Absent yet at all times present: Further thoughts on secrecy in the shī'ī tradition and in sunnī mysticism

The article analyzes a tradition (h{dot below}adīth) that is found in Sunni and in Shī'ī sources alike and which portrays the ideal believer as a hidden man who chooses to practice his religion away from the eyes of others. According to the author's analysis, this tradition has its origins in the religious-political conflicts (fitnas) of the 2^nd/8^th century. These conflicts gave rise to a pietistic attitude of noninvolvement and withdrawal from society in times of civil strife. In Shī'ī versions of the tradition, the element of secrecy and taqiyya is added to the description of the ideal believer. These various motifs were to play an important role in Islamic mysticism, particularly in the teachings of movements such as the malāmatiyya. The author argues that while both Shī'i esotericism and Sunnī mysticism incorporated similar, early h{dot below}adīths in their discussions of the figure of the hidden saint, the Shī'ī tradition contributed much to the development of this theme in its ethical-psychological and esoteric aspects.