ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the historical roots of one of the most visible theological debates playing out in the contemporary world. It also explores the philosophical and metaphysical discourses underlying diverse views of women and the feminine in Islam. The book provides diverse examples of female Sufi personalities, from classical through to colonial periods, considering the ways in which their legacies inform contemporary Sufi practice and thought. It also provides global proliferation of Wahhabi thought and activism in the 20th century. The book describes contemporary female Sufi leaders’ definitions of Sufism, their understandings of the teacher–student relationship as connected to their own unique experiences of training within particular orders, and their personal reflections on their responsibilities as female leaders of Sufi orders in contemporary contexts.
