The Concept of “Mother”in Sūfī Literature and Mothers as Guide: From Biological Mothers to the Divine Ones

Abstract

In Sūfī literature, there are many terms that include the word “mother/al-umm”. As limited to the subject of “spiritual guidance in Sufism in general and the guidance of the mother in particular” –without diving into other material about the concept of “mother” in Sūfī literature–, this article deals with the following main ideas: In the history of Sufism, there were examplary mothers such as Ibn Khafīf’s mother Umm Muḥammad; Ibn al-ʻArabī’s turābī (biological) mother Nūr, Ibn al-‘Arabī’s divine mother Fāṭima Bintu Ibnu’l-Muthennā and Kenan Rifāī’s mother Hatice Cenân Vâlide Sultân, who were described as “guides” in the literal sense. It is a remarkable detail that of these, Ibn Khafīf’s is known as al-Shayh al-Kabīr and Ibn al-Arabī is known as al-Shayh al-Akbar. That is to say that the leading figures of Sufism were brought up under the surveillance of their mothers. In addition to these mothers, all turābī mothers are the most worthy of the quality of being a guide (Murshid) having a major role in upbringing of her child, which begins before she/he is born. Besides, the mother is very sincere in all of her efforts to educate her child, not having any other intention than desiring happiness for him/her in this world and the hereafter. Thus, the hazards that al-Muḥāsibī warned about (i.e., slackness in respecting the rights of Allah while teaching/guiding others, falling into hypocrisy, and neglect to take his own lower-soul into account) do not pose a problem in mother’s education of her child.

Keywords

• guidance
• al-ḥārith al-muḥāsibī
• mother
• divine mother
• abū abdillah ibn khafīf
• ummu muḥammad
• muḥyī al-dīn ibn al-ʻarabī
• mother nūr
• fāṭıma bint ibn al-muthannā
• hatice cenân vâlide sultân