e all’intercessione del profeta Muḥammad nei confronti di Dio, in particolare nel Giorno del Giudizio, è attestata nelle fonti primarie dell’Islam. Questa funzione escatologica del Profeta è rappresentata in queste fonti attraverso una serie di metafore regali, connesse al suo rango nel Giorno del Giudizio, che gli permetterà di accedere ad una speciale stazione chiamata Stazione della lode, nonché alla gestione della Cisterna celeste che disseterà i beati. Dal punto di vista dell’elaborazione teologica, non si osservano grandi differenze nell’interpretazione di questa dottrina tra il Sunnismo e lo Sciismo. Nell’ambito dell’esoterismo islamico, invece, queste dottrine sono oggetto di un’interpretazione metafisica strettamente connessa alla realtà di Muḥammad come Uomo perfetto. Il volume, tramite lo studio e l’analisi approfondita delle caratteristiche teologiche ed esoteriche connesse alla nozione di intermediazione e intercessione in ambito islamico, offre uno strumento essenziale per la comprensione dell’origine e dello sviluppo delle differenti suddivisioni in seno all’Islam.
Intermediation and intercession are central notions in the theology of monotheistic religions, so much so that in Christianity they were one of the main points of disagreement in the schism between the Catholic Church and the Reformed Churches. In Islam, too, this is one of the most relevant issues, and is undoubtedly one of the major sources of disagreement between the different religious subdivisions in modern and contemporary Islam. In this context, the specific doctrine concerning the Prophet Muḥammad's intermediation and intercession with God, particularly on the Day of Judgement, is attested in the primary sources of Islam. This eschatological function of the Prophet is represented in these sources through a series of royal metaphors, connected to his rank on the Day of Judgement, which will allow him access to a special station called the Station of Praise, as well as the management of the heavenly Cistern that will quench the thirst of the blessed. From the point of view of theological elaboration, there are no major differences in the interpretation of this doctrine between Sunnism and Shiism. In the sphere of Islamic esotericism, on the other hand, these doctrines are the subject of a metaphysical interpretation closely linked to the reality of Muḥammad as the Perfect Man. Through the study and in-depth analysis of the theological and esoteric characteristics connected to the notion of intermediation and intercession in the Islamic context, this volume offers an essential tool for understanding the origin and development of the different subdivisions within Islam.
Edited by Francesco Chiabotti, Eberhard Karls University, Eve Feuillebois–Pierunek, Sorbonne Nouv... more Edited by Francesco Chiabotti, Eberhard Karls University, Eve Feuillebois–Pierunek, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 and Laboratoire d’Etudes sur les Monothéismes, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales and Institut Universitaire de France and Luca Patrizi The notion of adab is at the heart of Arab-Islamic culture. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilization, nourished by Greek and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings: good behavior, knowledge of manners, etiquette, rules and belles-lettres and finally, literature. This collection of articles tries to explore how the formulations and reformulations of adab during the first centuries of Islam engage with the crucial period of the first great spiritual masters, exploring the importance of normativity, but also of transgression, in order to define the rules themselves. Assuming that adab is ethics, the articles analyse the genres of Sufi adab, including manuals and hagiographical accounts, from the formative period of Sufism until the modernity. Contributors are: Alberto F. Ambrosio, Nelly Amri, Francesco Chiabotti, Rachida Chih, Ralf Elger, Eve Feuillebois-Pierunek, Maria Chiara Giorda, Denis Gril, Paul L. Heck, Nathan Hofer, Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Annabel Keeler, Pierre Lory, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Erik S. Ohlander, Samuela Pagani, Luca Patrizi, Michele Petrone, Stefan Reichmuth, Lloyd Ridgeon, Elisha Russ-Fishbane, Florian Sobieroj, Renaud Soler, Jean-Jacques Thibon, Mikko Viitamäki.
