The story of Annemerie Schimmel, an Orientalist fascinated with Islam

The story of Annemerie Schimmel, an Orientalist fascinated with Islam

he name Annemerie Schimmel in the Muslim world is no stranger. Not because he had become an adherent of Islam, but Schimmel was an Orientalist fascinated with Islam. This short story by Annemerie Schimmel will introduce you to many facts about her.

Annemerie Schimel was a German Orientalist born in April 1922 in the city of Erfurt, Germany. He comes from a middle-class family. Reading Arabic stories from childhood has planted seeds that can determine the path of his future life.

From the age of fifteen, Schimmel studied Arabic under Dr. Hens Ellenberg. He taught not only Arabic, but also the history and culture of Islam. One of the books introduced by the master is the Life and Teaching of Muhammad: the Spirit of Islam by Sayed Ali and Muhammad in Lehre vad Gloube Seiner Gemeinde by Tor Andrae.

Schimmel's interest in Islam began in teaching the history of Religions at the Islamic Faculty of divinity in Ankara, Turkey (1950). His interest and turning point in his life came in 1954 when he was appointed Professor of the history of religion at the University of Ankara (Turkey). There he spent five years teaching and immersing himself in the cultural and mystical traditions of the country.

Schimmel was a faculty member at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992 and became Professor Emerita of Indo-Muslim culture in retirement. He is also an honorary professor at the University of Bonn. He has published more than 80 books on Islamic literature, mysticism and culture, translated from Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Sindhi and Turkish in poetic and literary form into English and German.

During his life Schimmel had a mission to develop an understanding of Islam. He uses poetic texts and artistic expressions, analyzes Muslim religious practices and traditions and explains the finer aspects of Islamic religious culture. Schimmel wanted that what he did could provide a good interpretation for people who want to understand Islam as it is lived, understood and practiced by its adherents.

From this long chronology, Annemerie Schimmel recorded three important events of her encounter with Islam that brought her to love the Prophet Muhammad. Here are the three stories:

Schimmel's early acquaintance with Islam
Schimmel's interest in Islam began in teaching the history of Religions at the Islamic Faculty of divinity in Ankara, Turkey (1950). He realized that Sufism is one of the core of Islam. According to him, Sufism is the inner aspect of the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad. While the aspect of birth, which is usually called Sharia contains formal religious laws regarding commands and prohibitions. This is what he always conveyed in every lecture.

In a public lecture, he described the category created by Rudolf Otto about Mysterium Tremendum and Mysterium Fascian-Numen which expresses itself under the aspect of the amazing Majesty and alluring beauty, Allah Swt, namely the existence of the concept of the Supreme, the Almighty (Jalāl) and The Most Beautiful, The Most Good, The Most Merciful (Jamāl).

Meeting Schimmel and Salman Rusdhi
In 1995, Schimmel received the Peace Prize from Frankurt. It was also at this moment that a journalist interviewed him by asking his opinion about Salman Rushdi. Schimmel argues that Salman's writings contradict and discredit the Islamic State. Schimmel also added that the writings are very superficial and that it is only to please Western society.

In the view of Annemarie Schimmel, Salman Rushdi with his book has hurt the feelings of Muslims and also his feelings. After this interview, Salman Rushdi's defenders attacked the Orientalist woman. One of them was Ludger Lutkehaus who attacked him through a paper in the newspaper Sued Deutsche Zeitung on May 11, 1995. After that, a lecturer at the University of Hamburg, through a paper in the newspaper Diezeit, on May 12, 1995, demanded that the Peace Prize be removed from Schimmel's hands.

“By writing 80 books, I want to illustrate the true history of Islam to the people of Europe. I think this is a political activity. I have devoted my whole life to the realization of understanding between the West and the East,” Schimmel said in an interview with Der Spiegel on May 22, 1995.

Numerous scientists and statesmen have praised Annemarie Schimmel's writing. One of them, Professor Stephan Field of the Literary Institute of the University of Bonn, gave a strong defense to the thoughts of Annemarie Schimmel.

Among the statesmen who praised him was Roman Herzog, a former German President. "Without Annemarie Schimmel, the German nation would never have understood the true Islam,” Herzog said at the commemoration of the death of Annemarie Schimmel.

The last paper he wrote in 2002 describes the Life Of The Prophet Muhammad. In the book's opening, Schimmel links to an Urdu poem by a Hindu. The meaning of this poem is “maybe I am a kafir and maybe I am a believer. The knowledge of all this is in God's hands. But I want to pledge myself as a pure servant; a vow to a great figure of Muhammad The Messenger of Allah.”

This book has received a lot of harsh criticism. But Schimmer simply replied, “I only love Muhammad.”

Schimmel and Shahifah Sajjadiyah
Schimmel discovered Shahifah Sajjadiyah 70 years ago. While translating the prayer to see the new moon of Ramadan and prayer farewell to the month of Ramadan.

“My mother was lying in the hospital. I accompanied him. After my mother fell asleep, I sat in a corner of the room and rewrote the translation I had done,” he said.

Mrs. Schimmel's room had two beds. On the other bed lay a Catholic woman who was fanatical and strong in her faith.

When he saw Schimmel translating Islamic prayers, he protested to Schimmel, “do we have such a lack of Christianity and Scripture that you choose Islamic prayers?”

Annemarie Schimmel replied “ " I always read the prayers, the Hadith, and the history of Islam from Arabic and never referred to any translation.”

I eventually translated and printed a portion of Sajjadiyah into German.

One day after the book was published, I sent a manuscript to the Christian woman.

A month later, he called me and said, “I am so grateful for the gift of the book. Every day I read the book instead of (Christian) prayers.”

The story of Annemerie Schimmel and her love for the Prophet should be a slap to Muslims to further increase their love and obedience to the creator and the teachings of the Prophet.