Annemarie Schimmel: A Study of her Life and Academic Quest for understanding Islam and Muslim Culture

Abstract

This article discusses the autobiography and contributions of the famous German Orientalist Annemarie Schimel. It is a systemic study of the life history of Annemarie Schimmel by dividing her academic endeavor into different phases, like early life, her life in Germany, Turkey then her life in the Orient and Occident, and later life. She studied various aspects of Islam through the lens of the phenomenological approach. While studying Islam she documented her broader understanding of Muslim Culture and Civilization in numerous academic writings, seminars, papers, and conference presentations. We tried to shed light on her quest for the search for authentic and actual spirit and the essence of Islamic tradition. A descriptive and analytical study approach was used for this study so that Annemarie Schimmel's life history and her academic contribution could be well studied.