| Muslim scholar | |
|---|---|
 Ivan Aguéli in Cairo. Scholars in Islamic studies are both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who work in one or more fields of Islamic studies. | |
| Name: | Ivan Aguéli ('Abd al-Hadi Aqhili) |
| Title: | Sheikh, "Muqaddim of Europe" |
| Birth: | May 24, 1869 Sala, Västmanland, Sweden |
| Death: | October 1, 1917 (aged 48) L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain |
| Ethnicity: | Swedish |
| Region: | Europe, Egypt |
| Maddhab: | Maliki |
| School tradition: | Shadhili, Malamatiyya |
| Main interests: | Sufism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Comparative religion, Animal rights, Anarchism |
| Notable ideas: | Non-syncretic metaphysical comparative analysis of orthodox religious esotericisms, the core of the traditionalist method. Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Cheikh, Shaikh, and other variants ( Arabic:, shaykh Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Sala is a town (pop 12000 in Västmanland, Sweden and the seat of Sala Municipality, Västmanland County. is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year L'Hospitalet de Llobregat or L'Hospitalet is a city to the immediate southwest of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and the second largest in Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Maliki Madhhab ( Arabic مالكي) is one of the four schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam The Tariqa ash Shadhiliyya is a Sufi order founded by Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili. The Malāmiyya (ملاميه are a category of persons who in the mystical branch of Islam, sometimes known as Sufism, represent according to prominent Sufis like Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفیگری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Impressionism was a 19th-century Art movement that began as a loose association of Paris -based Artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. Comparative religion is a field of Religious study that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes myths rituals and concepts among the world's religions "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i The Traditionalist School of thought also known as Integral Traditionalism (in the sense of Integralism) or Perennialism (in the sense of Perennial |
| Works: | Écrits pour La Gnose (French) |
| Influences: | Emanuel Swedenborg, Ibn Arabi |
| Influenced: | René Guénon |
Ivan Aguéli (born John Gustaf Agelii) (May 24, 1869 - October 1, 1917) also named Sheikh 'Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (Arabic: شيخ عبد الهادی عقیلی) upon his acceptance of Islam, was a Swedish-born wandering Sufi, painter and author. (born Emanuel Swedberg; February 8 1688–March 29 1772 was a Swedish Scientist, Philosopher, Christian mystic, and Theologian TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ibn Arabi (ابن عربي ( July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an René Guénon ( November 15 1886 – January 7 1951) was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفیگری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف As a devotee of Ibn Arabi, his metaphysics applied to the study of Islamic esoterism and its similarities with other esoteric traditions of the world. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ibn Arabi (ابن عربي ( July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an He was the initiator of René Guénon into Sufism[1] and founder of the Parisian Al Akbariyya society. René Guénon ( November 15 1886 – January 7 1951) was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفیگری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Al Akbariyya was a secret Sufi society founded in Paris in 1911 by the wandering Swedish Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aguéli. His art was a unique form of miniature Post-Impressionism where he used the blend of colours to create a sense of depth and distance. Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and Art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. His unique style of art made him one of the founders of the Swedish contemporary art movement.
Childhood and Youth
Ivan Aguéli was born John Gustaf Agelii in the small Swedish town of Sala in 1869, the son of veterinarian Johan Gabriel Agelii. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Sala is a town (pop 12000 in Västmanland, Sweden and the seat of Sala Municipality, Västmanland County. Veterinary medicine the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife Between the years 1879-1889 he conducted his studies in Gotland and Stockholm. is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Early on in his youth he began showing an exceptional artistic talent and a keen interest in religious mysticism. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity
In 1890 he adopted the name Ivan Aguéli, possibly under the influence of the writings of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and August Strindberg. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky, Dostoievsky, ( January 22, 1849 &ndash May 14, 1912) was a Swedish Writer, Playwright, and painter. The same year he travelled to Paris where he became the student of the Symbolist painter Émile Bernard, who was a close friend of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. not to be confused with the French painter and architect Émile Bénard, 1844-1929 Émile Bernard ( April 28, 1868 &ndash Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903 was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. Before returning to Sweden in 1890 he made a detour to London, where he met the Russian anarchist scholar Prince Kropotkin. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i [2]
Attending art school in Stockholm, he was taught by the Swedish artists Anders Zorn and Richard Bergh. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Anders Leonard Zorn ( February 18, 1860 – August 22, 1920) was a Swedish painter sculptor and Printmaker in Etching
Ibn Arabi and the Holy Koran
Records kept at the Royal Library in Stockholm indicate that he first borrowed a Swedish translation of the Holy Koran on 11 March 1892. The National Library of Sweden Sweden has had a legal deposit law since 1661 and the National Library has been collecting and preserving everything printed in ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran [3] Not only did he start reading about Islam, but Aguéli also began openly displaying Oriental character traits. At one famous occasion when visiting the exclusive café Du Nord in Stockholm he persuaded all his friends to settle down on the floor, to the great surprise of the waiters. [4]
By the end of 1892 he left Stockholm to return to Paris where he was drawn into the city's political turmoil.
