literature, medieval Persian and Urdu love poetry
and narratives, and, according to some scholars,
medieval European romance.
See also Folklore; persian langUage and
literatUre.
Ruqayya Yasmine KhanFurther reading: Michael Dols, Majnun: The Madman in
Medieval Islamic Society (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1992); Nizami, The Story of Layla and Majnun.
Translated and edited by Rudolf Gelpke et al. (New
York: Omega Publications, 1997).
maktab See kuttab.
Malamati Sufis
All Sufis seek to control the desires of the self
(nafs), which prevent the individual from reach-
ing God, but while many try to do so by devoting
themselves to outward forms of worship, Mala-
matis reject outward display of their devotion,
considering this too to be feeding the self’s desire
for acceptance by society. Malamati Sufism is not a
clearly defined system of beliefs, but a set of prac-
tices and a psychology relating to the principle
of refraining from actions that would gain the
approval of society, including public performance
of the prescribed forms of worship. Malamatis
do not seek the approval of society, and they do
not fear its blame. The Malamati Sufis base their
beliefs on the Quranic verse: “They struggle in the
path of God and fear not the blame of any blamer”
(Q 5:54), and thus their name is derived from the
Arabic word malama, meaning “blame.”
As a consequence of their avoidance of public
worship, Malamatis were often accused of not
acting in accordance with religious law and con-
demned by orthodox authorities. Nevertheless,
most Malamatis tried to live within the world,
wearing clothing that did not attract attention and
often working in the marketplace as artisans.
Though similar religious attitudes existed
before the advent of Islam, Malamati Sufism in its
Islamic form developed in the region of Khurasan
in the ninth century, in part as a response to the
extroverted ascetism of the Karramis. The first
major figure of the Malamati movement was Ham-
dun al-Qassar (d. 884) of Nishapur, who taught
the renunciation of the need to please people,
which would lead to actions done in hypocrisy
(riya). Malamatis did not participate in Sufi rituals
such as dhikr and samaa (musical audition), since
in doing so their inner states might be revealed.
Because of the invisibility of Malamatis, it is
difficult to discern any structured organization
under that name and to determine the extent
to which their influence spread. It seems likely,
though, that the principles of Malamatism led
some to purposely seek the blame of others by
openly violating religious and social conventions,
and these came to be known as Qalandars. The
Naqshbandi order may also have been influenced
by Malamatis, in its refusal of distinctive clothing
and its preference for a silent dhikr. In Ottoman
lands, Malamati principles were incorporated into
the Malami and Hamzawi orders.
See also asceticism; sUFism.
Mark SoileauFurther reading: Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimen-
sions of Islam (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina
Press, 1975); Sara Sviri, “Hakim Tirmidhi and the Mala-
mati Movement in Early Sufism.” In Classical Persian
Sufism: From Its Origins to Rumi, edited by L. Lewisohn
(New York: Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 1993),
583–613; J. Spencer Trimingham, The Sufi Orders in
Islam (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971).Malaysia
The modern nation of Malaysia consists of the
southern half of the Malay Peninsula and the
states of Sarawak and Sabah on the northern coast
of the island of Borneo. Each of the three compo-K 450 maktab