The Presence of the Prophet in Early Modern and Contemporary Islam Volume 3. Prophetic Piety: Individual and Collective Manifestations, 2023
The veneration of the relics of the Prophet Muḥammad perpetuates down the centuries the physical ... more The veneration of the relics of the Prophet Muḥammad perpetuates down the centuries the physical dimension of the devotion that the Companions paid to him, touching his sacred body while he was alive. Approaching the relics of the Prophet, touching them directly or touching objects that have been in contact with them, or drinking liquids that carry the blessing of these relics or objects, means for Muslims entering into the very presence of the Prophet. For the first generations of Muslims, devotion to relics was a perfectly natural practice, and their preservation was equated with the transmission of his holy words, the ḥadīths, which share with the relics their denomination of āthār.
Geographies of Encounters The Making and Unmaking of Multi-Religious Spaces, 2021
On a number of religious, historical and geographical reasons, we can consider Egypt as a huge sa... more On a number of religious, historical and geographical reasons, we can consider Egypt as a huge sacred open-air place shared by different religions. Islamic tradition reached Egyptian soil relatively late in relation to the very long history of the land. It therefore found an extremely rich cultural substratum and adapted it naturally to its own religious conceptions. In this chapter I will first of all argue that the primary layer of sharing is constituted by the intangible cultural heritage associated with the various denominations that the Egyptian holy landscape has assumed over the centuries. These designations offer valuable information about the longstanding connection between history and sacred geography in the land of Egypt. I will then address the issue of the Egyptian holy landscape and its natural sacred sites, most notably the Nile and the Sinai. Specific emphasis will be placed on the recognition that the different religions on Egyptian soil have often shared very similar interpretations and rituals, both in a diachronic and synchronic way. Finally, I will present some remarkable examples of shared holy places connected to the ancient Egyptian heritage as to the sacred history of Christianity and Islam.
Within the context of Brotherhood Sufism, the collective ritual dhikr session, usually referred t... more Within the context of Brotherhood Sufism, the collective ritual dhikr session, usually referred to as majlis, shows similar characteristics even in very different contexts. Although this practice has an absolutely primary importance and function in the context of Sufism, no specific study has yet been devoted to its analysis. In particular, no attention has been paid until now to its formation process, not only in its practical dimension, but also and above all from a symbolic and metaphorical point of view. In this paper I will therefore try to highlight how the practice of Sufi majlis shows the direct influence of two complex theological metaphors: the metaphor of kingship, which is exercised on Sufi majlis through the metaphorical and real relationship between kingship and spiritual power, and the metaphor of the banquet of the blessed in paradise.
Nell’ambito del Sufismo delle confraternite, la sessione di dhikr rituale collettiva, solitamente definita majlis, mostra caratteristiche analoghe anche in contesti molto differenti. Nonostante questa pratica ricopra un’importanza e una funzione assolutamente primarie nel contesto del Sufismo, alla sua analisi non è ancora stato dedicato alcuno studio specifico. In particolare, nessuna attenzione è stata portata fino ad oggi al suo processo di formazione, e questo non soltanto nella sua dimensione di pratica, ma anche e soprattutto dal punto di vista simbolico e metaforico. In questo articolo cercherò quindi di mettere in luce come la pratica del majlis sufi mostri l’influenza diretta di due complesse metafore teologiche: la metafora della regalità, che si esercita sul majlis sufi grazie al rapporto, allo stesso tempo metaforico e reale, che intercorre tra regalità e potere spirituale, e la metafora del banchetto dei beati nel paradiso.
Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture 10, 2021
More than thirty years after the first celebrated attempt to portray the Prophet Muhammad on the ... more More than thirty years after the first celebrated attempt to portray the Prophet Muhammad on the big screen (The Message, 1976), we have witnessed, from the new millennium onwards, a new wave of movies and tv series that focus on Islamic religious topics, in particular on the life of the Prophet. In this battle for hegemony in the visual representation of Islamic themes, the most active players are the Muslim Brotherhood Society, operating from their well-funded new base in Qatar, and Iranian Shi'ism. Between movies and tv series designed and realized on the life of the Prophet, and the series created for the month of Ramadan on the life of prophets and prominent religious authorities of the past, the list is enriched every year with new titles. These are now able to find global diffusion and exert a global influence through various pay and free access streaming platforms. Some of these productions seem to match the needs of political propaganda of certain Islamic denominations, in some cases even winking at the action of certain radical movements.
Adab and Modernity A civilising process ? (Sixteenth-Twenty-First Century), 2019
L’une des confrontations les plus intéressantes à l’intérieur de la société arabe et islamique es... more L’une des confrontations les plus intéressantes à l’intérieur de la société arabe et islamique est celle qui voit s’opposer, mais selon des lignes de fracture complexes et changeantes, le réformisme/fondamentalisme d’une part et le soufisme d’autre part. Un angle particulièrement pertinent pour étudier opposition, mais aussi confrontations et rencontres, entre ces deux courants de pensée de l’islam est précisément l’étude de l’adab et de ses reformulations à partir du XIXe siècle – dans le contexte de la modernisation du monde musulman. Le soufisme élabore un système éthique qui repose sur le système éthique islamique classique, mais qui est plus complexe du point de vue introspectif, comme le montrent ses catégories morales, qui sont beaucoup plus détaillées. A partir de Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī (m. 1897), les réformistes musulmans essayent de développer un nouveau type d’éthique, probablement aussi en compétition avec l’éthique de dérivation soufi. Dans ce but, ils récupèrent l’éthique du Tahdhīb al-akhlāq (Raffinement des mœurs) du célèbre philosophe persan Miskawayh (m. 1030), dérivée à son tour directement de l’éthique grecque et persane. En même temps, ils récupérèrent la théologie rationaliste mu‘tazilite, et même, d’une façon générale, la perspective mu‘tazilite qui privilégie la raison et la logique : cette démarche permet d’intégrer dans cette vision la nouvelle éthique « scientifique » moderne anglo- saxonne et européenne. Un cas très particulier est représenté, cependant, par le réformiste syrien Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī (m. 1914), dont la vision est proche de la salafiyya, mais dans laquelle il cherche à intégrer et à récupérer aussi l’apport doctrinal et la dimension spirituelle du soufisme. Son Jawāmi‘ al-ādāb fī-l-akhlāq wa-l-anjāb est un résumé très détaillé de toute l’éthique et l’éducation islamique, pliées en outre aux exigences sociales de la vie moderne, des relations familiales, jusqu’à proposer, entre autres, des manières correctes d’utiliser les nouveaux transports en commun ! L’analyse de ce texte fournit des indications précieuses sur la formation de l’éthique et de la morale arabes et islamiques contemporaines, tant dans leur rapport avec l’éthique classique islamique qu’avec l’éthique universelle et occidentale moderne.
Annali di studi religiosi n. 20 - Fondazione Bruno Kessler - Trento, 2019
Before the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1970, Egyptians have always had to confront the primo... more Before the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1970, Egyptians have always had to confront the primordial power of the Nile. This struggle caused the emergence of religious strategies, aiming at removing an impending danger; strategies that often went beyond the strict confessional subdivision, to result in real collaboration and solidarity. The banks of the Nile, and later the building of the Nilometer on the island of Rawḍa, in particular during the Islamic period, frequently turned into sacred places shared by different religions, in which ancestral rituals, aiming at controlling the fluctuating moods of the river, were to be staged. In these rituals, Muslim saints became protagonists and acted as intercessors between the population of Egypt and God, imploring the floods of the river and abundant harvests.
The recourse to the symbolism of precious stones is attested in different religious contexts. Whi... more The recourse to the symbolism of precious stones is attested in different religious contexts. While several specialists of Judaism and Christianity analyzed this symbolism in the context of the Old and New Testaments, as in the Jewish and Christian exegetical literature, its presence and nature in the Islamic sources so far did not gain the attention of the scholarly world. Yet in Islamic literature, this symbolism already occurs in its two main sources, the Quran and the sayings of the prophet Muḥammad. Precious stones appear likewise in the title of a number of Islamic literary and religious texts, and some of these texts have been even structured according to the gemstones’ names. Their symbolism is used in particular in the Islamic esoteric literature, exerting in this way a strong influence on Western Hermetic and Alchemical doctrines. Numerous examples are to be found in Sufi literature, including in the works of two of its most important authorities, al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) and Ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 1240). The symbolism of precious stones, as it is the case for the Jewish and Christian contexts, appears moreover in Islamic sources as closely related to the idea of language, as we intend to show in this article.
Gorgias Press' 2018 Islamic Studies' catalogue sets out a selection of Gorgias' published and for... more Gorgias Press' 2018 Islamic Studies' catalogue sets out a selection of Gorgias' published and forthcoming publications that are related to Islamic and Near Eastern studies, as well as studies carried out for other fields of research that intersect with Islamic studies.
La figura di Maria di Nazareth è da secoli fonte di riflessione teologica, oggetto d’indagine ese... more La figura di Maria di Nazareth è da secoli fonte di riflessione teologica, oggetto d’indagine esegetica e riferimento devozionale. A partire dai risultati di nuove ricerche in ambito storico e filologico, il ciclo di conferenze affronta ‘narrazioni’ e concetti fondamentali relativi alla figura di Maria – la "Dormitio Virginis", la nascita verginale di Gesù, l’Annunciazione, l’Immacolata Concezione, il viaggio in Egitto della Sacra Famiglia – da un punto di vista di storia interreligiosa, cioè attraverso prospettive e problemi storici che risultano condivisi, complementari o polemicamente contesi tra ebraismo, cristianesimo e islam. Le cinque conferenze sono tenute da specialisti di letteratura cristiana antica, letteratura rabbinica, traduzioni medievali del Corano, storia del pensiero cristiano contemporaneo e storia della teologia islamica attivi presso università e centri di ricerca europei (Ginevra, Tubinga, Madrid, Pavia, Torino/Exeter), riuniti in questa occasione in un dialogo scientifico concepito come unitario e organico. Online e aperto al pubblico, il ciclo di conferenze è organizzato dal Centro di Studi Interreligiosi presso l’Almo Collegio Borromeo di Pavia e conclude il corso di “Chiese e teologie in età moderna e contemporanea”, attivato entro il nuovo curriculum “Studi interreligiosi” della Laurea magistrale in Storia d’Europa dell’Università di Pavia.
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Books by Luca Patrizi
The notion of adab is at the very heart of the Islamicate cultures. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilisations of the Late Antiquity period, nourished by Greek, Syriac and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings, ranging from good behaviour, good manners, etiquette, proper knowledge of the rules, to belles-lettres, and finally, literature. This volume addresses the notion of adab through four perspectives, which correspond to the four parts into which it is divided: “Origins”; “Transmissions”; “Metamorphosis” of the “Origins” and finally “Origins” through the lens of modernity.
https://www.morcelliana.net/collane-morcelliana/scienze-e-storia-della-religione/patrizi-al-cospetto-del-re-9788837237790.html
Intermediation and intercession are central notions in the theology of monotheistic religions, so much so that in Christianity they were one of the main points of disagreement in the schism between the Catholic Church and the Reformed Churches. In Islam, too, this is one of the most relevant issues, and is undoubtedly one of the major sources of disagreement between the different religious subdivisions in modern and contemporary Islam. In this context, the specific doctrine concerning the Prophet Muḥammad's intermediation and intercession with God, particularly on the Day of Judgement, is attested in the primary sources of Islam. This eschatological function of the Prophet is represented in these sources through a series of royal metaphors, connected to his rank on the Day of Judgement, which will allow him access to a special station called the Station of Praise, as well as the management of the heavenly Cistern that will quench the thirst of the blessed. From the point of view of theological elaboration, there are no major differences in the interpretation of this doctrine between Sunnism and Shiism. In the sphere of Islamic esotericism, on the other hand, these doctrines are the subject of a metaphysical interpretation closely linked to the reality of Muḥammad as the Perfect Man. Through the study and in-depth analysis of the theological and esoteric characteristics connected to the notion of intermediation and intercession in the Islamic context, this volume offers an essential tool for understanding the origin and development of the different subdivisions within Islam.
