Description
Book SynopsisAt the very heart of Islam lies the spiritual way of Sufism. Far removed from the negative portrayal of Islam in the headlines, Sufism is rooted in the harmonious qualities of peace, love, beauty, and wisdom. Its primary focus is to return human beings to unity with God. This select treasury of Sufi wisdom includes nearly 400 short sayings from as many as 100 of the greatest Sufi saints and sages in history, covering a vast span of 1,400 years. It includes notable sayings from well-known figures such as Rabiah, al-Hallaj, Junayd, al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Farid, Ibn Arabi, Rumi, and Ahmad al-Alawi. Also featured are over 150 verses from the Koran and the Hadith (Prophetic sayings), which form the foundational sources of this esoteric form of Islam. Whether expressing itself in pithy paradoxical aphorisms, extended intellectual instruction, or rapturous mystical poetry, this compendium of Sufi wisdom will illuminate the spiritual traveler's way of return to God.
Trade ReviewThis work serves as a sure guide for the understanding of authentic Sufi doctrine and the principles of the method of reaching the Truth which the doctrine explains and to whose realization it points." -- Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The George Washington University, author of Sufi Essays and The Heart of Islam For anyone drawn to the metaphysics of Sufism, as seen from the perspective of divine unity, this is a rich collection of valuable insights." -- Carl W. Ernst, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author of How to Read the Qur'an and Teachings of Sufism This is a wonderful selection of texts focusing on the tight connection made in Islam between theory and practice, or knowing the truth of God and living in His presence." -- William C. Chittick, State University of New York, Stony Brook, author of The Sufi Path of Knowledge and The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi This is a Sufi volume with a difference! Scholars and students alike will be intrigued, charmed and educated by the wide range of well-chosen Sufi materials contained in this fascinating volume." -- Ian Richard Netton, University of Exeter, author of Sufi Ritual This elegant and well-chosen anthology of Sufi texts is not only a delight to read, but provides one of the most accessible and useful general introductions to Sufi metaphysics available in English. The emphasis on the mystical fruitfulness of the Qur'anic texts is especially welcome." -- Timothy J. Winter, Cambridge Muslim College, co-author of Understanding Islam and the Muslims This work brings together some of the most profound and transformative words of wisdom that unveil the mystical heart of the Islamic faith, referred to as Sufism. Given the media coverage of Islam, it is not surprising that many people, all over the world, are wondering how it is that well over one billion Muslims can believe in and practice the religion of Islam: this book will provide a wonderfully clear and spiritually compelling answer." -- Reza Shah-Kazemi, Managing Editor, Encyclopaedia Islamica, author of Paths to Transcendence and The Other in the Light of the One Drawing on over one hundred different sources and classical texts, Peter Samsel has assembled a superb collection of Sufi sayings, anecdotes, aphorisms and poems, hadith and Qur'anic citations concerning divine Unity and the contemplative discipline of invocation of God (dhikr) in Sufism. The author's own extremely original and insightful analysis of the doctrine of Unity in Sufism reveals the ecumenism at the heart of exoteric Muslim fideism." -- Leonard Lewisohn, University of Exeter, editor of The Philosophy of Ecstasy This remarkably wide-ranging volume ... [provides] an inspiring and thought-provoking collection of spiritual wisdom and insights drawn from the Qur'an, hadith, and more than a hundred classical Sufi authors and teachers, together representing all the major genres of Islamic spiritual writing." -- James W. Morris, Boston College, author of The Reflective Heart
