The Sufism of Iran: Regional Indigeneity and Islamic Mysticism

In a recent study of the Sufi heritage of Iran, I attempted to demonstrate the power of Sufi cultural capital to influence change and shape the religio-political climate of its region (Milani, 2013). I explain the often overlooked or difficult to perceive drive behind Sufi literature as evidence of political contestation within the Iranian social framework, and as an expression of Iranian indigeneity in particular. The present chapter takes a closer look at the correlations between Sufi cultural capital and Iranian indigeneity. In this work I do not argue for a Persian influence on Sufism, but rather aim to expose key Persian contributions to the evolution of Sufism. At the same time, this work does not search for the origins of Sufism, nor is it an attempt to determine that Persia was a foundation hub of Sufism. What this chapter does is note the effect of Persianate components during the development of the mystical tradition of Muslims in Iran, for one cannot downplay the Iranian contribution to the history of Islam, in particular, in the third century of Islamic civilisation and beyond. In this light, Iran has been vital to the formation of Islamic culture. As pointed out by Richard Bulliet, less attention is paid to the fact that the Abbasid period signals the beginning of a uniquely Iranian (Muslim) dynasty that follows the decline of the Arab in the Middle East (Bulliet, 1994: 37-39). Thus the case can be made that the Iranians played a significant rode in transforming Islam into a global faith. Also noteworthy is the extent to which the later development and maturation of the tradition of Islamic mysticism owes to the Iranian social and cultural milieu, and indeed, religious sensibility from its indigenous givens.