Contentment, Satisfaction and Good-Pleasure

Abstract

The article examines early Sufi notions of rida, usually translated as “contentment,” “satisfaction,” and “good-pleasure.” It does so through a close textual analysis of some of the most important works of the tradition authored up until what has been identified as the “formative period of Sufi literature,” a period which ends in the 11th century. In the process, the article situates rida within the larger context of early Islamic moral psychology as it was formulated by the fledgling Sufi tradition. The article analyses early definitions of rida, the role of rida in tribulation, contentment and the ills of complaint, the higher levels of rida, and the role of love in rida. It ends with a brief overview of the paradox of rida inherent within a largely deterministic theology which traces all acts back to God.

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