Die Before Dying: Activism and Passivity in Sufi Ethics

Abstract

This article explores Sufi notions of the death of self-will. Sufis
are often accused of advocating an ethic of passivity when they
speak of giving the self over to an authoritative shaykh or
spiritual master. However, some Sufis turn the image of giving
over the self to death before one's actual death to more activist
ends. This article will examine the lives and writings of two
such reformist Sufis, Ahmad Zarruq (died 1493) and ‘Ali Muttaqi
(died 1567), to show how their concept of the death of self-will
propelled them on paths of intellectual vigour, political
engagement, and individual initiative. The essay offers two
original translations of these Sufi master's epistles on the death
of self-will. Its conclusion offers a theoretical reflection on Sufi
concepts of agency, its different possible relations to spiritual
authority, and how these different models enable or limit
engagement in political or social movements.

Journal for Islamic Studies Vol. 26 2006: pp. 113-155