John O'Kane – författare

This book provides translations of the earliest Arabic autobiography and the earliest theoretical explanation of the psychic development and powers of an Islamic holy man (Saint, Friend of God).

This book provides translations of the earliest Arabic autobiography and the earliest theoretical explanation of the psychic development and powers of an Islamic holy man (Saint, Friend of God).

This book provides translations of the earliest Arabic autobiography and the earliest theoretical explanation of the psychic development and powers of an Islamic holy man (Saint, Friend of God).

This book provides translations of the earliest Arabic autobiography and the earliest theoretical explanation of the psychic development and powers of an Islamic holy man (Saint, Friend of God).

Because of its geographical location, central Asia has been a cultural crossroads since the dawn of history. The great ancient civilizations of China, Iran, India and the Turkic peoples of the northern steppes have all shaped its historical development. During 70 years of Soviet rule, however, serious attempts were made to suppress aspects of local culture, including religion and any separatist sense of ethnic identity. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independent republics of central Asia enjoy a greater degree of autonomy, but they are faced with a range of complex social, political and economic problems. This book addresses not only these problems, but also aspects of the region's history and culture, including questions of contemporary nationalism and ethnic identity, the recent political role of the literati, the role of oil in the economies of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the foreign-policy dilemmas of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the other republics, and Iran's aspirations in the region.

Around 1720 in Fez Aḥmad b. al-Mubārak al-Lamaṭī, a religious scholar, wrote down the words and teachings of the Sufi master ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Dabbāgh. Al-Dabbāgh shunned religious studies but, having reached illumination and met with the Prophet Muḥammad, he was able to explain any obscurities in the Qurʾān, ḥadīths and sayings of earlier Sufis. The resulting book, known as the Ibrīz, describes how al-Dabbāgh attained illumination and access to the Prophet, as well as his teachings about the Council of the godly that regulates the world, relations between master and disciple, the darkness in men’s bodies, Adam’s creation, Barzakh, Paradise and Hell, and much more besides.This ‘encyclopaedia’ of Sufism with its many teaching stories and illustrations provides a window onto social life and religious ideas in Fez a generation or so before powerful outside forces began to play a role in the radical transformation of Morocco.

The Moroccan mystic and theologian Ahmad b. Idris (1749-1837) was one of the most dynamic personalities in the Islamic world of the 19th century. Through his teachings and the activity of his students important Sufi orders were founded which exerted wide-ranging social and political influence, orders such as the Sanusiyya in Libya and the Khatmiyya in the Sudan. To date, publications dealing with him have especially focused on his biography and particular aspects of his mystical doctrines.In the present work an Arabic edition and translation with commentary of two texts are made available which throw light on Ibn Idris' attitude towards the religious-dogmatic questions of his day and age. The first text, Risalat al-Radd 'ala ahl al-ra'y, provides information about Ibn Idris' relation to the Islamic schools of jurisprudence, in particular his position regarding the ijtihad-taqlid debate which was so significant in the 18th and 19th centuries. Like many similarly minded scholars of his time, Ahmad b. Idris categorically rejects the authority of the established schools of jurisprudence and favors instead the application of personal methods in deriving a legal judgement.The second text presented here is a vivid report by one of his students describing a debate which Ibn Idris, at an advanced age, entered into with a Wahhabi theologian in the Yemenite city of sabya in 1832. The text makes clear with regard to which points Ibn Idris hoped to establish agreement with the Wahhabis, and where it was not possible to reach any mutual understanding.The introduction of the present book examines the tumultuous political circumstances in which both Arabic texts were composed and sketches the larger cultural and intellectual context which shaped Ibn Idris' world of ideas.

Around 1720 in Fez Ahmad b. al-Mubarak al-Lamati, a religious scholar, wrote down the words and teachings of the Sufi master ?Abd al-?Aziz al-Dabbagh. Al-Dabbagh shunned religious studies but, having reached illumination and met with the Prophet Muhammad, he was able to explain any obscurities in the Qur?an, hadiths and sayings of earlier Sufis. The resulting book, known as the Ibriz, describes how al-Dabbagh attained illumination and access to the Prophet, as well as his teachings about the Council of the godly that regulates the world, relations between master and disciple, the darkness in men's bodies, Adam's creation, Barzakh, Paradise and Hell, and much more besides.This 'encyclopaedia' of Sufism with its many teaching stories and illustrations provides a window onto social life and religious ideas in Fez a generation or so before powerful outside forces began to play a role in the radical transformation of Morocco.

“…a mesmerizing odyssey through nostalgia,introspection, and unexpected encountersthat challenge the very meaning of who we are.”“Despite misgivings, a man returns to his hometown of San Pedro, California, to attend a high school reunion. A former missionary now struggling with his faith, he finds himself in a different kind of struggle courtesy of an uncanny resemblance to Jesus himself as he’s besieged by townspeople and former classmates who variously wish to worship, seduce, or kill him.”John O’Kane’s The Accidental Jesus is a mesmerizing odyssey through nostalgia, introspection, and unexpected encounters that challenges the very essence of who we are. Join our protagonist as he navigates the blurred lines between memory and reality, faith and doubt, and embarks on a quest that could forever change his life.Richard ModianoDirector Emeritus, Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center,Winner of the 2022 Joe Hill Prize for Labor PoetryJohn O’Kane’s The Accidental Jesus keeps the action moving at a relentless pace as he pulls the reader deeper and deeper into a rich post-bohemian apocalypse rife with futuristic tech gurus, immovable evangelicals, a cult of modern Mary Magdalenes, and one murderous priest lurking in the shadows.S.A. GriffinAuthor of Pandemic Soul MusicJohn O’Kane’s The Accidental Jesus got neurons firing in my brain that I’m certain have never fired before. As the protagonist confronts a homicidal fake priest, predator helicopters that seem to hover above him wherever he goes, an orgy in a Catholic church, and a host of otherworldly characters, he wrestles with his sense of what’s real and what’s not. As will the reader…while enjoying every moment of the journey.Mark HabeebAuthor of Venice Beach