A Concise History of Sūfi Biographical Writing: The Pre-Sulami Period

Uyar M.

KOCATEPE ISLAMI ILIMLER DERGISI, cilt.8, sa.2, ss.314-327, 2025 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Sulami is the foremost figure that comes to mind when sufi biographical writing is considered, and in the following period, numerous sufi writers contributed extensively to this genre. However, activities such as collecting and documenting the stories and sayings of sufis began before his time. Therefore, identifying and outlining biographical writing activities before Sulami, even within a general framework, is essential for understanding the history of sufi thought. This study focuses on the period of sufi biographical writing prior to Sulami and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these early writing activities. In this context, the study consists of an introduction and three chapters. This first section examines the authors and works associated with early sufi biographies, and although these works have not survived to the present day, an effort has been made to determine their contents as far as possible. The second chapter discusses individuals who played a significant role in biographical writing but did not author independent works. Although these figures did not produce standalone texts, they were deeply engaged in biographical activities and became crucial sources for Sulami and other biographers. The final chapter examines the figures who were included in the study because they were contemporaries of Sulami. Since these figures passed away shortly before Sulami, they played an active role in the biographical writing process leading up to his era. At this stage, it can be emphasized as a significant finding that: Before Sulami, sufis made significant efforts in biographical writing and left an important pool of data for following figures. These data include not only life stories and birth-death dates but also valuable information concerning the theoretical aspects of sufism. These activities, which appear to be neglected today, deserve more comprehensive research. We hope that this study offers a new perspective for understanding the development of sufi intellectual history.