Tag Archives: Dr Seyed Salman Safavi

Essential Books on Sufism in English: A Historical Guide to Classical Texts, English Translations, Practical Sufism, Metaphysics and Modern Studies

Essential books on Sufism - article image.

A scholarly guide to essential books on Sufism in English, tracing classical primary texts, practical Sufism, Persian mystical literature, Ibn ʿArabī and Rūmī studies, modern scholarship, and a progressive path from foundational texts to spiritual transformation and the civilisational horizon of Sufism.

The Psychological Impacts of Fasting and Dhikr During the Holy Month of Ramadan

A person contemplating in Masjid al-Haram - image generated by Sora.

This article explores the spiritual practices and liturgical rituals of the month of Ramadan and their profound psychological impacts through the lens of Islamic Psychology and Mysticism (Irfan). Drawing upon the Theory of the Interpretive Semantic Structure of the Quran (Safavi, 2025), the study elucidates the conditions of “True Fasting,” categorising practitioners into levels ranging from the commonality to the spiritual elite.

Ramadhan and the Spiritual Rebirth of Humanity: A Semantic and Islamic Psychological Analysis of the Qur’anic Discourse

Muslim couple looking at the sunrise

the Qur’anic presentation of Ramadhan reveals a sophisticated structure aimed at the holistic development of the human being. Through the practice of Sawm, the individual transitions from external compliance to an internalisation of Taqwa (piety) and Muraqabah (vigilance).

A General Semiotic Analysis of Surah al-Nisāʾ

Dr Seyed Salman Safavi London Academy of Iranian Studies – LAIS Introduction To interpret and analyse Surah al-Nisāʾ through the lens of semiotics and Umberto Eco’s (1933–2016) semantic structuralism, key concepts from Eco’s work must be utilised: the function of the sign, encoding and decoding, narrative strategies, intertextuality, isotopy, and symbolic meaning. Surah al-Nisāʾ, which […]