Reading
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Sufi books
Letters to a Sufi Master
By Shaikh Al-‘Arabi ad-Darqawi
Translated by Titus Burckhardt
Perennial BooksShaikh ad-Darqawi is the founder of a major branch of the Shadhiliyyah Order in North Africa in the 19th century. These letters are precious gems of wisdom for the traveler on the Path. Almost all the letters concern the method and the operative aspects of the Way based upon the central techniques of invocations or dhikr. They are considered as some of the most direct instructions given on Sufic method as these techniques are usually referred to by means of allusion. A document of extraordinary power and beauty!
The Sufi Path of Love: The spiritual teachings of Rumi
By William C. Chittick
State University of New York Press, AlbanyThis is the most accessible work in English on the greatest mystical poet of Islam, providing a survey of the basic Sufi and Islamic doctrines concerning God and the world, the role of man in the cosmos, the need for religion, man’s ultimate becoming, the states and stations of the mystical ascent to God, and the means whereby literature employs symbols to express “unseen” realities. Chittick’s presentation of Rumi is absolutely clear and makes Rumi’s teachings accessible to those interested in the spirituality of any tradition.
The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi
Edited and translated by Reynold A. Nicholson
Distributed by Luzac and Company Ltd, LondonThis is the first complete English translation of the celebrated poem, The Mathnawi, Rumi’s masterpiece. Originally written in Persian, it is a reflection of the life and thought of the Mohammedan world in the later Middle Ages. It has been called the Persian Koran.
The Story of Layla & Majnun
By Nizami
Distributed by Luzac & Co. Ltd, LondonIt is the most famous love story of the Islamic world. Based, it is thought, on a true story, and often times recounted, the Persian poet Nizami’s version is elegant, thoughtful and conveys timeless wisdom around the theme of love between two beings and of their path towards the greater reality of Love.
Muslim Saints and Mystics (Memorial of the Saints)
By Farid al_din Attar
Translated by A.J. Arberry
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New YorkAttar is a 13th century Persian poet. This delicate narrative recounts the deeds, miracles and anecdotes that, while revealing the distinct nature of each man’s approach to mystical fulfillment, present at the same time the growth of the Sufi movement through the contribution of the early masters.
Essential Sufism
Edited by James Fadiman & Robert Frager
Castle BooksThis book presents selections from a multitude of saints and sages whose hearts were opened through the Sufi path. Presenting more than three hundred beautiful and inspirational works from all eras of Sufism, this collection embraces the full diversity of a rich tradition and reveals the heart of Islamic mysticism.
The Unlimited Mercifier
The spiritual life and thought of Ibn ‘Arabi
By Stephen Hirtenstein
Anqa Publishing/ White Cloud PressThe Unlimited Mercifier presents a unique portrait of Ibn ‘Arabi, considered to be one of the most profound thinkers in the history of world spirituality. More than a biography, this book combines the extraordinary journeys of a man through the middle-eastern kingdoms of the 13th century with a unique, unequalled inner journey on the path to the primordial Unity underlying all human and natural existence. A highly readable and lucid book that will appeal to anyone interested in the real heart of Sufism or the mystical path.
Articles
An Islam of peace and love
By Karim Ben Driss.Translated By Richard MercierNever ceasing to transcend the ego’s limits
SERVING GOD, SERVING MEN
By Marie-Hélène Dassa. Translated By Richard Mercier