On the 22nd and 23rd of April 2024, the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality (DMS) held its inaugural academic conference on ‘The Oneness of Being (waḥdat al-wujūd): Interpretation, Reception, and Implications.’ This key theme of theoretical mysticism was explored in a range of high-quality papers which sought to advance our understanding of the impact of the Oneness of Being in the Muslim world across the denominational spectrum. Many interesting subthemes emerged in lively discussions, such as the real difference between the Oneness of Being and the Oneness of Witnessing (waḥdat al-shuhūd), the role of ḥadīth in mystical discourse, and the application of the theory of the Oneness of being in multiple contexts.
The conference, held at Al-Mahdi Institute, successfully managed to assemble a remarkable range of scholars who had carried out noteworthy research in mysticism in Muslim societies and were handpicked from numerous abstracts received from the call for papers. Regrettably, some experts were unable to attend the event personally but are excited about the upcoming publication that will follow from the conference. Conference delegates presented their respective research findings from a variety of perspectives, enriching current academic research on the Oneness of Being.
The workshop was well attended by academics, students and interested parties and the findings will be published in a forthcoming edited volume, due to be published by AMI Press in 2025.
Resources:
View Gallery:
