(2 reviews)

The earliest Persian Treatise on Sufism

Sufism has often been described as "the mystical heart of Islam", but what exactly is Sufism? This book attempts to answer this question by introducing the origins of Sufism, its historical context, the early Sufis, their use of stories to convey lessons and some of their most celebrated writings.

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In this work, Al-Ghazali goes beyond the most obvious aspects of ibadah (like prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage, etc). These selections from his `Ihya `Ulum al-Din explain, in his characteristically powerful and inspiring way, how to reap the rich harvests of spiritual, moral and social upliftment that must be their reward. It is an especially important book for young men and women of today who are seeking God's pleasure - a lifestyle impossible to maintain without an understanding of the inner resources which Islam offers.AL-GHAZALI, Abu Hamid Muhammad (450/1058-505/1111), a towering figure in Islam, was born at Tus, near Mashhad in Iran, in the early Seljuq era and studied theology and law at Nayshapur. His formidable intellectual abilities soon won him honour and respect at the Court of the famous Seljuqi Prime Minister, Naizam al-Mulk, and, while still in his early thirties, he became Professor at Madrasa Nizamiyya in Baghdad and attained great prominence there. But soon he abandoned his professorship for a decade of contemplation and studies. He returned for a while to lecture at the Nizamiyya in Nayshapur before his death. He wrote a large number of works which include Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (a biographical account), Tahafut al-Falasifa; but his magnum opus remains the Ihya"Ulum al-Din in four volumes, compiled during his period of retirement and contemplation. INNER DIMENSIONS OF ISLAMIC WORSHIP consists of selections from Al-Ghazali's Ihya', translated into En...read more

HE Risala of al-Imam al-Shafi°i was written in the second century of Islam but its influence continues to the present day since it was with this text by the founder of one of the four Sunni schools of law that Islamic jurisprudence found its most complete and lasting systematization. During the early years of the spread of Islam the exponents of Islamic legal doctrine were faced with the problems raised by ruling and administering a diverse and rapidly growing empire. In Medina and Kufa as well as other cities of early Muslim rule, schools of law had developed but it took the genius of Muhammad b. Idris al-Shafi'i, born in the year 15oH/767C.E., to establish the principles by which the various legal doctrines could be synthesized into a coherent system. In the Risala, which laid down the basis for such a synthesis, al-Shafi'i established the overriding authority, next only to the Qur'an, of the Surma of the Prophet Muhammad as transmitted in the traditions. Professor Majid Khadduri has done an admirable service in making this valuable work available in English. His excellent translation uses not only the original manuscripts of Ibn Jama'a and al-Rabi`, found at Dar al-Kutub, the National Library in Cairo, but also two authoritative editions, published earlier this century, namely the Bulaq and Shakir editions. In his introduction, Professor Khadduri outlines the historical background of the Risala and gives a biography of al-Imam al-Shafi'i as well as annotated, detailed s...read more

Ibn 'Arabi, recognised in his lifetime as al-Shaykh al-Akbar - the supreme spiritual Master - was born in 1165 in Andulusia and died in Damascus in 1240. Over a period of eight centuries he has exerted a profound influence on Islamic mysticism. In recent years a number of important studies have helped acquaint the Western reader with Ibn 'Arabi's metaphysics and this process is now greatly enhanced by the present volume in which Michel Chodkiewicz explores for the first time, the Master's 'hagiology' or teaching on sainthood. Founded on a careful analysis of the relevant texts, Chodkiewicz's work examines this essential aspect of Ibn 'Arabi's formulation of a doctrine of sainthood, defining the nature and function of sainthood, while also specifying the criteria for a typology of saints based on the notion of prophetic inheritance.

Love in Sufism investigates the significance of divine love in the Islamic tradition, with particular reference to Sufism. Although Sufis are considered the forerunners of writing on the subject of divine love, there is a relative paucity of literature regarding the details of their conceptions of love. Love in Sufism by Süleyman Derin should be considered as one of the first instances in its field that covers the thoughts of a wide number of Sufi figures writing in Arabic. Süleyman Derin not only provides us with a comprehensive account of the Sufi paradigms of love presented by Rabia, Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi and Ibn al-Farid—with an analysis of the specific motives of each particular paradigm—but also provides insight into the social and historical context of their milieu. This book addresses both scholars and general readers of Sufism alike.

