Isma'ilism, one of the most colourful and dynamic sects of Islam, boasts a rich and fascinating history. This thesis studies the life and works of Nur Muhammad Shah, a gifted exponent of the Isma'ili Sat Panth movement in Indo-Pakistan during the 15th/16th centuries. Sat Panth, the Path of Truth, is the highly mystical form of Isma'ilism which resulted from conversion efforts in the Subcontinent during the eleventh and subsequent centuries. The legacy of the order which was fostered is to be found in its corpus of sacred religious literature known as Ginans, an appellation that suggests supreme, gnostic knowledge. The Sat Panthi Isma'ilis consider the Ginans to be the embodiment, par excellence, of the Qur'an's esoteric dimension. Nur Muhammad Shah is the last of the Sat Panth authors for whom a large body of Ginanas has been preserved. / This work gives a historical background of the Isma'ili movement in Indo-Pakistan, examines the career of Nur Muhammad Shah from the earliest available primary sources and disproves suggestions by previous scholars that he forsook his allegiance to the Isma'ili Imam and became the founder of his own rival sect. In addition, it provides for the first time a scholarly translation of a significant portion of the Nur Muhammad Shah's Sat Veni Moti or Tale of Truth (Larger), an important Sat Panthi mystical text.

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Cette thèse cherche à étudier les rapports entre le pouvoir et les soufis en Syrie et en Égypte à l'époque de Nûr al-Dîn (1154-1174) et de son successeur Saladin (1174-1193). En cette seconde moitié du XIIe siècle, les croisades et la lutte contre les Fatimides et leur idéologie firent de la présence des soufis et des mystiques sur ces territoires une opportunité pour les gouvernants en quête de légitimité. Différents groupes de soufis originaires d'Iran, du Caucase, de Jazîra, du Maghreb et d'al-Andalus convergèrent alors vers ces territoires centraux du dâr al-Islam pour participer à la vie religieuse et soutenir la politique religieuse de ces princes. Les contacts entre le pouvoir et les shaykh; soufis furent alors nombreux et ces derniers se virent confier un certain nombre de missions, notamment diplomatiques, les impliquant directement dans la vie politique. Une politique de construction de lieux d'accueil (ribât et khânqâh) pour les soufis financés par des waqf mobilisa les souverains ainsi que les hommes et les femmes de leur entourage. L’histoire de ces fondations soutenues par le pouvoir est au centre de cette thèse qui cherche aussi à comprendre le mode de vie de ces populations et à étudier les conséquences qu’eut cette ingérence du pouvoir sur la vie matérielle des mystiques au sein de leur structure d'accueil. / This thesis seeks to study the relationship between the authorities and the Sufis in Syria and Egypt in the time of Nûr al-Dîn (1154-1174) and his successor Saladin (1174-1193). In the second half of the twelfth century, the Crusades and the conflict against the Fatimids and their ideology made of the presence of the Sufis and Mystics on these territories an opportunity for rulers in search of legitimacy. Different groups of Sufis from Iran, the Caucasus, the Jazîra, the Maghreb and al-Andalus converged to these central territories of the dâr al-Islâm to take part in religious life and support the religious policy of these princes. Contacts between the authorities and the Sufi shaykh were numerous and the latter were entrusted with a number of missions, including diplomatic missions, directly involving them in political life. A building policy of hosting structures (ribât and khânqâh) for the Sufis, supported by the waqf, mobilized the rulers as well as the men and women of their entourage. The history of these foundations supported by the authorities is at the center of this thesis which also seeks to understand the way of life of these populations and to study the consequences that the interference of the authorities had on the material life of the mystics within their hosting structures.

This study is an attempt to bring to light an important Ottoman Turkish work of theosophy entitled Ïtâl]ü'I-l:fikem (Elucidation of Wisdoms), written by Ismall An~aravT (d. 1631) as a commentary on the treatise Hayakil al-Nür (The Temples of Ught) by Shihàb al-Din Suhrawardl (d. 1191). The study consists of three main parts. The first part provides a detailed account of the life and works of the author, An~aravT, with an emphasis on his scholarship in the context of the Ottoman learned class. The second part, which is the main body of this research, presents a chapter by chapter analysis of the significant issues discussed in An~aravl's commentary, in comparison with the commentary of JalaJ al-Dln Oawwani (d. 1502), by whom he seems to be influenced. This section is an investigation of An~aravT's reformulation of Ishrâqi wisdom within the framework of his orthodox mystical views. In the last part, on the basis of ail available manuscripts, which are collated, a reliable text for edition is established. / Cette étude est faite dans le but de faire connaître un travail important de théosophie, intitulé Îzahu-l-hikem(Élucidations des Sagesses) écrit par Isma'il Ankaravi (m. 1631) en turc ottoman comme commentaire du traité intutilé Hayakil al-Nûr (Les Temples de Lumière), écrit par Shi hab al- Dm SuhrawardT (m. 1191). Cette étude consiste en trois parties. La première partie traite en détail de la vie et des livres de l'auteur Ankaravi, en insistant surtout sur sa personnalité intellectuelle dans le contexte de la classe des intellectuels Ottomans. La deuxième partie est la partie la plus importante de cette recherche, elle présente, chapitre par chapitre, une analyse des sujets significatifs discutés dans le commentaire d'An~aravi d'une façon comparée avec celui de Jalal al-DTn Dawwanl (m. 1502), par qui il semble avoir été influencé. De plus, cette section est un approfondissement de la compréhension d'An~aravT, dans le cadre de sa vision mystique et orthodoxe, de la sagesse ishraqie. Dans la dernière partie, tous les manuscrits accessibles sont collationnés en vue d'une édition critique.

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