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RELIGION, JUSTICE AND WOMEN; A SOCIAL MYSTICISM REVIEW OF JALALUDIN RUMI’S SUFISM AND MOSES DE LEON’S KABBALAH
Last modified: 2024-03-13
Abstract
Mysticism is often associated with supernatural experiences or events as personal experiences. In the tradition of some religions, mysticism becomes an experience where one meets God and achieves unity with Him. However, this understanding tends to be exclusive and places human life in two different worlds, worldly and mystical. Two major cultures from the Abrahamic tradition, Judaism and Islam, also have an understanding of mysticism. In Judaism, mysticism is found in Kabbalah, which represents the whole human activity that tries to penetrate human intimacy with God. Mysticism in Judaism is essentially inseparable from Zohar, a collection of comments on the five Books of Torah. Judaism and Torah are two entities that are inseparable from each other. The Jewish people live according to the Torah, which contains the historicity of mysticism in their world. In another tradition, Islam has a mystical concept through Sufism or tasawuf. Sufism teaches the purification of the soul, morals, and inner self. This spiritual-spiritual experience departs from the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah so that one gets closer to Allah. Mysticism does not stop at inner life, but becomes part of human social life. This study will highlight the social dimension that directly touches the understanding of justice, women, and the reality of community poverty. This research uses a literature research method to explore and compare mystical traditions in Jewish Kabbalah and Islamic Sufism. Through extensive and in-depth literature analysis, this research reveals similarities and differences in the way these two traditions understand and practice spirituality. Although there are differences in rituals and doctrines, there are many similarities in goals and ethical values in practical social relations emphasized by Kabbalah and Sufism.
Keywords
Social Mysticism, Kabbalah, Sufism, Women, Justice, Religion.