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Outline of Annemarie Schimmel’s Deciphering the Signs of God: A Phenomenological Approach to Islam1I Sacred Aspects of Nature and Culture2Inanimate Nature2Stones and rocks3Gems4Mountains5Earth and dust6Water6Springs and fountains7Water of life7Ocean, waves and foam8Rain9Deluge (flood)9Rivers10Fire10Burning Bush on Mount Sinai11Candles11Lightning and thunder11Wind12Light13Sun14Moon15Stars16Planets16Sky16Colours17Plants and Animals17Trees20Gardens20Plants and flowers20Wild rue, roses (gul), violets, tulips21Animals21Animal skin22Pigs and pork22Gnats22Bees22Ants23Spiders23Moths23Cows23Lions24Cats24Dogs24Camels24Donkeys25Horses25Buraq (from the Mi’raj)25Serpents, snakes and dragons26Birds26Soul birds26Nightingales (bulbul)26Falcons26Doves26Storks27Roosters27Peacocks27Parrots27Swans and ganders27Hoopoe (hudhud)28Crows and ravens28Mythical birds (Huma, ‘Anqa, Simurgh)28Kindness to animals28Eschatological peace (the lion and the lamb)29Man-made Objects29Swords, weapons and armour30Rods and wands30Flags and banners31Mirrors33Idols33Coins33Paintings and pictures35Woven fabrics (tomb-covers)36Garments, clothes37Ihram (pilgrimage dress)37Hijab, Burqa (veil)38Headgear (taj, turbans)39Garments, robes and hems as a metaphor41Notes47II Sacred Space and Time48Sacred Space48Caves49Houses50Thresholds50Doors and gates (bab)51High and low seats (throne vs. ‘place of the sandals’)51Centre of the house51Carpets and rugs51Baths51Citadel, fortress, stronghold (metaphor)51Mosques (masjid, jami’), pulpits (minbar), minarets, niches (mihrab)53Burial places, tombs, shrines (maqam, dargah)56Other sacred places56Mecca and Medina (al-haramayn; the two sacred places)57The Kaaba57Qibla59Medina61Jerusalem61Right and left side62East and West63Hahut, Lahut, Jabarut, Malakut, Mithal, Nasut (worlds/realms)63Road, way, (straight) path64Pilgrimage (hajj)65Muhammad’s Night Journey (Isra Mi’raj)65Journeys of the soul65Seven Valleys66Sacred Time67Lunar calendar67Hegira67Lunar years67Nawruz (Persian New Year)67Lunar months68Feasts68‘Id ul-Fitr (end of Ramadan)68‘Id al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)68Ramadan (fasting; sawm)69Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Might)69Laylat al-Milad (Birth of Muhammad; Mawlid)69Laylat al-Bara’a (Mid-Sha’ban)70Shia sacred days70Muharram (Martyrdom of Husayn)72Saints’ anniversaries (‘urs)72Other special days73Days of the week73Auspicious days74Hours74Linear time and cyclical time74Arcs of ascent and descent76Sacred Numbers76Odd numbers and even numbers761, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 40, 72, 99, 100183Notes89III Sacred Action90Inherited values and traditions90Via Purgativa (Purification)90Customs for protection against evil spirits or the Evil Eye91Noise91Fumigation91Scents91Salt91Drawing a circle or walking around a (sick) person92Tying knot and loosening them again92Gestures (Hand of Fatima)92Henna (mehndi), turmertic and betel92Little boats of straw93Removing one’s shoes93Pilgrim’s dress (Ihram)94Covering the head and hair (women and men; veils, caps, fez, turbans, prayer caps)94Purification94Sweeping shrines94Washing sacred buildings and shrines95Ritual purity95Purification by fire (includes alchemy)95Ablutions (water) and full bath (wudu and ghusl)97Blood97Tears98Abstinence98Nightly superogative prayer98Asceticism98Ramadan (fasting; sawm)99Animal sacrifice100Self-sacrifice100Hair shaving100Circumcision101Offering and distributing flowers and sweets101Alms-giving (zakat)102Via Illuminativa102Intention (niyya)103Touching a sacred object or saintly person for blessing (baraka)103- Hands, peacock feathers, kissing, breathing104Music and dance (wirling dance in Sufism)104Ecstasy105Via Unitiva105Love and union with God107Eating and drinking blessed food and drink107Communal meals107Wine and intoxicating drink as a metaphor109Notes113IV The Word and the Script114The Word – About God, and from God114Recitation114Popular religious songs115Repetition and rhyme116Dhikr (recollection of God)116Arabic language117Translation and commentaries of the Qu’ran117Islamic literature in other languages119Inspiration (ilham)119Divine revelation (wahy)119Interpretation and translation119Ninety-nine most beautiful Names of God and the greatest Name of God120Dhikr (recollection of God)121Personal names and titles (children, converts, rulers)122Divination (Qur’an, Mathnavi of Rumi, Divan of Hafiz)123Dreams124Astrology124Revelation and teachings of Muhammad125Mythology125Creation125Adam and Eve126Building of the Kaaba126Kerbela (martyrdom of Imam Husayn)126Pilgrimage, prayer and fasting126Last judgment (the Books, the Scales, the Bridge, the Mahdi, the second coming of Jesus)126Muhammad’s heavenly journey (isra mi’raj)127Demythologization and rationalization127Saga’s, fairy tales, fables, legends, proverbs and poetry129Hadith130Oral instruction130Esoteric interpretation131Madrasa (theological colleges)131Use of paradoxes and riddles132Ta’lim (theoretical dictation by the Shiam Imams)132Khutba (sermons)133Allegories 133Shahada (profession of faith; seven words, twenty four letters)134Knowledge (‘Ilm) and wisdom (‘irfan)135Shari’a (Islamic law; ‘ulama, imams and mujahids)135The Word to God135Greetings (as-salamu ‘alaykum)136Blessing and cursing137Oaths and vows 137Children’s names, meals, tomb covers, little rags hanging in trees or window grills138Exorcism (zar ritual)138Invocations (takbir: Allahu Akbar)138Ablutions (purification with water)138Prayer138Forgiveness139Call to prayer (adhan)139Ritual prayer (obligatory prayer, salat, namaz)140Community prayer (congragational prayer)141Rak’a (17 cycles of bodily movements, like standing, genuflexions and prostration)142Supererogatory prayers143Praise of God (Subhan Allah) and hymnic poetry145Personal prayers (du’a, munajat)147Dhikr and tasbih (repeating short prayers or phrases)149Silence150Sacred Scripture150The Koran (Qur’an)151Letters, pen, tablet152Adjad system (numerical value of letters)152Unconnected, disconnected or isolated letters of the Koran152Talismans, amulets and tomb covers etc.153Arabic alphabet154Calligraphy155The Well-preserved Tablet (lawh mahfuz; Koran 85:22)155The illiteracy of Muhammad156Alteration of the Torah and the Gospel156Audio recordings of the Koran156I’jaz (unsurpassible style of the Koran)157Other aspects of the Koran157Suras or verses with special blessing (baraka; Fatiha, Sura 36 Ya Sin, the Throne verse (2:255), Sura 122)158Khatma (a complete recitation of the Koran)158Abrogated verses in Islamic law158Copying and printing the Koran158Reverence for copies of the Koran (mushaf)159Compilation of the text of the Koran (caliph ‘Othman, r. 644-656)160Arrangment by length of the Suras (long to short)160History of Islamic exegesis (interpretation)161Tafsir (conventional) and ta’wil (esoteric interpretation)165Translation165Hadith (Divine words revealed outside the Koran)168Secondary literature (poetry, philosophy etc.)169Notes 177V Individual and Society178The Human Being178Dual nature of man (spiritual and material)179‘Abd (slave, servant), the highest station of man180The Perfect Man (al-insan al-kamil) in Sufism180The story of creation (Adam and Eve)180Spirit (ruh) and soul (nafs)181The body (carries power (baraka): 181- Hair, beard, nails, nose, breathing, saliva, perspiration, blood, head, feet, eyes183Purification after losing ‘power’184The heart, a pure mirror184Spirit and soul184Parents184Family, fathers, mothers, children185Caliphate (Sunni Islam)186Imamate (Shia Islam)186- Twelver Shia and the Hidden Imam186‘ Ulama (lawyer-divines in Sunni Islam)186Mujtahid (clerics in Twelver Shia)187The Prophet Muhammad187Two kinds of prophets: nabi (receives a revelation) and rasul (must preach the message)187Illiteracy and sinlessness of the prophet188Twenty-eight prophets mentioned in the Koran188Muhammad as the ‘Seal of the Prophets’ (khatam an-nabiyyin) and the Paraclete (from the Bible)188Descendants of Muhammad (sayyids and sharifs)188Non-acceptance of new revelations (e.g. Babi-Bahai movement and Ahmadiyya)189The spiritual station of Muhammad192Asceticism192Meditation and dhikr192Saints (shaykhs, pirs etc.)194Praying at tombs, shrines and graves195Imam ‘Ali and Imam Husayn196Martyrdom196Renovators (mujaddid)197Position of women in Islam197Polygamy, marriage, divorce198Prominent women in the Koran and in the Islamic world199Veils200Other aspects201Society201Umma (the community)202The middle way202Ijma’ (consensus)203Jihad (striving in the way of God)203Umma is not limited to nation or state204Right government204Non-Arab converts (mawali)204People of the Book (Jews, Christians, Sabians, Zoroastrians, Hindus and Buddhists)205Jihad (striving in the way of God)205Non-Arab converts (Jews, Christians, Sabians, Zoroastrians)206Jihad206Legal schools of thought (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, Hanbali)208Sunni and Shia Islam212Sufism213Guilds (futuwwa)214Islam in non-Muslim majority countries214Interfaith dialogue215Notes219VI God and His Creation; Eschatology220God220Fate and predestination221Aspects of God: Creator, greatness, beauty, wisdom, will, justice, truth, mercy and love223God’s transcendence and immanence223God in the Koran225Hidden treasure225Unity of Existence (wahdat al-wujud)225Oneness of God225Other aspects of God (including His majesty (jalal) and beauty (jamal))227God’s Creation (including emanation, ‘Be! and it is’, change, signs (ayat), duality, polarity)229The meaning of this world229Angels (including the four archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Israfil, ‘Azra’il)232Djinn (spirits)232Iblis (Satan)233Death234Day of Judgment/Resurrection237Paradise and hell239Notes243VII How to Approach Islam244How to view traditional religion in modern times256Notes ................
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