Abstract:

The inner life of Islam is the mystical path known as Sufiism, and it has played a major role in the civilization. A majority of the poets of the Islamic world and a great many of the finest musicians, architects and even scientists, have been Sufis, or strongly influenced by Sufism. This film includes a beautiful Persian garden of the 17th century, a symbol of the inner life; the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the site of Mohammed's mystical "Night Journey"; and examples of Sufi practice in Egypt, Morocco and Iran. It ends in India, where the anniversary of one of the great Sufi saints of the past is celebrated with passionate devotional songs and music which can lift the audience into states of ecstasy. Part of the 6 part series "THE TRADITIONAL WORLD OF ISLAM" that brings alive many aspects of the Islamic world. The six programs are self-contained but mutually complementary. All are photographic pageants of extraordinary beauty. Focusing on the classic Islamic empire and the realm of its lingering existence from Africa through the Arabian heartland to Indonesia, it stresses the universality of Islam, drawing attention to the ethnic diversity of those participating in the hajj. The majority of scenes are from the semi-arid Middle East, especially Iran, of Islam in stasis, not evolution. The narration includes quotations from the Qur'an, Hadith, lbn Khaldun, and various classical poets. Suffused with Sufi mysticism, this series creates a magnificent background for western appreciation of Islam and its contributions to world civilization. Middle East studies, culture, Arabic studies, religious studies