Books - Ismaili Heritage Series

Diversity of Traditions

Ecstasy and Enlightenment is a comprehensive examination of the devotional and mystical literature of the Nizari Ismailis in the Indian subcontinent. The book focuses on the ginans, a large corpus of hymns and poems composed in a variety of Indic languages and attributed to a series of preacher-saints who propagated Ismaili Islam in the subcontinent over several centuries. Exploring the origins of this literature in the larger historical, cultural and religious contexts of the Sufi, Bhakti and Sant movements in medieval India, the author examines the history, themes, prosody, melodies and other characteristics of the gināns, the unique Khojki script in which they were recorded and the continuing vitality of this poetic tradition in the religious life of contemporary Nizari Ismaili communities of South Asian origin. Professor Annemarie Schimmel, the eminent authority on Islamic mysticism and literary traditions, notes in her Foreword that ‘Ali Asani’s book is a treasure-trove for everyone who is interested in Ismaili history and thought. It offers important material not only to the members of the community but also to scholars from various branches — be they Islamicists, Indologists, sociologists or historians of religion.