Paris and Anarchism
| “ | I had read his books before I knew Arabic, I had seen his face before I knew his name. . . — Abd al-Hadi on Ibn Arabi | ” |
It was in Paris sometime in 1893 that Aguéli was visited in a dream by the great Sufi Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, who invited him to Islam and Sufism. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ibn Arabi (ابن عربي ( July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ibn Arabi (ابن عربي ( July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفیگری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف [5]
During this period he was also active in French anarchist circles. Anarchism in France dates from the 18th century Many Anarchists such as the Egalitarians took part in the French Revolution. In 1894 he was arrested for association with French anarchists such as Maximilien Luce and Félix Fénéon and although acquitted in the famous "Trial of the thirty", he spent 4 months in detention at the Mazas prison. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Maximilien Luce ( March 13, 1858 February 6, 1941) was a French artist associated with Neo Impressionism. Félix Fénéon (1861 - 1944 was a French Anarchist and Art critic in Paris during the late 1800s The Trial of the Thirty (French Procès des trente) was a Show trial in 1894 in Paris, France, aimed at legitimizing the Lois scélérates The Mazas Prison (French Prison de Mazas) was a Prison in Paris, France. [6] During his detention, Aguéli used his time to study the Koran and Oriental languages. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran There is a wide variety of Languages spoken throughout Asia, comprising a number of families and some unrelated isolates
Within months of his release in 1895 he left France for Egypt, where he lived until he returned to Paris in 1896. [7] It was later on in Paris, between 1898 and 1899, that Aguéli finally converted to Islam and adopted the name 'Abd al-Hadi (meaning the servant of the Guide). For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation.
Sri Lanka
In 1899 he moved to Colombo (in today's Sri Lanka) where he settled down in its Malay community and enrolled at a local Islamic school "in order to study the influence of Islam on other nations than the Arab. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island . . "[8] However, due to monetary difficulties, Aguéli was forced to return to Paris in 1900. [9]
Sufism
| “ | Amongst the Truths of our religion [Islam] is that the world is as Allah has wished it to be. Hence you should only demand perfection of yourself. . . — Abd al-Hadi | ” |
In 1902 Aguéli moved to Cairo and became one of the first Western Europeans to be officially enrolled at Al-Azhar University, where he studied Arabic and Islamic philosophy. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Al-Azhar University (pronounced "az-HAR" الأزهر الشريف, "the Noble Azhar" in Egypt, founded in 975 is the chief centre of Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between Philosophy ( Reason) and the religious teachings [10] Living a life in utmost poverty, adopting Arab dress and learning perfect Arabic, Aguéli soon won many friends among the Egyptians.
In 1902 he was also initiated into the al-'Arabiyya Shadhiliyya Sufi order by the great Egyptian Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman Ilaysh al-Kabir (1840-1921). The Tariqa ash Shadhiliyya is a Sufi order founded by Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili. [11] Considered one of the greatest Sufi masters in Cairo, Shaykh Ilaysh had become a close friend of the Algerian Sufi Emir Abd al-Qadir during an exile to Damascus at the end of the 19th Century. `Abd al-Qādir al-Jazā'irī ( 6 September, 1808 - 26 May, 1883, in Arabic عبد القادر الجزائري was an [12]
Throughout his life, Aguéli was also drawn to the Malamatiyya Sufi order, which by many historians is deemed to explain his sometimes bizarre and highly unconventional behaviour, such as the Deuil incident related below. The Malāmiyya (ملاميه are a category of persons who in the mystical branch of Islam, sometimes known as Sufism, represent according to prominent Sufis like Deuil-la-Barre is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France.
