al-Junayd al-Baghdādī and "sober" Sufism
al-Junayd al-BaghdādīAbū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī
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For everyone
Al-Junayd of Baghdad (d. 910) is one of the most influential figures of early Sufism. He defined Sufism as a path bound to the Qur'an and the Sunna and in harmony with the sharia. Instead of sayings uttered in ecstasy (sukr) he emphasised sobriety (ṣaḥw). Many later orders trace their chains of transmission to him, and he is called "master of the group" (sayyid al-ṭāʾifa).
For specialists
For al-Junayd, tawḥīd is "separating the eternal from the originated". He treated fanāʾ (the servant passing away from their own existence) and baqāʾ (returning to subsist through God) so as to stress returning to society with a sober awareness. His views are known from letters to his students (Rasāʾil) and from reports in later sources. He is said to have been a teacher of al-Ḥallāj who disapproved of some of his conduct.
Claims
Positions
- The way of sobriety (ṣaḥw), al-Junayd
- Words spoken in ecstasy can mislead; the mature Sufi keeps reason and adherence to the sharia even in the divine presence.[1]
- The way of intoxication (sukr), attributed to Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī
- In the intensity of divine love the servant's self disappears; the words spoken in that state, which seem excessive from outside (shaṭaḥāt), express it.[1]
Connections
Sources
- EncyclopediaCüneyd-i Bağdâdî. TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisiislamansiklopedisi.org.trarchive
- Book (1962). The Life, Personality and Writings of al-Junayd. E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Series, Luzac, London
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). al-Junayd al-Baghdādī and "sober" Sufism. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/cuneyd/
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title = {al-Junayd al-Baghdādī and "sober" Sufism},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/cuneyd/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 28, 2026 · Last changed: September 28, 2026 · Page history