I'm working a text titled _Alhazret in Cultural Context_ which explorea various literary and cultural influences on the writings of Abd Alhazret (عبد الحضرت Slave of the Presence) also widely known as the Mad Poet (شاعر مجنون). In particular it explores the currents of mystical and magical thought in the Near East during the 8th century .
Pre-Islamic Arab mythology, Early Sufism, Greco-Egyptian magic, Gnosticism, Mesopotamian myth, and fantastical reports from Central Asia were all "in the air" during the Banu Umayyah. The text explores how these impacted Alhazret's thought as reflected in his magnum opus _العزيف_.
This blog will be a place where I post small excerpts of the text (on different topics) as my work proceeds.
Monday, November 30, 2009
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