Shaykh Ilaysh also gave Aguéli the title Muqaddim of Europe. This title would be of utmost importance during his future travels. [13]
Il Convito
With the blessing of Shaykh Ilaysh, Aguéli and an Italian journalist and fellow-convert named Enrico Insabato (1878-1963) founded and contributed to an Italian magazine published in Cairo (1904-1913) named Il Convito (Arabic: An-Nadi). Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest To avoid writing in the colonial languages French and English, the magazine was written in Italian. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. [14]
The aim of this publication was to help bridge the cultural gap between Christian Europe and the Islamic world. The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings Aguéli and Insabato, acting on the instructions of Shaykh Ilaysh, wished to counter British and French influence in the Islamic world by gaining Italian support and simultaneously promote the Sufism of Ibn Arabi in Europe. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ibn Arabi (ابن عربي ( July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an [15]
The greatest achievement of their efforts for an Italian-Islamic dialogue was when Shaykh Ilaysh, in order to spite the British, dedicated a large mosque in Cairo to the memory of the Italian King Umberto I in 1906. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Umberto I King of Italy or Humbert I of Italy ( Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoy) English
The political agenda of the magazine, its pro-Sufi stance and opposition to the British rule of Egypt meant that it was branded as anti-colonial and subsequently closed down by the British administration in 1913. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.
First World War and Spain
Aguéli's opinions were clearly against the British colonial administration and thus Lord Cromer, the British Consul-General of Egypt, came to suspect that he was an Ottoman spy and expelled him to Spain in 1916. The title of Earl of Cromer was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1901 for Evelyn Baring 1st Viscount Cromer, the long-time British Consul-General in The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Stranded in Spain, Aguéli lacked the funds to continue back to Sweden.
| “ | Admit, that a landscape can reflect a spiritual state . . . Religion is decisive for the sun in the landscape of my within. See, that is why I love monotheism and the Arabian spirit — Abd al-Hadi | ” |
Aguéli sent numerous letters to friends back in Sweden pleading for money. However, his conversion to Islam and his constant poverty had made most of his Swedish friends distance themselves from him, and noone came to his aid. Finally, on October 3, 1917 his friend and patron Prince Eugén Bernadotte of Sweden sent a cheque of 1,000 Spanish pesetas to the Swedish consulate in order to help him back, but it was too late. Ancestry The peseta ( ISO 4217 code ESP standard abbreviation Pta Pts or Ptas In the early morning hours of October 1, 1917 Aguéli had tragically been killed by a train at a rail crossing in the village of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat outside Barcelona. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat or L'Hospitalet is a city to the immediate southwest of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and the second largest in Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia [16]
Upon learning of Aguéli's death, Prince Eugén ordered the cheque to be given to his impoverished mother, who had spent all her savings supporting her son. The Prince also commanded the Foreign Ministry to under his personal supervision repatriate and preserve all of Aguéli's belongings left behind in Barcelona, Cairo and Paris. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Utrikesdepartementet is responsible for Swedish foreign policy These belongings were then passed on for safekeeping at the archives of the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Nationalmuseum ( Swedish: "National Museum" is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm [17]
| “ | One can never be precise enough, simple enough, deep enough — Abd al-Hadi | ” |
At an exhibition in 1920 nearly 200 of Aguéli's recovered paintings were put on display at Prince Eugén's residence at Waldemarsudde. Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde ( Swedish: "Cape of Waldemar" the scenic former home of the Swedish Prince Eugen, is a Museum located on After the Prince and his nephew Crown Prince Gustav Adolf Bernadotte (future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden) had purchased their favourites, the rest were sold to a fascinated audience. [18]
Aguéli, René Guénon and the Al Akbariyya
René Guénon and Aguéli began their friendship in 1910 while Guénon was the editor of La Gnose, an esoteric magazine in Paris. René Guénon ( November 15 1886 – January 7 1951) was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the [19] It was while writing numerous articles on metaphysics, Sufism and Taoism that Aguéli seems to have awakened Guénon’s interest in Islam. As a Moqaddim of the Shadhiliyya order and Shaykh Ilaysh’s personal representative in Europe Aguéli founded the secret Sufi Al Akbariyya society and then proceeded to initiate Guénon into Sufi Islam somtime between 1911-1912. Al Akbariyya was a secret Sufi society founded in Paris in 1911 by the wandering Swedish Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aguéli. [20]
| “ | Abdul Hadi, as Aguéli was known in the Islamic world and later in Europe, must be given his due as a pioneer in the serious introduction of Sufism to the West — Seyyed Hossein Nasr | ” |
It is believed that the Al Akbariyya society founded by Aguéli remained highly secretive. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Seyyed Hossein Nasr ( Persian سید حسین نصر) an Iranian Al Akbariyya was a secret Sufi society founded in Paris in 1911 by the wandering Swedish Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aguéli. Guénon was not openly Muslim until 1930 when he moved to Cairo, following in Aguéli's footsteps.
