PRE-ISLAMIC SUFISM AND THE IRANIAN ROOTS OF SUFI MYSTICISM

Sufism does not predate Islam. Certain features of it that are characteristic of pre-Islamic traditions common among Iranians, however, can be detected in Sufism generally, but specifically pertaining to Sufis of Iran. These include the heroic tradition of champions (ghahreman), now known in Sufism as javan-mardi or futuwwat; aspects of which include service (khedmat) and a selfless attitude of generosity (sekhavat) and sacrifice (ithar). Others require greater in-depth appreciation of ancient Persian ideas and heritage both religious and moral, which flow into Islamic Iran and are appropriated by early mediaeval Moslem-Iranian thinkers, such as Ferdowsi and Sohravardi. Earlier on, Salman-e Farsi (Chapter 8) is a paradigmatic example of this transition and flow of ideas from past to present.

Of those who contend for the pre-Islamic origins of Sufism, the previous head of the Khaneqahi Nimatollahi Sufi order, Javad Nurbakhsh (1926—2008), insisted that “Persian Sufism” is a distinctly Iranian phenomenon — independent of Islamic history — and one that assuredly predated Islam (Chapter 9). The nature of Nurbakhsh's claims are largely ahistorical, but they do warrant further review if only for their delineation of Persian cultural components, now part of Islamic mysticism. The case of the Nematollahiya, however, is also relevant to the present study because Nurbakhsh surmised the existence of a legitimate line of masters that are connected through a secret sapiential tradition referred to as hekmat-e khosravani (Chapter 2).