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(1145 or 46-1221) Persian poet, Sufi, theoretician of mysticism, and hagiographer, was born and died in Nīšāpūr. A version of this article is available in printVolume III, Fascicle 1, pp. 20-25 ʿAṬṬĀR, SHA…

(d. 290/903), Sufi born and active in Nīšāpūr.A version of this article is available in printVolume I, Fascicle 3, pp. 295 ABŪ ḤAMZA ḴORĀSĀNĪ, d. 290/903, Sufi born and active in Nīšāpūr; according to ʿAṭṭār he died there ( Taḏkera II, p. 97.6; Solamī, Ṭabaqāt, p. 326.3; Żabbī, Tārīḵ-e Nayšābūr, p. 150; Anṣārī, Ṭabaqāt…

Sufi shaikh, born in Termeḏ, lived and worked in Balḵ, d. 280/893.A version of this article is available in printVolume I, Fascicle 3, pp. 265-266 ABŪ BAKR AL- WARRĀQ, MOḤAMMAD B. ʿOMAR AL-ḤAKĪM, Sufi shaikh, born in Termeḏ, lived and worked in Balḵ, d. 280/893. The oldest sources (Solamī, Ṭabaqāt2, p. 221.4ff.; Anṣārī, Ṭabaqāt al-ṣūfīya, ed. Qandahārī, Kabul, 1340 Š./1960, p. 262) mention as his teachers the following: Aḥmad b. Ḵeżrōya of Balḵ (d. 240/854-55; see Qošayrī, Resāla, Cairo, 1359/1940, p. 24.8; Hoǰvīrī, Kašf al-m…

an eccentric religious devotee of Kūfa, who also lived for periods at Baghdad, late 2nd/8th to early 3rd/9th centuries. A version of this article is available in printVolume I, Fascicle 2, pp. 172-173 ʿABDAK AL- ṢŪFĪ, an eccentric religious devotee of Kūfa, who also lived for periods at Baghdad, late 2nd/8th to early 3rd/9th centuries. He and the “ʿAbdakites” who were named after him advanced the teaching that the acquisition and possession of worldly goods was permissib…

Sufi of Persian ʿErāq (d. 941-42).A version of this article is available in printVolume I, Fascicle 2, pp. 215-216 ABHARĪ, ABŪ BAKR ʿABDALLĀH B. ṬĀHER B. ḤĀTEM, Sufi of Persian ʿErāq (Solamī, Ṭabaqāt, p. 391.3) where he lived and apparently had received his Sufi training. He was born in Abhar and died in 330/941-42 (ibid., p. 391.9; Qošayrī, Resāla, p. 29.6). He is reckoned a disciple of Yūsof b. Ḥosayn of Ray and was a companion of Moẓaffar Qermīsīnī, a leading shaikh of Persian ʿErāq (Solamī, p. 396.2). Solamī also counts him among the aqrān (colleagues) of Šeblī; hence Abharī must hav…

[German Version] I. Terminology The term wealth belongs to the semantic field that includes kingdom, empire, violence, dominion, and glory. In that context it suggests first an abundance of earthly goods that brings power, then abundance or profusion of almost anything. A distinction must be made between an economic sense of wealth and a broader figurative sense. In its economic sense it means property, possessions, the sum of available goods and values (Value/Values) that substantially exceeds what is considered necessary to satisfy needs. In a broader sense it goes beyond economic needs, referring to treasures of the mind and spirit, of language, of human relationships, a contribution to and result of a life well lived. This broader sense of the term was already considered in antiquity by Aristotle, who reflected on wealth from the perspective of the question of the absolute end of human life. He identified it as a moral and rational life, successfully lived overall. Wealth is necessary for such a life, but it appears in two forms: one has to do with art of “housekeeping” (economics), the other with the art of money-making (chrematistics). Housekeeping involves what Aristotle calls “true wealth.” It finds its limit in the end of production, human individuals themselves. True wealth is quantitatively limited wealth. Ch…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. History I. Religious Studies In the history of civilization, music has played a role in many spheres. It accompanies work, provides entertainment, facilitates dancing (Dance), features in religious ceremonies and other forms of religious expression, and can be used for therapeutic purposes. Music for its own sake as an art form is a secondary development. Speech and song are not always clearly separate but depend on the language involved; production of words at various ¶ pitches and vocal registers can represent a form of music, so that music can arise from speech: recitation of sacral texts or prayers leads to cantillation and chant (Psalmody), used in worship without instrumental accompaniment (Choral/Chorale; recitation of the Qurʾān). Rhythm is also a characteristic feature, sometimes in the articulation of sounds, but also by means of other physical forms of expression (e.g. clapping, stamping) or the use of musical i…

[German Version] I. Concept Poverty is a major source of distress. It is a historical circumstance, not a natural condition. We speak of relative poverty when someone’s income is below the mean, absolute poverty when it is below subsistence level. From the perspective of the Bible and contemporary theology, poverty means deprivation but also marginalization, incapacitation, and disfranchisement. Wealth means affluence but also power, exploitation, and oppression (see III and V below). Poverty is a life and death matter. Elmar Klinger Bibliography …