Shems Friedlander (January 8, 1940 - November 22, 2022) was an American
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic scholar,
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
master, visual artist, filmmaker, author and an emeritus professor of practice at the
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة, Al-Jāmi‘a al-’Amrīkiyya bi-l-Qāhira) is a private research university in Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs ...
. He was best known for his works on mystical traditions of Islam, especially the
Mevlevi Sufi tradition founded after the name of
Mevlana Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī.
Biography
Friedlander received his education from the
Massachusetts College of Art and graduated in 1963. He began his career as a graphic designer. In his early years, he learned about Sufism from Vilayet Inayet Khan, son of the Sufi Sheikh
Inayet Khan. This led him to
Muzaffer Ozak Efendi and, through conversion, ultimately to Islam in early 1970s. Later, he became a member of the Mevlevi Sufi order. Joining as a lecturer, Friedlander has served as a professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the American University in Cairo since 1994. In 2012, he was named as one of the
500 most influential Muslims
''The 500 Most Influential Muslims'' (also known as ''The Muslim 500'') is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.
The publication is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies C ...
in the world.
Friedlander died in Istanbul on November 22, 2022, at the age of 82.
Works
Apart from photography and paintings, Friedlander has authored ten books on Sufism and Mevlana Rumi and has made few documentary films. His works have been translated into many different languages including
Arabic and
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
.
Books
*''The Whirling Dervishes, Being an Account of the Sufi Order Known as the Mevlevis and Its Founder the Poet and Mystic Mevlana Jalalu'ddin Rumi'', Macmillan (New York, NY, 1975)
*''Submission: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, hadith notations by Al-Hajj Shaikh Muzaffereddin'', Harper and Row (New York, NY, 1977)
*''Ninety-Nine Names of Allah'', Harper and Row (New York, NY, 1978)
*''When You Hear Hoofbeats, Think of a Zebra: Talks on Sufism'', Perennial Library (New York, NY, 1987)
*''Sunlight, Poems, and Other Words'', Safina Books (Cairo, Egypt, 1997)
*''Rumi: The Hidden Treasure'', Fons Vitae (Louisville, KY, 2001)
*''Winter Harvest, a Memoir'' (2015)
* T''he Forgotten Message of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi'' (2017)
Documentary films
*''Rumi: The Wings of Love'' (2002)
*''The Circles of Remembrance'' (2005)
*''Faisal: Legacy of a King'' (2011)
References
External links
Official Web page at American University in Cairo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Friedlander, Shems
2022 deaths
1940 births
Massachusetts College of Art and Design alumni
American scholars of Islam
American Sufis
Scholars of Sufism
Sufi teachers
Converts to Islam