Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism

Jason Welle is Assistant Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College, USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies from Georgetown University, USA.

• List of FiguresAcknowledgementsTransliteration, Dating, Primary Sources and AbbreviationsIntroduction: What Does Virtue Ethics Have to Do with Sufism?Companionship and communityVirtue and characterBiography of al-SulamiRecent scholarship on al-SulamiCompanionship and virtueChapter 1: The Emergence of Adab in al-Sulami’s Spiritual Method‘Adab literature’Works of Sufi adab and adab literatureAdab, akhlaq and ahwalAdab as MacIntyrean practiceAdab among al-Sulami’s Sufi predecessorsAl-Sulami’s approach to AdabDhikr adab al-sufiyyaMaiyyat al-faqr wa-adabihiAdab al-faqr wa-sharaituhuAdab mujalasat al-mashayikhJawami adab al-sufiyyaKitab bayan al-sharia wa-l-haqiqaKitab adab al-suhbaConclusionChapter 2: Virtue and Character in al-Sulami’s ThoughtWhat does Athens have to do with Nishapur?The treatment of traitsMacIntyre on tradition and virtueSufi psychologyThe stations (maqamat)Spiritual centresThe ego-self (nafs)The heart (qalb)The secret (sirr) and the spirit (Ruh)Al-Sulami’s notion of akhlaqEmotional akhlaqGrowth in virtue: Outside-in or inside-out?ConclusionChapter 3: Al-Sulami’s vision of fellowship and spiritual companionshipSuhba and ishra: A difference in degree or in kind?The dangers of suhbaThe many faces of suhba and ishraAcknowledged dependence, with a little help from my friendsO brother, who art thou?Suhba in the relationship between master and discipleDoes suhba suffer fools?Relations with womenThe etiquette of the marketplaceChapter 4: Suhba in comparison: al-Sulami’s near contemporariesPhilosophical approaches to friendshipAl-Tawhidi: The loyal friend of selfless careThe elevation of shaykhs and the bond of brothersAl-Sarraj: Companions to disturb and to serveAl-Qushayri: Stability and exclusivity on the pathConclusionConclusionMacIntyre, al-Sulami, and avenues for future researchNotesBibliographyIndex

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