Dr. Nahid Angha
on The Muslim World: A Sufi Perspective
Dr. Nahid Angha is recognized as a leader in the modern Sufi movement, one of the first modern women to gain that stature. She is the daughter of Moulana Shah Maghsoud, a revered Sufi scholar and poet of one of the most influential Persian branches of the tradition. She is co-founder and head of the International Association of Sufism and also heads, in that connection, the Sufi Women Organization. Nahid is a veteran of the global interreligious movement and a champion of the rights of women in Islam and around the world. She is the author of many books, including White Fire: A Portrait of Women Spiritual Leaders in America and Women in Sufism: A Hidden Treasure.
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Theme: The Muslim World: A Sufi Perspective
Sufism is the mystical tradition of Islam. While it has influenced every Muslim culture since its rise in not long after the time of Muhammad (7th century CE), Sufism has had a particularly rich connection to Persian literature and culture. Jalaluddin Rumi, the great 13th-century Sufi poet, is widely regarded as a master of Persian literature and as one of the greatest spiritual teachers of all time. It is often suggested that one of the most important tensions in the Muslim world exists between the spiritual path of the Sufis and the rigid orthodoxy of the legal scholars. The countless Sufi orders have exerted a powerful influence over the development of Islam.
Further Reading:
Nahid Angha’s bio
Excerpt of video interview with Nahid Angha on Sufism and enlightenment