الرحلةThe Journey

شهاب الدين عمر السهروردي

'Umar al-Suhrawardi (RH)

Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi

539–632 AH · 1145–1234 CE

Sufism & Theology Shafi'i Sufism

Shaykh of the Sufis of Baghdad and author of 'Awarif al-Ma'arif.

'Umar al-Suhrawardi studied with his uncle Abu al-Najib al-Suhrawardi and also met 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. The Abbasid caliph al-Nasir appointed him head of the Sufi lodges of Baghdad and sent him on diplomatic missions.

His 'Awarif al-Ma'arif became one of the standard manuals of Sufi practice and was widely read in India. The Suhrawardiyyah order spread to South Asia through his students. He is different from the philosopher Shihab al-Din Yahya al-Suhrawardi.

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Life journey

  1. 1145 CE Suhraward سهرورد
  2. 1160 CE Baghdad بغداد
    Died 1234 CE · 632 AH
    Came to Baghdad as a youth; the year is approximate.

Key works

  • 'Awarif al-Ma'arif عوارف المعارف
    Gifts of Divine Knowledge
    A standard manual of Sufi practice.

Places in their life

al-Mustansiriyyah, an Abbasid college of 1233, Baghdad
al-Mustansiriyyah, an Abbasid college of 1233, Baghdad
Photo: Taisir Mahdi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-A'yan
  • al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.