It is also worth noting that Guénon's book, Orient et Occident (1924) deals extensively with the metaphysical similarities between Taoism and Sufism which was the subject Aguéli had already touched upon in La Gnose as early as in January 1911 in an article named Pages dedicated to Mercury, which subsuquently became his most famous article. [21] Subsequently, many scholars have chosen to follow Aguéli's lead, such as Toshihiko Izutsu’s Sufism and Taoism (published in 1984). Toshihiko Izutsu (井筒俊彦 4 May 1914 &ndash 1 July 1993) was a university professor and author of many books on Islam and other
Aguéli and Swedenborg
As a teenager in Stockholm, Aguéli was introduced to the teachings of the 18th century Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg. (born Emanuel Swedberg; February 8 1688–March 29 1772 was a Swedish Scientist, Philosopher, Christian mystic, and Theologian [22] The metaphysical teachings of Swedenborg and his unitarian approach to the Christian concept of divinity made a lasting impression on Aguéli and prepared him for his conversion to Islam later on.
It appears that although Aguéli was the first one to explore similarities between Sufi and Swedenborgian metaphysics, this was much later extensively written about by Henry Corbin in his book Swedenborg and Esoteric Islam (published in 1995). Henry Corbin ( 14 April 1903 - October 7, 1978 was a Philosopher, Theologian and professor of Islamic Studies at
Aguéli the Activist: Animal Rights and Feminism
As the son of a veterinarian, Aguéli had a very profound love for animals and he also participated in active protests.
In one famous incident in year 1900, outside a bull-fighting arena in the Parisian suburb of of Deuil, he shot and wounded a Spanish matador with a revolver. Bullfighting or Tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία - tauromachia, "bull-fight" is a traditional spectacle of Spain Deuil-la-Barre is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. "Matador" redirects here For other uses see Matador (disambiguation. During the trial he vehemently defended his rights and refused to apologise. Rallying the entire French animal-rights movement he was only given a suspended sentence. [23]
While living in Cairo and in Colombo, Aguéli was known for taking care of many stray street cats. One of his favourite cats was a one-eyed, Sri Lankese street-cat he picked up in Colombo called "Mabruka" which he also took with him on his travels.
During his lifetime he also developed a close friendship with the equally eccentric French poet and animal-rights activist Marie Huot (1846 - 1930). Marie Huot (1846-1930 French poet writer feminist and animal rights activist
Aguéli was also outspoken on the issue of women's rights. In a letter to Marie Huot, he even states that Ibn Arabi and Sufism in many ways promote feminism, because of the existence of female Sufi saints. Marie Huot (1846-1930 French poet writer feminist and animal rights activist Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate In one of his letters he also calls the Swedish writer August Strindberg "an idiot" for claiming that women are inferior to men. ( January 22, 1849 &ndash May 14, 1912) was a Swedish Writer, Playwright, and painter.
