ABSTRACT
The traditional theological education could, without doubt, be described as scholastic and sterile, but constructive criticism of this should, perhaps, rather come from the inside. The general tendency of Sunni ‘ulama in most parts of the Muslim world, through most of Islamic history, has been to endorse the regime in power. There is a strong dominance of Arabic in the syllabus of traditional theological education, including Arabic rhetoric, grammar and logic. The secularly educated elite of Afghanistan was less bound by religious conservatism than other groups of society. It dominated the literary culture and the upper strata of administration. Western scholarship has tended to distinguish between two forms of contemporary Sufism. Persian urban culture may be regarded as an age-old apparatus, not only for producing and enjoying literature but also for administration and execution of power and business. The classical Islamic mysticism has mainly been studied by specialists of religion and literature, i.e. so-called ‘high. religion and ‘high’ literature.
