A Sufi tale from Alf Layla wa-layla (the Arabian nights)

Abstract

Alf Layla wa-layla (the Arabian Nights) is a major source for the study of the popular knowledge and practices of everyday life in Medieval Islam. Islamic religiosity and the mystic experience (Sufism) of personal approach to God are common themes in Alf Layla wa-layla. This article studies in detail the story of Abu l-Hasan with Abu Ja‘far the leper, a story which is very rich in mystical values, placing Sufism and personal approach and knowledge of God in its historical context. The social treatment of lepers in Medieval Islam is studied in order to obtain a general and complete view of the history and the society of Medieval Islam.