Considers what is known of acclaimed early Sufi master Abū Bakr al-Shiblī and how he was characterized in various times and places.Early Sufi master Abū Bakr al-Shiblī (d. 946) is both famous and unknown. One of the pioneers of Islamic mysticism, he left no writings, but his legacy was passed down orally, and he has been acclaimed from his own time to the present. Accounts of Shiblī present a fascinating figure: an eccentric with a showy red beard, a lover of poetr...

Avery explores the psychology of altered states among the early Sufis. It examines samâ` - listening to ritual recitation, music and certain other aural phenomena - and its effect in inducing unusual states of consciousness and behaviours. The focus is on the earliest personalities of the Islamic mystical tradition, as mediated by texts from the tenth to the twelfth centuries C.E. These unusual states are interpreted in the light of current research in Western psychology, and also...

The first collection of poems translated into English from the forbidden volume of the Divan of Rumi• Presents Rumi’s most heretical and free-form poems• Includes introductions and commentary that provide both 13th-century context and modern interpretationAfter his overwhelming and life-altering encounters with Shams of Tabriz, Rumi, the great thirteenth-century mystic, poet, and originator of the whirling dervishes, let go of many of the precepts of formal religion...

"The Qur'an itself is the great ocean of truth that lies undiscovered before us. In 'Journey of the Universe' the Shaykh has built an island in this vast Qur'anic see of knowledge so that we on the shore can build a bridge to it from religion, or from science or from wherever we may stand. Then, when we have bridged this gap between our intellectual knowledge and what is already written in our hearts we see, on looking back to the shore we left, the whole landscape of our existence from an...

An engaging study of Sufi teachings that presents the Sufi way as a universal means of gaining a greater understanding of ourselves, others, and the worldIn Sufi teaching the human heart is not a fanciful metaphor but an objective organ of intuition and perception. It perceives all that is beautiful, lovely, and meaningful in life—and reflects these spiritual qualities in the world, for the benefit of others. Every human heart has the capacity and the destiny to br...

LEAVES FROM A SUFI JOURNAL (With A Foreword By Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri) is a unique collection of articles presenting an outstanding introduction to the areas of Sufism and original Islamic teachings.This ageless wisdom is set against the backcloth of a changing world in which the application of this knowledge to one's own life could scarcely be more appropriate.Written by both classical and contemporary writers, this compilation includes commentaries on the...

In "Happiness in Life and After Death" -- An Islamic Sufi View, Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri provides a lucid and inspiring account of life, death and the hereafter, according to an Islamic Sufi perspective.The book opens with a wide-ranging sweep of death and dying as viewed in other cultures and religions -- from ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Zoroastrian sources through to Judaism and Christianity.Based on the Qur'an and Prophetic message, this book offers...

NOTE: This book has also been published under the title, ***"The Thoughtful Guide to Sufism"***.Sufism is the heart of Islam. This introduction to Sufism describes its origins and practices, its historical background and its spread throughout the world. The Elements of Sufism explains:- Where Sufism originated- The relationship between Islam and Sufism- What it means to be a Sufi- The relevance of Sufism in modern life

These inspired aphorisms and poems are remedies for hearts that seek the truth. They provide keys to the doors of inner knowledge, as well as antidotes to distraction and confusion.ABOUT SHAYKH FADHLALLA HAERIAcknowledged as a master of self-knowledge and a spiritual philosopher, Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri’s role as a teacher grew naturally out of his own quest for self-fulfillment.He travelled extensively on a spiritual quest which led to his eventual ...

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri emphasizes inner transformation and the refinement of conduct, as preludes to the realization of the prevalence of Divine Grace. He considers that the purpose of life is to know and resonate with the eternal essence of the one and only Life giver - Allah."Pointers to Presence" are for the heart. This collection of aphorisms provides insights into consciousness and are pointers to spiritual awakening.ABOUT SHAYKH FADHL...

Working from the original Persian sources translators and scholars David and Sabrineh Fideler offer faithful elegant translations that represent the full scope of Sufi poetry. These concise tightly focused meditations span only a few lines but reveal worlds of meaning. The poems explore many aspects of human life and the spiritual path but they center on the liberating power of love.

In Love’s Glory, mystical scholar Andrew Harvey presents 108 stunning short poems by the thirteenth-century Sufi mystic and poet Rumi. Working from translations in various languages and drawing on two decades of studying Rumi’s work, Harvey’s “re-creations” are arranged in a dance around crucial mystical themes: nondual bliss, ordeal, ecstatic recognition, revelation, and gratitude.“These short poems by Jalal-ud-Din Rumi, humanity’s most passionate and exalted mystic poet,...