Acknowledgments
As I bring the writing of this book to a close, I reflect upon the numerous debts I have incurred along the way. This book is derived from the doctoral dissertation I completed at the Freie Universität Berlin, under the guidance of Ulrike Freitag. From our first meeting over coffee in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to our ongoing discussions of the chapters in Berlin, I have been fortunate to have had a dedicated mentor who generously shared her time, expertise, contacts, and profound knowledge of the histories and religious cultures of both the Hejaz and Hadramawt. She taught me how to critically examine my assumptions and discern meaningful details in research data. Her role as a supervisor has exceeded all expectations, and she has exemplified the qualities of a passionate educator and a collegial scholar. I am deeply grateful for everything she has provided.
I am profoundly indebted to Birgit Krawietz, whose guidance since the early stages of my doctoral studies has been invaluable. She emphasized the importance of engaging with pre-modern sources, which form the foundation of many of the polemical works analyzed in this study. The dissertation has greatly benefited from her meticulous comments on each chapter, as well as her insightful recommendations regarding literature and theoretical frameworks. I am equally grateful to Mark Sedgwick for his detailed feedback on both the conceptualization and interpretation of texts, and for sharing his extensive knowledge of the various manifestations of Sufism.
The Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies provided generous funding for my doctoral studies and offered the ideal environment for the completion of my dissertation. It also fostered a vibrant community of researchers, whose friendship, insights, and ideas have enriched my work. I am grateful to the School’s former Directors, Gudrun Krämer and Konrad Hirschler, former Managing Directors Bettina Gräf, and Lars Ostermeier, as well as to all the staff and students who have contributed tirelessly to the realization of the School’s vision.
Though I am unable to name all the individuals in Saudi Arabia whose generosity, hospitality, and patience have supported me throughout this project, I must express my profound gratitude for them. During my numerous visits to Mecca, Ḥabīb ʿUbaydullāh al-ʿAṭṭas demonstrated through his hospitality and grace a living representation of the highest ideals of the ʿAlawiyya order. His soothing presence is greatly missed. I am also thankful to Sayyid ʿAbdullāh Fadʿaq for allowing me to attend his learning circle and graciously sharing his views. I owe much to Sayyid Aḥmad and Sayyid ʿAlawī, the son and nephew of Muḥammad ʿAlawī al-Mālikī, for welcoming me into their gatherings and gifting me the books of Sayyid al-Mālikī. I am equally grateful to Ḥabīb Muḥammad al-Saqqāf, Ḥabīb ʿAdnān al-Ḥaddād, and Ḥabīb Fayṣal al-Kāf for granting me access to their ḥadīth, sīra, and fiqh classes. I am deeply thankful to Dr. ʿĀdil Abū al-ʿAlā and his family for their warmth and hospitality. Although my meeting with Shaykh Muḥammad al-ʿUmda occurred late in my time in Saudi Arabia, the time spent with him was invaluable. My brief but impactful encounter with Shaykh Muḥammad Saʿīd al-Kaḥīl (d. 2012), the late Imām of the Khālid b. Walīd Mosque in Ḥomṣ and shaykh of the Shādhilī order there, remains a blessed and enduring presence in my life. This encounter, like many others, was facilitated through the friendship of Sidi Malek Alloush, who is solely responsible for igniting my love of nashīd singing and so much more. I also owe much to Sayyid Ibrāhīm b. Sumayṭ, Sayyid Muḥammad al-Kāf, and Sayyid Aḥmad al-Kāf, whose invaluable insights, rare books, contacts, and friendship I deeply cherish.
While I did not recognize it at the time, this project began during my MA at New York University. Marion H. Katz introduced me to the field of academic Islamic Studies, and it was through her book on the mawlid that I first learned about Muḥammad ʿAlawī al-Mālikī. Michael Gilsenan introduced me to literature on the Bā ʿAlawīs and the study of genealogies. I am profoundly grateful to both of them for their guidance. In the summer of 2018, I had the privilege of attending the Üsküdar University’s Sufi Studies Program in Istanbul, where I benefited greatly from the teachings of distinguished scholars such as Carl Ernst, Sachiko Murata, William Chittick, and James Morris. I am immensely grateful to Cangüzel Zülfikar, a dear mentor, for her support during this experience.
A significant portion of the preparation for this book took place during a one-year fellowship at the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient in Berlin. The Contested Religions Unit at the center provided a valuable platform for engaging with my evolving thoughts on major paradigm shifts in modern Muslim thought. I am grateful to Abdoulaye Sounaye and all the members of the unit for their generous contributions to my work.
Further revisions of my dissertation occurred after I began working at the Center for Islamic Theology at Tübingen University. Had I met Ruggero Vimercati Sanseverino earlier, my approach to this project might have been very different. I owe him a profound debt for raising my awareness of the intrinsic relationship between Sufism and the Muslim tradition of prophethood. I am deeply grateful to the Center’s Director, Lejla Demiri, for her friendship and support. Parts of this book were presented in an earlier version at Prof. Demiri’s Senior Seminar, and I appreciate the valuable feedback from all the participants. Upon arriving in Tübingen, my wife Odeta and I were embraced with tremendous warmth and friendship by Amina Nawaz, Mujaddad Zaman, Erdal Toprakyaran, Claire Gallien, Hossam Ouf, Mahmoud Abdallah, Kübra Kisa, Zehra Gürler, Ertul Ortabas, Zeynep Taskiran, Lea Schlenker, Abdullah Rıdvan Gökbel, and Serkan Ince. For their friendship, we will always be grateful.
My friend Yusuf Lenfest first introduced me to the Sufi gatherings of Jeddah in 2014, and in many ways, he is the one responsible for my embarking on this project. His comments on the first draft of this text have greatly improved every aspect of it. The time we spent together in Jeddah remains one of the fondest memories of my time there. Isa Robert Martin became my companion in seeking out Sufi gatherings around the Hejaz, and I could not have asked for a better partner. It was only after I left Jeddah that I realized that he had been more than just a friend; he had been the ṣuḥba. At a time when I was far from my family, Reahan and Saima Raja, along with their children Hajar and Ibrahim, welcomed me as one of their own. For the countless days spent in their living room and the laughter around their dining table, I will always be grateful.
I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Omar Anchassi, who read an earlier version of the manuscript in its entirety. His suggestions have significantly enhanced the quality of the text. Jonathan Brown has been extremely generous in recommending important literature, and providing clarifications on various concepts that are central to the scholarship of some of the scholars discussed in this book. Rezart Beka has been an unfailing source of friendship and essential literature. Stephane Lacroix and Aaron Rock-Singer have shared their valuable friendship and deep knowledge of modern Islamic trends. I have been fortunate to engage with a number of brilliant scholars, and although we have not always agreed, I have always learned from them. My deepest gratitude goes to Usaama al-Azami, Walaa Quisay, Farah al-Sharif, and Yahya Birt.
No words can adequately express my gratitude to my parents, Perparim and Tatiana Sinani, whose love, sacrifice, and unwavering support have shaped my life. They represent the ideal to which I aspire. Among the divine gifts I have received, meeting my wife, Odeta, stands out as one of the greatest. I consider her not only my partner but also my friend, though I can never match her boundless generosity. She has always been there for me, even in my absence, and has done more than merely uphold the fort of our family; she has represented for us the very meaning of home and family. If there is any regret I feel about embarking on this project, it is the time I have spent away from our sons, Omar and Enes, who are the greatest joy of my life.