A Neglected Ottoman Sufi Treatise from 16th century: Mawāhib al-Raģman fī bayān Marātib al-Akwān by Ibrāhīm al-Qirīmī

Abstract

The article surveys the contents of the neglected Sufi treatise “The Gifts of the Merciful in Interpreting the Cosmic Order” from the 16th century, written by the Crimean scholar Ibrāhīm al-Qirīmī (d. 1593). It seems that his mystical heritage is an important contribution to the general development of the Halveti Sufi brotherhood. The study covers al-Qirīmī’ biography, formal descriptions of the manuscript, and its main topics. It is argued that al-Qirīmī outlined his vision of the Halveti doctrine of “ascent” (‘urūj) and “descent” (nuzūl), re-interpreting Halveti authorities of the past. It is also shown in the study that the author of the treatise compared his spiritual visions to current historical events, describing them in accordance with the patterns of cyclism. In this context, further studies of Ottoman Halveti thought may lead to  a more comprehensive picture of 16th-century Ottoman Sufism.