The Past and Future of the Study of Islamic Esotericism

The study of Islamic esotericism, particularly the concept of al-bāṭiniyya, remains fragmented. While often studied under various labels like “mysticism” and “occultism,” it is widely equated to Sufism. Scholars still hesitate to use the term al-bāṭiniyya due to its historical pejorative connotations, linking it to extremist adherence to esotericism and sectarian views. Furthermore, al-bāṭiniyya has faced marginalization because of its association with narratives of Islamic civilization's decline. Even when the decline narrative is challenged, esotericism is often depicted as an “intellectual defect.” This article examines the ways the “esoteric” and “esotericism” have been studied, particularly in relation to the study of Shīʿī esotericism and Sufism. It also highlights developments in the scholarship on Islam and esotericism, aiming to draw a picture of an emerging coherence in the study of “Islamic esotericism.” This is explored against the backdrop of twentieth-century Islamic discourses that grappled with the place of esotericism within Islamic knowledge and pedagogy. Here, the focus is on the “Islamization of Knowledge” project and its key figures: Ismāʿīl al-Fārūqī, Syed Naquib al-Attas, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr.