The Malāmatiyya (), or Malamatis, were an early Muslim organization and associated Islamic mystical movement active in 9th-century Greater Khorasan. The root word of their name is the Arabic word malāmah () "blame". The Malamatiyya believed in the value of self-blame, that piety should be a private matter and that being held in good esteem would lead to worldly attachment. They concealed their knowledge and made sure their faults would be known, reminding them of their imperfection. The Malamati is one for whom the doctrine of "spiritual states" is fraught with subtle deceptions of the most despicable kind; he despises personal piety, not because he is focused on the perceptions or reactions of people, but as a consistent involuntary witness of his own "pious hypocrisy".

"Malamati" can also refer to a method of teaching within Sufism based on taking blame.

Malamatiyyas and Sufis

According to scholar Sara Sviri, the Malamati originated in Nishapur in the 9th-10th centuries CE. Nishapur was one of the four main towns in Greater Khorasan and it was at the crossroads of two main routes. Some even claim that the Malamatiyyas are not only separate from Sufism, but also from Islam. Malamati critics say that the Malamatiyyas are not completely Muslim in "spirit or in theory".

According to As-Sulami

The Malāmatiyyah were first written about by Abū 'Abd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī (d. 1021) in the 11th century (4th–5th century AH). Al-Sulami was born in Nishapur in 937 to a prestigious family. His father was on good terms with the early Malāmatiyyah. When al-Sulamī was young, his father moved to Mecca and left al-Sulami under the care of his maternal grandfather. His grandfather, Abu 'Amr Isma'il b. Nujayd al-Sulamī (d. 971) was the spiritual heir to Abu Uthman al-Hiri (d.910), who is an important figure in the formation of the Malamatiyya.

Al-Sulamī wrote works in a variety of genre including hagiography, commentary on the Qur'an and mystical groups' ideology and customs. He is our chief source for information about the Malāmatiyyah. Al-Sulamī, as a Malamatid apologist, claims that the Malāmatiyyah are the most elite of the three groups of learned and pious men. The first group are those that study jurisprudence and are legal experts. The second group are people that whom God has given special knowledge. The third group, the most elite of all are the Malāmatiyyah, those "who are recipients of God's special favors". His work introduced the Malāmatiyyah as an Islamic mystical tradition and bolstered the reputation of Nishapuri teachers. Lastly, al-Sulamī defended the Malāmatiyyah from accusations of nonconformity.

Values and principles

All of the Malamati values and practices attempt to humiliate the nafs with every action so that they may work toward a spiritual transformation. The "path of blame" requires that an individual always claims blame and hold his or herself in contempt. In this way, their inner being is directed towards a connection with God, however the interior is kept secret by an exterior that is non-conformist or unruly. "They live on two planes, a double life". According to the Malamati, this saint was virtuous in his unlawfulness.

Outwardly, the Malamatiyya have no distinguishing marks.</blockquote> Shah states that Dhul-Nun al-Misri the Egyptian was the earliest exponent of malamati.

See also

  • Blame
  • Sufism
  • Futuwwa

References

FOR FURTHER READING

  • Chopra, R. M., "SUFISM" (Origin, Growth, Eclipse, Resurgence), 2016, Anuradha Prakashan, New Delhi, .