Mantiqu't-Tair is one of the masterpieces of Persian literature of which a complete and annotated translation into English is here presented for the first time as The Speech of the Birds. The text revolves around the decision of the birds of the world to seek out a king. Their debilitating doubts and fears, the knowing counsel of their leader the Hoopoe, and their choice of the Simurgh as king, is in reality an allegory of the spiritual path of Sufism with its demands, its hazards and its infinite rewards. The poem contains many admonitory anecdotes and exemplary stories, including numerous references to some of the early Muslim mystics such as Rabi'a al-Adawiyya, Abu Said ibn Abi'I-Khair, Mansur al-Hallaj and Shibli, amongst others. Brought up in a Sufi ambience, the author of this work, Faridu'd-Din Attar (1145-1221), was an apothecary who lived near Nishapur. Attar, whom legend describes as having taken to the Sufi path in earnest after he witnessed a dervish surrender his soul outside his shop, went on to become one of the most famous Sufi poets in history, best known for his classical work the Mantiqu't-Tair. In The Speech of the Birds, Peter Avery has not only given us a precise and moving translation, but also ample annotation providing much information to fill in what Attar would have expected his readers to know. The result is a fascinating insight into a remarkable aspect of Islam: the world of the ecstatic love and ultimate sacrifice of the Persian mystics who, i...read more

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You must be aware that there are a number of destructive calls which have been established amongst the ranks of the Muslims and which have shaken and damaged the belief held in there hearts. They have polluted the pure Islamic ‘aqeedah, and have grown by stages to reach such a dangerous level that they led to the splitting of the Muslims into sects and the parties, about which the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: Indeed those who were before you, from the people of the book, split into seventy-two sects, and this religion will split seventy-three. Seventy-two in the fire and one in the paradise and it is the Jammaa’ah.

This definitive treatment on the subject of prayerfulness and remembrance of God, is a translation of Book 9 of the Ihya', and is widely read not only for its comprehensiveness, but also for the analytical approach of the author, who explores the psychological and spiritual effects of prayers and the celebrations of God's names. Although prayerfulness and the remembrance of God suffuse all the formal practices of Islam, there are time when the Muslim simply 'sits alone with his lord' to repeat formulas drawn form the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet, seeking remission of his sins and the purification of the heart. The present volume, Book IX of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, is probably the most widely read compendium of such material, popular not only for its comprehensiveness and beauty, but also for the analytical approach of its author, who explorers the psychological and spiritual effects of prayer and the celebration of God's name. Abu-Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), theologian, logician, jurist, and mystic, was born and died at the town of Tus in Central Asia, but spent much of his life lecturing at Baghdad or leading the life of a wandering dervish. His most celebrated work, of which this is an important section, has exercised a profound influence on Muslim intellectual history by exploring the mystical significance of the practices and beliefs of Islamic orthodox, earning him the title of Hujjat al-Islam, the 'proof of Islam'. The original translation by Ko...read more

“To express in the language of Sufism, that is, Islamic mysticism, some of the universal truths which lie at the heart of all religions’, this is the avowed purpose of this book. It came into being because the author was asked by a friend to set down in writing what he considered to be the most important things that a human being can know. He was also asked to make it very easy, and despite the depth of all that it contains, it has in fact a remarkable simplicity and clarity, due no doubt in part to the constant use of traditional imagery which awakens and penetrates the imagination.

