۞
Sahl al-Tustarî
Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allâh al-Tustarî
818 – 896 · Tustar (Perse)
Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allâh al-Tustarî, né en 818 à Tustar, dans l'actuelle province iranienne du Khûzestân, est l'une des grandes figures fondatrices du soufisme primitif. Il appartient à la génération qui, au IIIᵉ siècle de l'hégire, commence à formuler explicitement la voie spirituelle de l'Islam.
Son enseignement a marqué le maître syrien Junayd et, à travers lui, toute la tradition de Bagdad. On lui prête une jeunesse d'ascèse extrême — jeûnes prolongés, longues veilles, retraites au désert — et une science du Coran venue de la méditation plus que des livres : il aurait, dit-on, mémorisé le Texte et reçu, dans la pratique du dhikr et de la concentration intime, le sens caché de ses lettres.
Son ouvrage principal, le Tafsîr al-Tustarî, est le tout premier commentaire ésotérique systématique du Coran. Il y déploie l'idée qu'à chaque verset correspond une face extérieure (ẓâhir) et une face intérieure (bâṭin), et que la vie spirituelle consiste à passer de l'une à l'autre.
Mort en 896 à Bassora, où il s'était retiré, Tustarî reste pour la tradition la source de l'exégèse mystique. Son influence court à travers tout le soufisme oriental, jusqu'à Ibn ʿArabî qui le cite avec déférence et lui doit beaucoup de sa terminologie.
Œuvres
- Tafsîr al-Tustarî — Commentaire ésotérique du Coran
Quelques extraits
« his [lower] self in the earth the higher will his heart soar heavenwards. Furthermore, if he [completely] buries his lower self beneath the earth his heart will reach the Throne. He also said about Kahmasthat he used to… »
« al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought and Fons Vitae, 2008. Washāʾ, Abū Ṭayyib Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Yaḥyā al-. Ẓarf al-ẓurafāʾ, ed. Fahmī Saʿd. Beirut, 1985. Zabīdī, al-Murtaḍā al-. Itḥāf al-sādat al-muttaqīn bi-sharḥ as… »
« 4 Again, it should be borne in mind that ṣabr also has the meaning of being ‘steadfast’ or ‘staunch’ as well as ‘patient’. 5 The section in brackets has been added on the basis of all three MSS: Z515, f. 139b, F638, f. 6… »
« Muzayyin al-, xx Tirmidhī, Ḥakīm al-, xxxviii n149 Transoxiana, 61n6 Tustar, xv, xvi, xix and n41, l n215 Tustarī, Sahl b. ʿAbd Allāh, lviii, 72, 88, 90, 104, 109, 121, 129, 132, 140, 188, 221, 237, 251 approach to Qurʾā… »
« as an infant. 5 Ibn Māja, Sunan, ‘Bāb al-barāʾa min al-kibr’; Abū Dāwud, Sunan, ‘Bāb mā jāʾa fī’l-kibr’; Ibn Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 248, 376, 414, 427 and 442. Tafsīr al-Tustarī 120 His words: [19:52] …And brough… »
« source of the Tafsīr, Abū Bakr al-Sijzī. However, if the poem was by some other anonymous author, then the commentary might be by Tustarī. 104 i.e. the visitation of God, His Throne. The ‘Laudable or Praiseworthy Station… »
« Jāmiʿ al-bayān, and this is how Tustarī has understood it here. According to Qushayrī (Laṭāʾif, vol. 3, p. 173), amāna is upholding what is obligatory according to the principles (uṣūl) and applications (furūʿ) [of fiqh]… »
« That is, they [emit] sounds,23 and they are of stone and iron. His words Mighty and Majestic is He: [4:121] …And will find no refuge from it. That is, no way out. His words: [4:139] …Do they desire power with them?... Th… »
« The whole of this speech is a form of allusion (taʿrīḍ) for the benefit of his people when their hearts are in a state of bewilderment, for he [Abraham] had already been granted right guidance (rushd) before [21:51], jus… »
« itself (tark), that is for the sinner who recognises his sin. Being forsaken (khidhlān), however, is for the one who sins while believing that he is doing something good. This is God’s punishment it was pointed out to hi… »
« 31 cutting them both off,97 save the protection of the All-Merciful. He [Sahl] then recited a poem [in wāfir metre]: The abundant sufficiency98 of direct encounter [with God] [attained] through my good opinion of Him99 I… »
« ingly circumambulate the House [Kaʿba] morning and night in diverse forms. Truly, there are many ⸢great⸣ wonders here.12 If I related all I have seen, the hearts of people who do not believe would be too weak [to accept… »