ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the ninth-century mystical centre of Nīshāpūr and explores the teachings and practices concerning ‘blame’ (malāma) that had been developed there. Blaming the self (malāmat al-nafs) had been taught as a practice of constantly observing the cunning activities of the ‘self’, being vigilant of the self’s innate controlling and enticing nature. Among other sources, special attention is given to al-Sulamī’s “Epistle on the Malāmatiyya”, highlighting al-Sulamī’s special position as an offspring of one of the malāmatī families. The extant correspondence between al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī and two malāmatī figures is also explored. Bearing in mind that al-Tirmidhī, like the malāmatīs, emphasized the need to observe and train the self, it is intriguing to note his implied critique of the malāmatīs and his alternative instruction. The existence of disparate mystical schools and didactic approaches at this early phase thus comes to the fore.
