Sufism in 20th century British orientalism: The case of Arthur John Arberry

Sufism has attracted attention not only among Muslims but also in the Western world due to the subjects it deals with and the masses it influences; it has been one of the important research topics of orientalist studies. Western scholarly circles have tried to understand Sufism in both its theoretical and practical dimensions. In the 20th century, Arthur John Arberry, one of the leading figures of British Orientalism, has carried out remarkable studies in this context. In this study, Arberry's life and works are evaluated as a whole and his approach to Sufism and Sufi concepts is analysed through his works. Arberry's proficiency in Arabic and Persian enabled him to analyse Sufi texts directly from primary sources; he also made significant contributions to the translation of Sufi literature into English. Arberry considered Sufism as the mystical and universal aspect of Islam. In line with this approach, he analysed the historical development of Sufism within the framework of the classical periodisation, namely the periodisation of zuhd, tasawwuf and tariqas. Arberry, who identified the period of zuhd with individual purification and asceticism, saw the period of Sufism as a stage in which the theoretical depth increased and mystical teachings were systematised, and the period of tariqas as a stage in which these teachings were institutionalised and spread to large masses. Although Arberry emphasises that the two main pillars of Sufism are the Qur'an and the Sunnah, he believes that external factors such as Christianity and Neoplatonism were influential in the process of transition from asceticism to Sufism. While analysing Sufi terminology, he mostly referred to the meanings of concepts based on al-Qushayrī (d. 465/1072) and did not go into deep analyses. One of Arberry's prominent views is that Sufism has deteriorated over time and lost its importance.