Martin Lings - Wikipedia Martin Lings From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search For the footballer and football manager, see Martin Ling. Martin Lings (Abū Bakr Sirāj al-Dīn) Martin Lings in 2004 Title Shaykh Personal Born (1909-01-24)24 January 1909 Burnage, Manchester, England Died 12 May 2005(2005-05-12) (aged 96) Westerham, Kent, England Religion Islam Era Modern era Creed Sunni Movement Traditionalist School Notable work(s) Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources Alma mater Clifton College Magdalen College, Oxford School of Oriental and African Studies Tariqa Shadhili Occupation Islamic scholar, author, Shakespearean scholar Spouse(s) Lesley Smalley (1944–2013) Martin Lings (24 January 1909 – 12 May 2005), also known as Abū Bakr Sirāj ad-Dīn, was an English writer, scholar, and philosopher. A student of the Swiss metaphysician Frithjof Schuon[1] and an authority on the work of William Shakespeare, he is best known as the author of Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, first published in 1983 and still in print. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Books 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Early life and education[edit] Lings was born in Burnage, Manchester, in 1909 to a Protestant family.[2] The young Lings gained an introduction to travelling at a young age, spending significant time in the United States because of his father's employment. Lings attended Clifton College[3] and went on to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he gained a BA in English Language and Literature. At Magdalen, he was a student and then a close friend of C. S. Lewis. After graduating from Oxford Lings went to Vytautas Magnus University, in Lithuania, where he taught Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.[2] For Lings himself, however, the most important event whilst at Oxford was his discovery of the writings of the René Guénon, a French metaphysician and Muslim convert, and those of Frithjof Schuon, a German spiritual authority, metaphysician and Perennialist. In 1938, Lings went to Basel to make Schuon's acquaintance. This prompted his embracing Islam to embrace the branch of the Alawiyya tariqa led by Schuon. Thereafter, Lings remained Schuon's disciple and expositor for the rest of his life.[4] Career[edit] In 1939, Lings went to Cairo, Egypt, to visit a friend who was an assistant of René Guénon. Soon after arriving in Cairo, his friend died and Lings began studying Arabic. Cairo became his home for over a decade; he became an English language teacher at the University of Cairo and produced Shakespeare plays annually.[5] Lings married Lesley Smalley in 1944 and lived with her in a village near the pyramids.[6] Despite having settled comfortably in Egypt, Lings was forced to leave in 1952 after anti-British disturbances.[7] On returning to the United Kingdom he continued his education, earning a BA in Arabic and a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London). His doctoral thesis became a book on Algerian Sufi Ahmad al-Alawi.[2] After completing his doctorate in 1959, Lings worked at the British Museum and later the British Library, overseeing eastern manuscripts and other textual works,[2] rising to the position of Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts 1970–73. He was also a frequent contributor to the journal Studies in Comparative Religion. A writer throughout this period, Lings' output increased in the last quarter of his life. While his thesis work on Ahmad al-Alawi had been well regarded, his most famous work was a biography of Muhammad, written in 1983, which earned him acclaim in the Muslim world and prizes from the governments of Pakistan and Egypt.[8] His work was hailed as the "best biography of the prophet in English" at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad.[9] He also continued travelling extensively, although he made his home in Kent. He died on 12 May 2005.[6] Lings and a salafist scholar named Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi had a public debate about some accounts of Lings' Biography of Muhammad. The exchange was published by Saudi Gazette.