SHA'RANI, ASH-

born 1492, Cairo died 1565, Cairo original name 'abd Al-wahhab Ibn Ahmad Egyptian scholar and mystic who founded an Islamic order of Sufism. Throughout his life Sha'rani was influenced by the pattern of his education. His introduction and exposure to Islamic learning were limited; his formal education was concerned with the 'ulum al-wahb (gifted knowledge of the mystic), as opposed to a traditional and rigorous study of Islamic sciences. He attempted to seek the middle ground between the rigid learning and legalism of the 'ulama' (the theologians of Islam) and the mystics' pantheism and pursuit of spirituality. He consistently ignored distinctions and niceties within the major schools of Islamic law, as well as the marked differences between the various Sufi orders. This approach antagonized the orthodox among the 'ulama' and the Sufis, and he was persecuted for his beliefs and doctrines and forced to maintain himself by practicing the craft of a weaver. Sha'rani criticized the 'ulama' for their legal rigidity, neglect of duties, mock learning, and inability to come to terms with the social problems of Egyptian society. He believed that the distinctions between the schools of Islamic law were socially divisive and advocated instead a unified approach to the law, using the best elements of each school. He castigated many of the Sufi orders as being corrupt and believed that their practices were contrary to the Shari'ahthe body of Islamic legal doctrines that regulated society. Sha'rani founded a Sufi order known as ash-Sha'rawiyah and attempted to select the best elements from the diverse and often conflicting world of the Sufis and the 'ulama' for its operating principles. The order was housed in a well-endowed zawiyah, a kind of monastery, and had attached to it a school for the training of law students; it also provided care for the needy and for travelers. Unlike most Sufi orders, it had practical aims and eschewed esoteric pursuits or sham spirituality. Sha'rani was unsystematic in his thoughts; his writings demonstrate confusion as well as originality. Although his mysticism was not influenced by pantheism, he found it possible to defend the pantheism of the 13th-century mystic Ibn al-'Arabi. The bulk of Sha'rani's writing was concerned with traditional learning. Of special interest is his tabaqat, a biographical dictionary of mystics, and his autobiography, Lata' if al-Minan. Upon his death he was succeeded by his son 'Abd ar-Rahman as head of the order. 'Abd ar-Rahman was more concerned with temporal matters, however, and the order declined, though it remained popular until the 19th century.