Provides an insight into the everyday lives of Sufi devotees of the eighth-eleventh centuries and the moral and ethical dilemmas they were facing. This work invites the reader to explore the world of Islamic ascetic and mystical piety.

The author of the Epistle on Sufism, Abu 'l-Qasim al-Qushayri (376/986-465/1074), was a famous Sunni scholar and mystic (Sufi) from Khurasan in Iran. His Epistle is probably the most popular Sufi manual ever . Written in 437/1045, it has served as a primary textbook for many generations of Sufi novices down to the present. In it, Al-Qushayri gives us an illuminating insight into the everyday lives of Sufi devotees of the eighth to eleventh centuries C.E. and the moral and ethical dilemmas they were facing in trying to strike a delicate balance between their ascetic and mystical convictions and the exigencies of life in a society governed by rank, wealth, and military power. In al-Qushayri's narrative, the Sufi 'friends of God' (awaliya') are depicted as the true, if uncrowned, 'kings' of this world, not those worldly rulers who appear to be lording it over the common herd of believers. Yet, even the most advanced Sufi masters should not take salvation for granted. Miracle-working, no matter how spectacular, cannot guarantee the Sufi a 'favourite outcome' in the afterlife, for it may be but a ruse on the part of God who wants to test the moral integrity of his servant. In the Epistle these and many other Sufi motifs are illustrated by the anecdotes and parables that show al-Qushayri's fellow Sufis in a wide variety of contexts: suffering from hunger and thirst in the desert, while performing pilgrimage to Mecca, participating in 'spiritual concerts', reciting the Qur'an, waging war against the 'infidel' enemy and their own desires, earning their livelihood, meditating in a retreat, praying, working miracles, interacting with the 'people of the market-place', their family members and peers, dreaming, and dying. About The Author Abul Qasim Al-Qushayri was a student of the Shaykh Abu `Ali al-Daqqaq, He was a muhaddith who transmitted hadith to pupils by the thousands in Naysabur, in which he fought the Mu`tazila until he fled to Makkah to protect his life, He was also a mufassir who wrote a complete commentary of the Qur'an entitled Lata'if al-isharat bi tafsir al-Qur'an (The subtleties and allusions in the commentary of the Qur'an).

Ibn al-'Arabi and the Sufis is a fascinating and groundbreaking analysis of the extent to which various major Sufi figures contributed to the mystical philosophy of Ibn al-'Arabi. While recent scholarship has tended to concentrate on his teachings and life, little attention has so far been paid to the influences on his thought. Each chapter is dedicated to one of Ibn al-'Arabi’s predecessors, from both the early and later periods, such as al-Bistami, al-Hallaj and al-Jilani, showing how he is discussed in the works of the ‘Greatest Master’ and Ibn al-'Arabi’s attitude towards him. As the author makes clear, Ibn al-'Arabi was greatly influenced by the early Sufis as regards his philosophy and by the later Sufis in matters of practice. This naturally raises the question: how original was Ibn al-'Arabi? Abrahamov tackles this complex question in his conclusion. This book brings into sharp relief the highly original nature of Ibn al-'Arabi’s mystical theory, unprecedented in Islamic Mysticism, and the unique way in which he interwove the ideas of others into his own thought.

Written by 18th-century Moroccan scholar and mystic Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba, this book defines Sufic terminology. Based on four published Arabic editions of the Mi'raj and two manuscript versions, this translation is supplemented by excerpts from some of Ibn 'Ajiba's other works, which offer insights about the essential notions of Sufism: repentance, integrity, love, patience, gratitude, and the Eternal Wine. A comprehensive compilation, this bilingual edition--Arabic and English--celebrates Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba's belief that coming to know and reflect upon these notions could be, in itself, a sort of ascending meditative journey.

The First Islamic Reviver presents a new biography of al-Ghazali's final decade and a half, presenting him not as a reclusive spiritual seeker, but as an engaged Islamic revivalist seeking to reshape his religious tradition.