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The Complex Relationship between Sunni Scholars and Sufi Mystics in the Middle Ages A Case Study of al-‛Izz ibn ‛Abd al-Salām
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July 1, 2025
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January 8, 2026
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February 8, 2026
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Abstract

This article interrogates the intricate nexus between Sunni jurisprudence and Sufi mysticism during the Ayyubid and early Mamluk eras, utilizing the preeminent jurist al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām (d. 660 AH/1262 CE) as a focal point. The study addresses a core historiographical problem: the presence of discordant medieval narratives regarding al-ʿIzz’s formal affiliation with Sufi orders and his jurisprudential stance on Sufi praxis. To resolve this, the research pursues two pivotal questions: To what extent was al-ʿIzz genuinely integrated into Sufi circles, and how did his legal framework delineate the boundaries of permissible Sufi conduct and institutionalization? Employing a qualitative inductive methodology, the research systematically triangulates evidence from al-ʿIzz’s authenticated legal and ethical treatises (primary corpus) against diverse medieval biographical and hagiographical sources (secondary corpus/Ṭabaqāt). This analytical framework facilitates a critical distinction between established doctrinal positions and retroactive hagiographical attributions. The findings demonstrate that while al-ʿIzz maintained a profound intellectual rapport with orthodox Sufi luminaries—notably al-Shādhilī—and embraced the ethical-ascetic dimensions of Taṣawwuf, his verified writings articulate a rigorously selective endorsement. As a reformist jurist, he sanctioned Sufism only insofar as it remained tethered to Shari'ah-centric orthodoxy, while vehemently repudiating ritualistic innovations (Bidʿah) such as Samāʿ (ecstatic sessions). Consequently, the significance of this study lies in redefining al-ʿIzz not as a formal Sufi initiate, but as a paradigmatic “juristic gatekeeper.” These conclusions contribute to the broader discourse on medieval Islamic intellectual history by elucidating the mechanisms of scholarly policing of spiritual boundaries and the complexities of manuscript-based historical reconstruction.

Keywords

l-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām Ayyubid Intellectual History Juristic Gatekeeping Sharī'ah-Sufism Synthesis Sufism Sunnī Jurisprudence

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Abboud, S. (2026). The Complex Relationship between Sunni Scholars and Sufi Mystics in the Middle Ages: A Case Study of al-‛Izz ibn ‛Abd al-Salām. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 25(1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol25.iss1.art1
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