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Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism
Alexander Knysh

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2017. 392 pages.

Alexander Knysh’s Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism provides a 
thorough understanding of Sufism. His detailed chapters break down the 
different elements of Sufism, from how the term and practice emerged to 
the specific traditions carried out by Sufis.

The first chapter, “How and Why Sufism Came to Be,” contrasts Sufi 
Muslims who believe they are supposed to live a frugal lifestyle with other 
Muslims who believe they should enjoy all they have in life while remaining 
pious. Kynsh focuses heavily on American scholar Marshall Hodgson and 
his argument of “temperament”, and Russian Ukrainian scholar Agafangel 
Krymskii and his contention that the Sufi sect is a result of socio-economic 
conditions. Hodgson claims that Sufism was developed in order that people 
practice the piety which complements their temperament. Krymskii claims 
that an ascetic-mystical Sufism helped underprivileged people cope with 
the historical conditions of the Arab conquests.

Kynsh then considers the various definitions of Sufism in the chapter, 
“What’s in a Name?” Sufis in Iran experience hostility from Shiites because 
of the latter’s belief that Sufism is related to Sunnism. Meanwhile, Western 
perceptions of Sufism are of a sophisticated and enchanting sect of Islam. 

Book Reviews



112 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 35:2

This description creates an allure but “up-close-and-personal observation, 
if conducted in a noncommittal and unprejudiced manner, often results in 
stripping Sufism of its aura of mystery and exoticism” (40). 

Kynsh then explains Sufi practices and rules (“discourse”). Texts from 
the Qur’an and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad are interpreted to 
yield Sufi beliefs and cosmology. The Qur’an is considered the “heart” of 
this mystical world’s values, traditions, and discourses.

The fourth chapter, “Sufism in Comparison,” builds on the previous 
discussion. One of the many examples of Sufism’s similarity to other re-
ligions lies in the shared idea that every “human individual is but a mi-
crocosm, a universe in miniature” (125). Kynsh explains that many Jews, 
Christians, and Muslims found the ideas of Plato and Plotinus to resonate 
with their beliefs.

Kynsh describes Sufism as having two main categories: how one should 
behave towards God, and how one should deal with people (whether Mus-
lim or otherwise). Sufi teachers stress a need for the components of the re-
ligion to be internalized before one can project unity between external and 
internal attitudes. Sufi masters trained students who then spread these ideas 
and beliefs to others in their own villages. Kynsh discusses the formation of 
sufi authority through the notion of shaykhs and awliyā’ (Sufi masters and 
saints).

The sixth and final chapter focuses on Sufism in the modern era. He 
considers ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi, who permitted both men and women 
to participate in entertainment activities that would otherwise seem to con-
travene traditional Islamic norms. Kynsh explains a conflict between the 
more modern Sufism and traditional Islam through the case of tensions in 
the Northern Caucasus (where critics of Sufism deem it to contravene tra-
ditional Islamic practices and values) and South Yemen (a wartorn region 
where radical ideas lead people away from Sufism, toward Salafism).

Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism provides the reader with a 
comprehensive understanding of Sufism through a helpful historical per-
spective. Kynsh presents topics in a detailed, sometimes technical manner, 
while maintaining clarity for the reader. The book would be recommended 
for students with a specific interest in Islam and a focus on Sufism.

Logan Welch
Allegheny College