The Poetics of the Body in Islamic Mysticism

Presented here is an analysis of the body in relation to Bistami, Hallaj, and other medieval Islamic mystics with regard to remembrance (dhikr), annihilation (fanā'), and the ecstatic utterances (shathiyat). These practices and events are anchored in scenes of mystical ecstasy that provide them with their religious legitimacy. Analysis of these scenes enables us to approach the question of the body with regard to the way the body is constituted through the textual scenes of religious practice.