Aguéli and Art
| “ | My art will one day explain the eccentricities of my life. . . — Abd al-Hadi | ” |
In 1912, while living in Paris, Aguéli began writing articles on art theory and contemporary art. One of his most exceptional pieces is an article, published in Paris, which deals with the Cubism of Pablo Picasso. Cubism was a 20th century Avant-garde Art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 [24] The article awakened the interest of the famous Parisian art critic Guillaume Appollinaire, who attempted in vain to get Aguéli to cooperate with him in a series of art publications. Guillaume Apollinaire (in French ɡijom apɔliˈnɛʁ ( August 26, 1880 &ndash November 9, 1918) was a French Poet [25]
| “ | Simplicity is not only the principle of all art, but of all spiritual activity whatsoever — Abd al-Hadi | ” |
Later, Aguéli would also attempt to arrange for his patron Prince Eugéne to meet Picasso and Matisse. Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship [26]
There are many accounts of Aguéli's enigmatic and bohemian life. Bohemians are the people of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, inhabitants of the former Kingdom of Bohemia located in the modern day Czech Republic
An eyewitness account from a visit by Aguéli to the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland sometime between 1909-1910 reads as follows:
". is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. . . then there was a peculiar appearance in the street. A man with a dark beard and dark clothes, dark-blue velvet trousers, a red belt of silk carrying a dagger, a white shirt and on the head a fez, walking with a slight limp. The clothes were worn-out and dusty. . . "[27]
Aguéli's Heritage
| “ | A man with a dark beard and dark clothes, dark-blue velvet trousers, a red belt of silk carrying a dagger, a white shirt and on the head a fez, walking with a slight limp. The clothes were worn-out and dusty — Eyewitness from Gotland | ” |
In Sweden, Aguéli is admired as one of its most prominent contemporary painters and his paintings are considered to be national treasures. is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. Most of his paintings are found at the Swedish National Museum of Fine arts, the Museum of Modern Art and the Aguéli museum. Nationalmuseum ( Swedish: "National Museum" is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm Moderna museet, the Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm
Aguélis prominence in Sweden was clearly shown in 1969 when, at the centenary of his birth, six of his paintings were printed as stamps by the Swedish Postal Service. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services Posten is the name of the Swedish postal service. The word "posten" means "the post" or "the mail" in Swedish.
Aguéli's remains were kept in Barcelona, Spain until 1981, when he was brought back to Sweden and re-buried with Islamic rites in his hometown of Sala. In Sala there is also the Aguéli museum, the Aguéli monument, the Aguéli street and the large Aguéli park dedicated to his memory.
In 2006, under the patronage of King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden the largest ever Aguéli exhibition was once again held at Waldemarsudde in Stockholm, this time also incorporating his Muslim heritage, with various lectures on Sufism. Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde ( Swedish: "Cape of Waldemar" the scenic former home of the Swedish Prince Eugen, is a Museum located on
After his death, Sufis have referred to Aguéli by the epithet of Abd al-Hadi "Noor-u-Shimaal" (meaning Abd al-Hadi "the Light of the North") for being the first ever officially named representative of a Sufi order to bring Sufism to Western Europe and Scandinavia. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well
Although it cannot be said that Aguéli himself was a perennialist or a traditionalist as such, his ideas constituted a certain proto-traditionalism that was later on clarified and established by Guénon and Schuon. Perennial philosophy (Latin philosophia perennis "eternal philosophy" also Philosophia perennis et universalis) is the notion of the universal recurrence The Traditionalist School of thought also known as Integral Traditionalism (in the sense of Integralism) or Perennialism (in the sense of Perennial Spiritually, the traditionalist teachings of René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon have been upheld in Sweden by Swedish Sufi traditionalist scholars such as Kurt Almqvist and Tage Lindbom. Frithjof Schuon, ( June 18, 1907 &ndash May 5, 1998) was a German philosopher metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality Kurt Almqvist (1912-2001 PhD in Romance Languages, Swedish poet intellectual and spiritual figure representative of the Traditionalist School and the Tage Leonard Lindbom ( 24 October 1909 - 2001 PhD in Political science who was early in his life the party theoretician and director of the archives of
Quotes
- My fatherland, is the universe. . . [28]
- Simplicity is not only the principle of all art, but of all spiritual activity whatsoever.
