Hujwiri, The Kashf al-Mahjub: The Oldest Persian Trea-
tise on Sufism. Translated by R. A. Nicholson (Delhi: Taj
Company, 1997); R. A. Nicholson, The Mystics of Islam
(New York: Schocken, 1975); Annemarie Schimmel,
Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 1975).
Baqli, Ruzbihan (1128–1209) leading mystic
of 12th-century Iran, famed for his accounts of his
visionary experience and controversial ecstatic sayings
Ruzbihan Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr al-Baqli
al-Fasawi was born in Fasaa, a province in the
south of iran. When older, he moved to the
nearby city Shiraz, where he delivered sermons
at the town’s famous old mosqUe and enjoyed a
large following among the townfolk, as well as
some of the local rulers. In his aUtobiography,
Ruzbihan explains that his spirituality is unrelated
to his upbringing because he was born and raised
in a family that was ignorant about God and was
unable to understand him. He defines his call
to mysticism in terms of his special relationship
with God. Ruzbihan had spiritual experiences as
early as age three. At age 15, he was addressed by
voices from the unseen world (ghayb) calling him
a prophet. One day around this time, as he was
leaving his shop for afternoon prayers, he heard
an extraordinary voice and followed it to a nearby
hill. There he saw a handsome shaykh telling him
about God’s oneness (tawhid). Ruzbihan describes
this event as a turning point in his spiritual awak-
ening. For the rest of his life, he experienced mys-
tical states, and secrets were disclosed to him.
Ruzbihan’s writings are in Persian and in Ara-
bic. They describe the visionary events that consti-
tuted the life of the author and the knowledge that
he acquired by these events. Best known today
as the author of Abhar al-ashiqin (The jasmine of
lovers), Kashf al-asrar (The unveiling of secrets),
and Sharh-i shathiyat (An exegesis of ecstatic say-
ings), Ruzbihan also wrote on a range of subjects
including tafsir (interpretation), hadith, and fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence).
Sharh-i shathiyat is a classical reference on
Islamic mysticism. It is a compilation of sayings
by entranced mystics as they were experiencing
spiritual states. Abhar al-ashiqin is a masterpiece
in Persian belles lettres. It provides a geography
of love whence God’s attributes of “might” (jalal)
and “beauty” (jamal) come into view. Ruzbihan’s
autobiography, Kashf al-asrar, which he began
writing at age 55, is a unique document in the
genre of Muslim aUtobiography. While similar to
many Muslim biographies and autobiographies,
Kashf al-asrar concerns the inner spiritual life of
the author/protagonist, but unlike most of them,
its plot is not centered on the external events that
advance the story of his life. In this respect, Kashf
al-asrar differs from the works that constitute the
canon in the medieval Islamic biographical and
autobiographical literature.
Today, Ruzbihan’s shrine is a pilgrimage site in
his hometown, Shiraz.
See also sUFism.
Firoozeh Papan-MatinFurther reading: Ruzbihan Baqli, Abhar al-ashiqin, eds.
Henry Corbin and Muhammad Muin (Tehran: Ket-
abkhane-ye Manuchehri, 1987); Carl Ernst, Ruzbihan
Baqli: Mysticism and the Rhetoric of Sainthood in Persian
Sufism (Richmond, Va.: Curzon Press, 1996).baraka
Baraka is an Arabic term for blessing used by
peoples of the Middle East and followers of
Islam. It has been understood both as a specific
force that emanates from God and as a more
impersonal power that brings about prosperity
or good luck at the same time that it counteracts
evil forces. According to the qUran, baraka is a
power that God can both bestow and withhold, a
notion similar to that of berakhah in Judaism. If
people are mindful of God and do good things,
they qualify to receive divine blessing and pros-
perity; if not, they will not receive it. prophets,baraka 91 J