Sufi Reflections of the Qur´an

What does it mean for contemporary Sufis to be Sufis and which functions has the Quran in their understandings? How do the Mystics of Islam interpret and experience the Quranic revelation? In which ways does engagement with the Quran enable the Sufis to come closer to God? What significance does that have in the daily lives of the Sufis? To answer these questions, fourteen Sufis women and men from different countries (Albania, Great Britain, Germany, India, Iran, Israel and Palestine, Canada, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan) and from diverse mystical teaching traditions were interviewed. These interviews form the basis for the discussion on the multidimensionality of the Quran, its diverse interpretation, and the intellectual history of Sufism. The study not only expands our knowledge of the plurality of Sufism but also of contemporary Islam by presenting a wide spectrum of regional backgrounds and Sufi traditions, as well as their historical and sociocultural contextualization. The Quran enables the Sufis to know and to communicate with God. Furthermore, the intense preoccupation with the Quran allows Sufis to expand their human realities by encompassing divine realities. However, this also means questioning themselves and to contributing responsibly to the well-being of their fellow human beings. For the Sufis, such transformed behavior realizes the Quran and continues the process of its revelation. This book shows that Sufism remains vivid and influential; for the first time, the accounts of the interviews provide insights into the ways in which contemporary Sufis interpret and apply the Quran in creative and sophisticated ways.