[10] Martin Lings Martin Lings during a lecture. In addition to his writings on Sufism, Lings was a Shakespeare scholar. His contribution to Shakespeare scholarship was to point out the deeper esoteric meanings found in Shakespeare's plays, and the spirituality of Shakespeare himself. More recent editions of Lings's books on Shakespeare include a foreword by Charles, Prince of Wales.[11] Just before his death he gave an interview on this topic, which was posthumously made into the film Shakespeare's Spirituality: A Perspective. An Interview With Dr. Martin Lings.[12] Books[edit] The Underlying Religion (World Wisdom, 2007) ISBN 978-1-933316-43-7 Splendors of Qur'an Calligraphy And Illumination (2005), Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, Thames & Hudson, ISBN 0-500-97648-1 A Return to the Spirit : Questions and Answers (2005), Fons Vitae, ISBN 1-887752-74-9 Sufi Poems : A Mediaeval Anthology (2005), Islamic Texts Society, ISBN 1-903682-18-5 Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now (2004), Archetype, ISBN 1-901383-07-5 The Eleventh Hour: the Spiritual Crisis of the Modern World in the Light of Tradition and Prophecy (2002), Archetype, ISBN 1-901383-01-6 Collected Poems, revised and expanded (2002), Archetype, ISBN 1-901383-03-2 Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions (2001), Archetype, ISBN 1-901383-02-4 What is Sufism (Islamic Texts Society, 1999) ISBN 978-0-946621-41-5[13] The Secret of Shakespeare : His Greatest Plays seen in the Light of Sacred Art (1998), Quinta Essentia, distributed by Archetype, (hb), ISBN 1-870196-15-5 Sacred Art of Shakespeare : To Take Upon Us the Mystery of Things (Inner Traditions, 1998) 0892817178 A Sufi saint of the twentieth century: Shaikh Ahmad al-°Alawi, his spiritual heritage and legacy (Islamic Texts Society, 1993) ISBN 0-946621-50-0 Symbol & Archetype : A Study of the Meaning of Existence (1991, 2006), Fons Vitae Quinta Essentia series, ISBN 1-870196-05-8 Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (Islamic Texts Society, 1983) ISBN 978-0-946621-33-0 (World-UK edn) / ISBN 978-1-59477-153-8 (US edn) The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination (World of Islam Festival Trust, 1976) ISBN 0-905035-01-1 The Heralds, and other Poems 1970 The Elements, and Other Poems (1967), Perennial Books The Book of Certainty: The Sufi Doctrine of Faith, Wisdom and Gnosis signed as Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din. Cambridge, Islamic Texts Society, 1992 (1st ed. 1952). See also[edit] Frithjof Schuon Jean-Louis Michon Leo Schaya Perennial Philosophy Sufism Tage Lindbom Kurt Almqvist Ivan Aguéli René Guénon Seyyed Hossein Nasr The Matheson Trust Titus Burckhardt William Stoddart William Shakespeare References[edit] ^ , a follower of the Alawiyya Sufi tariqa,Islamic scholar concerned with spiritual crisis ^ a b c d Martin, Douglas (29 May 2005). "Martin Lings, a Sufi Writer on Islamic Ideas, Dies at 96". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 April 2016. ^ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p399: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948 ^ Martin Lings, A Return to the Spirit, Fons Vitae, Kentucky, 2005, pp. 4–5. ^ Eaton, Gai (27 May 2005). "Obituary: Martin Lings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 April 2013. ^ a b Eaton, Gai (26 May 2005). "Martin Lings". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 April 2016. ^ Arabic obituary in Al-Ahram International Edition, 11 June 2005. Transl. in A Return to the Spirit, Fons Vitae, Kentucky, 2005, pp. 87–90. ^ Sedgwick, Mark (3 June 2004). Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century. Oxford University Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780199744930. ^ "Muhammad : His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings". Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2007. ^ Perennialist poison in Martin Ling’s Biography of the Prophet (No date) ^ The Secret of Shakespeare: His Greatest Plays Seen in the Light of Sacred Art, Quinta Essentia, Cambridge, 1996. ^ Shakespeare's Spirituality: A Perspective ^ Sedgwick, Mark (3 June 2004). Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century. Oxford University Press. p. 245. ISBN 9780199744930. External links[edit] Obituary from the Guardian (May 27, 2005) Obituary from the New York Times (May 29, 2005) Archetype Books publisher of books by Martin Lings Author page at the Matheson Trust Fons Vitae Publishing – Books by Martin Lings Titles by Martin Lings Works of Martin Lings in Hungarian Shakespeare's Spirituality: An Interview With Dr. Martin Lings for Matmedia Productions film Circling the House of God featuring Martin Lings v t e Islamic philosophy Fields Alchemy Aqidah (theology) 'Aql (intellect) Cosmology astrology medieval astronomy Eschatology Ethics Kalam (dialectic) Fiqh (jurisprudence) Logic Metaphysics Natural philosophy (physics) Peace Madrasah (education) Medieval science Medieval psychology Sufism (mysticism) Schools Early Farabism Avicennism Averroism Illuminationism Sufi cosmology metaphysics psychology Transcendent theosophy Traditionalist Contemporary Concepts ʻAṣabīya Ḥāl Iʻjaz ʼIjtihād ʻlm ʻIrfān Ijmāʿ Maslaha Nafs Qadar Qalb Qiyās Shūrā Tawḥīd Ummah Philosophers by century (CE) 9th–10th Al-Kindi Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari Abu al-Abbas Iranshahri Zakariya Razi Apharabius Abu Hatim al-Razi Al Amiri Ikhwan al-Safa Abu Sulayman Sijistani Ibn Masarrah Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani 11th Al-Ghazali Ibn Miskawayh Avicenna Ibn Hazm Bahmanyār Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi Nasir Khusraw Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani 12th Abu'l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī Afdal al-Din Kashani Ahi Evren Ahmad Yasavi Ayn-al-Quzat Averroes Ibn Tufail Omar Khayyám Suhrawardi Shams Tabrizi 13th Hajji Bektash Wali Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi Ibn Sab’in Ibn Arabi al-Abharī Nasir al-Din Tusi Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi 14th–16th Ibn Khaldun Yunus Emre Hajji Bayram Jalaladdin Davani Sadr ad-Din Dashtaki Aziz Mahmud Hudayi Qadi Mir Husayn al-Maybudi Mahmud Shabistari Sayyid Haydar Amuli Dawūd al-Qayṣarī Jami 17th–19th Mir Damad Mir Fendereski Mulla Sadra Mohsen Fayz Kashani Abd al-Razzaq Lahiji Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani Rajab Ali Tabrizi Qazi Sa’id Qumi Shah Waliullah Dehlawi Hādī Sabzavārī 20th–present Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei Muhammad Iqbal Gohar Shahi Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr René Guénon Frithjof Schuon Martin Lings Hossein Nasr Naquib al-Attas Abdolkarim Soroush Gholamhossein Ebrahimi Dinani Taha Abdurrahman Mohammed Abed al-Jabri Mohammed Arkoun Fouad Zakariyya Reza Davari Ardakani Ahmad Fardid Mostafa Malekian Hasanzadeh Amoli Javadi Amoli Partawi Shah Authority control BIBSYS: 90150140 BNE: XX874370 BNF: cb12621267z (data) GND: 102226741 ISNI: 0000 0001 2118 0483 LCCN: n50054671 NKC: jn20031215020 NTA: 069314209 SELIBR: 194191 SUDOC: 058010114 TDVİA: siraceddin-ebubekir VcBA: 495/149680 VIAF: 2592817 WorldCat Identities: lccn-n50054671 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_Lings&oldid=994162571" Categories: 1909 births 2005 deaths Alumni of SOAS University of London Converts to Islam from atheism or agnosticism Writers from Manchester English philosophers English Sufis English spiritual writers English spiritual teachers People educated at Clifton College People from Burnage Shakespearean scholars Traditionalist School Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Vytautas Magnus University faculty 20th-century philosophers Hidden categories: EngvarB from August 2014 Use dmy dates from August 2014 Articles with hCards Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NKC identifiers Wikipedia articles with NTA identifiers Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with TDVİA identifiers Wikipedia articles with VcBA identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Languages العربية Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bosanski Deutsch فارسی Français Italiano Lietuvių മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Português Svenska Türkçe اردو Edit links This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 11:22 (UTC). 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