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Considered one of the greatest works of Islamic mysticism and interpreted here for the first time in English by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi, was written by 'Abd al-Qadiry-Jilani (1077-1166). Born near the Caspian Sea, he was the son of Fatima bint Abdullah al-Sawma'i.The Secret of Secrets, considered one of the greatest works of classical Sufi mysticism and interpreted here for the first time in English' by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al Jerrahi, was written by Abd al-Qidir al Jilani (1077-1 166), the eponymous founder of the Qadiriya order, the first of the great Sufi brotherhoods which radiate throughout the Islamic world. Born near the Caspian Sea, he was he son of the great saint Fatima hint Abdullah al-Sawma i. After a period of intense intellectual and mystical training Abd al-Qidir received the khirqa (robe of initiation) and was soon recognised as a saint and scholar, consulted, loved and revered by caliph and pauper alike. As one of the most venerated Sufism his burial place in Baghdad still attracts isitors from many countries. The Secret of Secrets reveals in a brief compass, the very essence of Sufism, showing how outward practices such as rayer, fasting' and almsgiving contain a wealth of inner lions which must be discovered and enjoyed if external actions are to be performed in a manner pleasing to God. When this is achieved the soul finds true peace and the spiritual life becomes complete. The book forms a bridge between two of the author's more famous works, Weal...read more

The ethical dimension of human attitude towards nature is one of the most controversial problems of today as it was in the past. With an awareness of the moral and metaphysical dimensions present in environmental problems, Ibrahim Özdemir presents the consequences of the human-nature relationship and the way in which it is threatening not only to nature, but also to the very being of humankind and his or her future. Ibrahim Özdemir seeks not only to answer the following questions: “How is nature perceived and treated by human beings?”; “What kind of relation does humanity have with nature?”; “What about human being’s future on earth and the future of coming generations?” but also seeks to examine the issue of the human-nature relationship from an Islamic perspective.

The influence of Muhyi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) on the development of Sufism and Islamic thought since the thirteenth century is immeasurable. His doctrines, ideas and terminology have been incorporated in the most complex intellectual treatises as well as in the language of popular Sufism. Of his numerous works, the Fusus al-Hikam is acknowledged to contain a summary of Ibn 'Arabi's metaphysical thought. Each chapter of the Fusus alITlikam is dedicated to a Qur'anic prophet with whom a particular `wisdom' is associated. Sufi Metaphysics and Qur'anic Prophets: Ibn `Arabi's Thought and Method in the Fusus al-Hikam is the first work in the English language to provide a detailed textual analysis of the Fusus al-Hikam and to attempt to extract from it the main ideas that underlie Ibn `Arabi's world-view. Ronald Nettler highlights Ibn'Arabi's main concern: the reconciliation of the One and the many, unity and multiplicity, the transcendent God of revealed religion and the immanent God of a cosmology of ultimate unity. In addition, the issues of good and evil, the world to come and other concerns in Ibn`Arabi's thought are explored. In discussing the above ideas, the author demonstrates the vital importance of the Qur'an for Ibn 'Arabi and its place as the inspiration and source of his metaphysics. Sufi Metaphysics and Qur'anic Prophets serves not only as an explication of the Fusus al-Hikam, but is also a great aid in the overall understanding of Ibn 'Arabi's thought. Rona...read more

This is the first English translation of MIFTAB al-FALAH, a thirteen century Sufi text, written by IBN ATA ALLAH, the noted jurist of the Maliki school of law, and the third of the great masters of the SHADIHILI SUFI order. This book is considered to be one of his most important works because it contains the principles of actual Sufi mystical practices. It is unprecedented for the light it sheds on the central role of DIKHR’ULLA, or sacred invocation, and associated practices, such as a spiritual retreat.Written in a clear, lucid style, it offers a glimpse into the Sufi world of the Seventh Islamic century and allows us to see almost at first hand how the novice was guided by the SUFI SHAYKH and, above all, the purpose and preparation involved in engaging in the sacred invocation. The author sets out to define it, to explain it nature and power, to show it results and to prove that it is part of the Prophet’s way of life, or practice. The author goes to great length to point out the many Quranic verses where it is mentioned and cites many noted authorities. Ibn Ata Allah was not the only one who writes on this topic but he is the only one who devoted entire book to a subject and the first to put down in writing the mysteries connected with the orally transmitted religious tradition.