The notion of adab is at the heart of Arab-Islamic culture. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilization, nourished by Greek and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings: good behavior, knowledge of manners, etiquette, rules and belles-lettres and finally, literature. This collection of articles tries to explore how the formulations and reformulations of adab during the first centuries of Islam engage with the crucial period of the first great spiritual masters, exploring the importance of normativity, but also of transgression, in order to define the rules themselves. Assuming that adab is ethics, the articles analyse the genres of Sufi adab, including manuals and hagiographical accounts, from the formative period of Sufism until the modernity. Contributors are: Alberto F. Ambrosio, Nelly Amri, Francesco Chiabotti, Rachida Chih, Ralf Elger, Eve Feuillebois-Pierunek, Maria Chiara Giorda, Denis Gril, Paul L. Heck, Nathan Hofer, Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Annabel Keeler, Pierre Lory, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Erik S. Ohlander, Samuela Pagani, Luca Patrizi, Michele Petrone, Stefan Reichmuth, Lloyd Ridgeon, Elisha Russ-Fishbane, Florian Sobieroj, Renaud Soler, Jean-Jacques Thibon, Mikko Viitamäki.
Papers by Luca Patrizi
Nell’ambito del Sufismo delle confraternite, la sessione di dhikr rituale collettiva, solitamente definita majlis, mostra caratteristiche analoghe anche in contesti molto differenti. Nonostante questa pratica ricopra un’importanza e una funzione assolutamente primarie nel contesto del Sufismo, alla sua analisi non è ancora stato dedicato alcuno studio specifico. In particolare, nessuna attenzione è stata portata fino ad oggi al suo processo di formazione, e questo non soltanto nella sua dimensione di pratica, ma anche e soprattutto dal punto di vista simbolico e metaforico. In questo articolo cercherò quindi di mettere in luce come la pratica del majlis sufi mostri l’influenza diretta di due complesse metafore teologiche: la metafora della regalità, che si esercita sul majlis sufi grazie al rapporto, allo stesso tempo metaforico e reale, che intercorre tra regalità e potere spirituale, e la metafora del banchetto dei beati nel paradiso.
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/prophets-footprint
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/fr/news/lempreinte-du-prophete
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/de/news/der-fussabdruck-des-propheten
The notion of adab is at the very heart of the Islamicate cultures. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilisations of the Late Antiquity period, nourished by Greek, Syriac and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings, ranging from good behaviour, good manners, etiquette, proper knowledge of the rules, to belles-lettres, and finally, literature. This volume addresses the notion of adab through four perspectives, which correspond to the four parts into which it is divided: “Origins”; “Transmissions”; “Metamorphosis” of the “Origins” and finally “Origins” through the lens of modernity.