- One can never be precise enough, simple enough, deep enough.
- Admit, that a landscape can reflect a spiritual state . . . Religion is decisive for the sun in the landscape of my within. See, that is why I love monotheism and the Arabian spirit.
- Amongst the Truths of our religion [Islam] is that the world is as Allah has wished it to be. Hence you should only demand perfection of yourself. . . [29]
- My art will one day explain the eccentricities of my life.
- Give me only bread and water, but let me paint!
Bibliography
Swedish:
- Almqvist, Kurt; I tjänst hos det enda - ur René Guénons verk, Natur och Kultur, 1977. Kurt Almqvist (1912-2001 PhD in Romance Languages, Swedish poet intellectual and spiritual figure representative of the Traditionalist School and the
- Almqvist, Kurt; Ordet är dig nära. Kurt Almqvist (1912-2001 PhD in Romance Languages, Swedish poet intellectual and spiritual figure representative of the Traditionalist School and the Om uppenbarelsen i hjärtat och i religionerna, Delsbo, 1994.
- Brummer, Hans-Erik (red. ); Ivan Aguéli, Stockholm, 2006.
- Ekelöf, Gunnar; Ivan Aguéli, 1944. Gunnar Ekelöf ( Stockholm, September 15, 1907 - Sigtuna, March 16, 1968) was a Swedish poet and writer
- Gauffin, Axel; Ivan Aguéli - Människan, mystikern, målaren I-II, Sveriges Allmänna Konstförenings Publikation, 1940-41.
- Wessel, Viveka; Ivan Aguéli - Porträtt av en rymd, 1988.
English:
- Chacornac, Paul; The Simple Life of Réne Guénon, pp. 31-37, Sophia Perennis. (It has to be noted that Chacornac has depended on secondary sources for his information on Aguéli, and that hence his description of Aguéli is deeply flawed. )
- Hatina, Meir; Where East Meets West: Sufism as a Lever for Cultural Rapprochement, pp. 389-409, Volume 39, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
- Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Sufism: Love and Wisdom, page X of foreword, Worldwisdom Books, 2006.
- Turner, Jade (ed. ); The Grove Dictionary of Art, pp. 465-466, Grove, 1996.
- Waterfield, Robin; Réne Guénon and the Future of the West, pp. 28-30, Sophia Perennis.
French:
- Abdul-Hâdi (John Gustav Agelii, dit Ivan Aguéli); Écrits pour La Gnose, comprenant la traduction de l'arabe du Traité de l'Unité, Archè, 1988.
References
- ^ Waterfield, p. 29
- ^ Gauffin I, p. 67
- ^ Gauffin I, p. 73
- ^ Gauffin I, p. 75
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 143
- ^ Gauffin I, p. 180
- ^ Gauffin I, pp. 131
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 44
- ^ Gauffin II, pp. 42
- ^ Gauffin II, pp. 121
- ^ Almqvist, pp. 17-19
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 143
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 143
- ^ See article by Hatina, pp. 389-409
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 191-192
- ^ Brummer, pp. 63-64
- ^ Brummer, p. 65
- ^ Brummer, pp. 67-73
- ^ Almqvist, p. 19
- ^ Almqvist, p. 17-19
- ^ Waterfield p. 30. For the article itself, see Écrits pour La Gnose.
- ^ Gauffin I, p. 30
- ^ Gauffin II, pp. 93-98
- ^ Gauffin, pp. 218-219
- ^ Brummer, pp. 124-125
- ^ Brummer, p. 125
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 179
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 96
- ^ Gauffin II, p. 191
See also
- Al Akbariyya
- Shadhiliyya
- Malamatiyya
- Perennial philosophy
- Traditionalist School
- Kurt Almqvist
- Titus Burckhardt
- René Guénon
- Tage Lindbom
- Martin Lings
- Hossein Nasr
- Frithjof Schuon
External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aguéli, Ivan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Agelii, John Gustaf (born); Aqhili, 'Abd al-Hadi, Sheikh (Islamic) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Sufi master and nationally recognized contemporary painter in Sweden |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 24, 1869 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sala, Västmanland, Sweden |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 1, 1917 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain |
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