Studying Sufi Practices: A Textual Workbook on Dhikr, Muraqaba, and Heart-Centered Contemplation

Sufism is transmitted through texts, commentaries, and the living relationship between teacher and student. For the academic student or independent scholar, the primary access point is the written record — but Sufi texts require a particular kind of reading: attentive to both literal meaning and layered spiritual significance. This workbook builds the skills for that kind of engagement. By the end of this course you will be able to read Sufi primary texts with attention to both theological content and contemplative intent, identify the rhetorical and literary devices used in Sufi prose and poetry, apply structured analytical questions to passages from major Sufi authors, compare accounts of Dhikr and Muraqaba across different tariqat and time periods, and produce a written analysis that accurately represents Sufi concepts without distortion. What you will learn: - How to identify the theological presuppositions embedded in Sufi texts — what the author assumes the reader already knows - Close-reading technique applied to an excerpt from al-Ghazali's Ihya Ulum al-Din on the purification of the heart - How Rumi uses narrative, paradox, and imagery to convey states (ahwal) that resist propositional description - A comparative reading of Dhikr instructions from three different Sufi orders — analyzing differences in form, intention, and theological framing - Muraqaba practice as described in Naqshbandi and Shadhili sources: what the texts actually prescribe and how to read those prescriptions analytically - How Sufi ethical teaching (akhlaq) connects interior practice to outward conduct — a worksheet for mapping this relationship in selected texts - How to evaluate secondary scholarly literature on Sufism: identifying bias, reading across orientalist and indigenous scholarly perspectives - Writing about Sufi practice accurately and respectfully for a general academic audience Each workbook section includes a brief framing overview, one or two primary text excerpts with annotations, a structured set of analytical questions, a worked example response, and a self-assessment checklist. Templates for comparative analysis and written response are included. This course is scholarly and analytical in nature; it does not guide readers toward initiatory or devotional practice. This course is suitable for students of Islamic studies, religious studies, or comparative mysticism who want to engage more rigorously with Sufi primary sources. No prior Arabic is required — all texts are presented in translation with terminology notes. Suitable for those new to textual analysis of religious sources.