This book contains English translation of about 270 poems and quatrains derived from the 8 books of Urdu poetry that Faiz Ahmed Faiz published from 1941 to 1984, over a tumultuous period of 4 decades. For helping him and his poetry put in context, the book includes a ‘Preface’, how other writers viewed his poetry, including his own views on his poetry and how it sought social justice and freedom of speech and action, through his own incarcerations. This is another effort to bring to Englis...

Get drunk on Love, for Love is all that exists. Unless you make Love your business, you will not be admitted to the Beloved.' (Divan-i Shams-i Tabriz 455:A1:54)The thirteenth-century saint Jalaluddin Rumi has been called the greatest mystical poet of any age, and his work compared to that of Dante and Shakespeare. Over a period of 25 years he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry on the subjects of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination.Rumi was also a master...

A biography of the Sufi poet that's "a dazzling feat of scholarship . . . the book restores Rumi to the glories and hardships of his momentous age" ( The Washington Post).Ecstatic love poems of Rumi, a Persian poet and Sufi mystic born over eight centuries ago, are beloved by millions of readers in America as well as around the world. He has been compared to Shakespeare for his outpouring of creativity and to Saint Francis of Assisi for his spiritual wisdom...

In Idries Shah's Wisdom of the Idiots, the 'idiots' are Sufis, called this because their wisdom penetrates to a depth which renders it inaccessible to the merely intelligent or academically-knowledgeable. The exercise-stories of the Sufis are tools prepared for a specific purpose.On this level the movements of the characters in a story portray psychological processes, and the story becomes a working blueprint of those processes.Wisdom of the Idiots has been awarded many prize...

A Words Without Borders Anthology"Remarkable . . . a triumph . . . connects us at the level of our humanity, no matter where we may be from."— Los Angeles TimesThe countries that stretch along the broad horizons of the Middle East—from Morocco to Iran, from Turkey to Pakistan—boast different cultures, different languages, and different religions. Yet the literary landscape of this dynamic part of the world has been bound together not by borders and ...

Love is the Wine presents an intoxicating mix of essays to satisfy the spiritual thirst of those with long experience in Islam, as well as those encountering Sufism and the meaning of spiritual love for the first time. Themes including generosity, faith, self-knowledge, patience, and love are developed with stories and teachings by Turkish Sufi master Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak. A mesmerizing storyteller, master teacher, and prolific author in his native country, he was ideally suited to bring the ...

This collection of Sufi poetry and songs is “an inspiring source to deepen our knowledge of Sufism by the examples and teachings of . . . beautiful and wise Sufi women” (Sufism)The luminous presence of women who follow the Sufi Way—the mystical path of Islam—is brought to life here through their sacred songs and poetry, their dreams and visions, and stories of their efforts as they witness the Truth in many realms. These writings reflect the honor and resp...

It is often said that two-thirds of the religion of Islam was handed down by women and one-third was shaped by women. "Of worldly things," the Prophet Muhammad said, "women and fragrance are made dear to me and the comfort of my eyes is made in prayer."Muhammad was born to a widowed mother, tended by a female slave, and fostered by a Bedouin woman. Throughout his life, women were among his closest friends and companions, and they fought by his side for Islam. His marriage to Khadij...

Modern Poetry of Pakistan brings together not one but many poetic traditions indigenous to Pakistan, with 142 poems translated from seven major languages, six of them regional (Baluchi, Kashmiri, Panjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, and Sindhi) and one national (Urdu). Collecting the work of forty-two poets and fifteen translators, this book reveals a society riven by ethnic, class, and political differences—but also a beautiful and truly national literature, with work both classical and mod...

'An energy, a pulse form of quantum physics perhaps, alive at the margins of sleep or madness, and more often in the whispering of a single unwelcome thought.'The EconomistAccording to Islamic tradition, Allah created three types of beings: angels, made of light; humans, made of earth; and jinn, made of smokeless fire. Supernatural, shape-shifting, intelligent and blessed with free will and remarkable powers, jinn have over the ages been given many names - demon, spirit, gh...

At long last, an accessible little book that focuses on the teachings of Rumi's teacher and inspiration, Shams of Tabriz. Included in this slim, charming volume is a biographical sketch of the great Sufi teacher and mystic and a new translation of 500 of his core teachings that bring into fresh focus the meaning and mysteries of life and love.There are many books on Rumi and many translations of his works and yet most readers are unaware of how Rumi became a mystic. Shams, an Arabic word t...

The Story of Bahaullah is an introduction to the Prophet and Founder of the Bahai Faith. Born to Persian nobility in the early nineteenth century, Bahaullah (1817-1892) seemed destined for a life of wealth and ease. Yet from an early age He showed little interest in courtly privileges, preferring to minister to the less fortunate of His native Tehran. Later, He cast aside all considerations of future material comfort by declaring His recognition of the Bab. The Bab was a young man...