https://www.morcelliana.net/collane-morcelliana/scienze-e-storia-della-religione/patrizi-al-cospetto-del-re-9788837237790.html
Intermediation and intercession are central notions in the theology of monotheistic religions, so much so that in Christianity they were one of the main points of disagreement in the schism between the Catholic Church and the Reformed Churches. In Islam, too, this is one of the most relevant issues, and is undoubtedly one of the major sources of disagreement between the different religious subdivisions in modern and contemporary Islam. In this context, the specific doctrine concerning the Prophet Muḥammad's intermediation and intercession with God, particularly on the Day of Judgement, is attested in the primary sources of Islam. This eschatological function of the Prophet is represented in these sources through a series of royal metaphors, connected to his rank on the Day of Judgement, which will allow him access to a special station called the Station of Praise, as well as the management of the heavenly Cistern that will quench the thirst of the blessed. From the point of view of theological elaboration, there are no major differences in the interpretation of this doctrine between Sunnism and Shiism. In the sphere of Islamic esotericism, on the other hand, these doctrines are the subject of a metaphysical interpretation closely linked to the reality of Muḥammad as the Perfect Man. Through the study and in-depth analysis of the theological and esoteric characteristics connected to the notion of intermediation and intercession in the Islamic context, this volume offers an essential tool for understanding the origin and development of the different subdivisions within Islam.
The notion of adab is at the heart of Arab-Islamic culture. Born in the crucible of the Arabic and Persian civilization, nourished by Greek and Indian influences, this polysemic notion could cover a variegated range of meanings: good behavior, knowledge of manners, etiquette, rules and belles-lettres and finally, literature. This collection of articles tries to explore how the formulations and reformulations of adab during the first centuries of Islam engage with the crucial period of the first great spiritual masters, exploring the importance of normativity, but also of transgression, in order to define the rules themselves. Assuming that adab is ethics, the articles analyse the genres of Sufi adab, including manuals and hagiographical accounts, from the formative period of Sufism until the modernity. Contributors are: Alberto F. Ambrosio, Nelly Amri, Francesco Chiabotti, Rachida Chih, Ralf Elger, Eve Feuillebois-Pierunek, Maria Chiara Giorda, Denis Gril, Paul L. Heck, Nathan Hofer, Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Annabel Keeler, Pierre Lory, Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Erik S. Ohlander, Samuela Pagani, Luca Patrizi, Michele Petrone, Stefan Reichmuth, Lloyd Ridgeon, Elisha Russ-Fishbane, Florian Sobieroj, Renaud Soler, Jean-Jacques Thibon, Mikko Viitamäki.
Nell’ambito del Sufismo delle confraternite, la sessione di dhikr rituale collettiva, solitamente definita majlis, mostra caratteristiche analoghe anche in contesti molto differenti. Nonostante questa pratica ricopra un’importanza e una funzione assolutamente primarie nel contesto del Sufismo, alla sua analisi non è ancora stato dedicato alcuno studio specifico. In particolare, nessuna attenzione è stata portata fino ad oggi al suo processo di formazione, e questo non soltanto nella sua dimensione di pratica, ma anche e soprattutto dal punto di vista simbolico e metaforico. In questo articolo cercherò quindi di mettere in luce come la pratica del majlis sufi mostri l’influenza diretta di due complesse metafore teologiche: la metafora della regalità, che si esercita sul majlis sufi grazie al rapporto, allo stesso tempo metaforico e reale, che intercorre tra regalità e potere spirituale, e la metafora del banchetto dei beati nel paradiso.
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/prophets-footprint
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/fr/news/lempreinte-du-prophete
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/de/news/der-fussabdruck-des-propheten
Le cinque conferenze sono tenute da specialisti di letteratura cristiana antica, letteratura rabbinica, traduzioni medievali del Corano, storia del pensiero cristiano contemporaneo e storia della teologia islamica attivi presso università e centri di ricerca europei (Ginevra, Tubinga, Madrid, Pavia, Torino/Exeter), riuniti in questa occasione in un dialogo scientifico concepito come unitario e organico.
Online e aperto al pubblico, il ciclo di conferenze è organizzato dal Centro di Studi Interreligiosi presso l’Almo Collegio Borromeo di Pavia e conclude il corso di “Chiese e teologie in età moderna e contemporanea”, attivato entro il nuovo curriculum “Studi interreligiosi” della Laurea magistrale in Storia d’Europa dell’Università di Pavia.