Umar Ibn al-Fāriḍ (1181–1235), author of two classic works, the Wine Ode and the Poem of the Sufi Way, is considered the greatest Sufi poet to write in Arabic. In this study, these and other poems by Ibn al-Fāriḍ are considered within the context of Islamic mysticism, Arabic literature, and Sufi poetry. Th. Emil Homerin uncovers the literary and religious intent of these poems and their aesthetic and mystical content, showing them to be a type of meditative poetry. Indeed, Ibn al-Fāriḍ often alludes to the Sufi practice of "recollection," or meditation on God, to evoke a view of existence in which the seeker may be transformed by an epiphany of love revealing an intimate relationship to the divine beloved. Homerin provides elegant translations and close readings of Ibn al-Fāriḍ's poetry, highlighting the beauty of his verse, its moods, meanings, and significance within Islamic mysticism and Arabic poetry, where Ibn al-Fāriḍ is still known as the "Sultan of the Lovers."

Rumi the Persian poet is widely acknowledged as being the greatest Sufi mystic of his age. He was the founder of the brotherhood of the Whirling Dervishes. This is a collection of his poetry.

Ziauddin Sardar sides with the philosophers of al-Andalus in their struggle with orthodox theologians, Robin Yassin-Kassab goes on a poetic journey, Nazry Bahrawi reveals how the Andalusi philosophers tamed the secular, Gema Martin Munoz is dismayed by the works of the Spanish Orientalists,Emilio Gonzalez-Ferrin argues that al-Andalus is not just a time past also a time present, Matthew Carr explores the plight of Muslims who were forced to convert to Christianity. David Shasha describes the achievements of Sephardic Jews, Cherif Abderrahman Jah tunes into the musical legacy of al-Andalus, Brad Bullock seeks to empower women, Marvine Howe meets the new Muslims of Iberia, Jordi Sarra del Pino wows to resist Spain s new Reconquista, Alev Adil and Aamer Husseinreceive nine postcards from Andalusia, Boyd Tonkin is captivated by a book festival in Granada, Zara Amjad and Gulzar Haider reimagine the Cordoba Mosque as a sacred space for all religions, and Merryl Wyn Davies gets the shivers while listening to the Spanish tenor Jose Carreras belting out Granada. Also in this issue: Vinay Lal explores Gandhi s attitude to Palestine, Barnaby Rogerson reprimands the Muslim aversion to dogs, four poems by the enchanting Rowyda Amin, a short story by John Liechty, and a dozen luminaries of al-Andalus we should all admire.

This book offers a comparative study of emotion in Arabic Islamic and English Christian contemplative texts, c. 1110-1250, contributing to the emerging interest in ‘globalization’ in medieval studies. A.S.Lazikani argues for the necessity of placing medieval English devotional texts in a more global context and seeks to modify influential narratives on the ‘history of emotions’ to enable this more wide-ranging critical outlook. Across eight chapters, the book examines the dialogic encounters generated by comparative readings of Muhyddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240), ‘Umar Ibn al-Fārid (1181-1235), Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtarī (d. 1269), Ancrene Wisse (c. 1225), and the Wooing Group (c. 1225). Investigating the two-fold ‘paradigms of love’ in the figure of Jesus and in the image of the heart, the (dis)embodied language of affect, and the affective semiotics of absence and secrecy, Lazikani demonstrates an interconnection between the religious traditions of early Christianity and Islam.

'His Pen and Ink are a Powerful Mirror' is a volume of collected essays in honor of Ross Brann, written by his students and friends on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The essays engage with a diverse range of Andalusi and Mediterranean literature, art, and history. Each essay begins from the organic hybridity of Andalusi literary and cultural history as its point of departure, introduce new texts, ideas, and objects into the disciplinary conversation or radically reassesses well-known ones, and represent the theoretical, methodological, and material impacts Brann has had and continues to have on the study of the literature and culture of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in al-Andalus. Contributors include: Ali Humayn Akhtar, Esperanza Alfonso, Peter Cole, Jonathan Decter, Elisabeth Hollender, Uriah Kfir, S.J. Pearce, F.E. Peters, Arturo Prats, Cynthia Robinson, Tova Rosen, Aurora Salvatierra, Raymond P. Scheindlin, Jessica Streit, David Torollo.

Naguib Mahfouz's haunting novella of post-revolutionary Egypt combines a vivid pychological portrait of an anguished man with the suspense and rapid pace of a detective story. After four years in prison, the skilled young thief Said Mahran emerges bent on revenge. He finds a world that has changed in more ways than one. Egypt has undergone a revolution and, on a more personal level, his beloved wife and his trusted henchman, who conspired to betray him to the police, are now married to each other and are keeping his six-year-old daughter from him. But in the most bitter betrayal, his mentor, Rauf Ilwan, once a firebrand revolutionary who convinced Said that stealing from the rich in a unjust society is an act of justice, is now himself a rich man, a respected newspaper editor who wants nothing to do with the disgraced Said. As Said's wild attempts to achieve his idea of justice badly misfire, he becomes a hunted man so driven by hatred that he can only recognize too late his last chance at redemption.

This issue of SOCRATES has been divided into three sections. The first section of this issue is English Literature. The paper authored by Jasmine Fernandez, Dr C Upendra and Dr Amarjeet Nayak explore the medical thriller Coma through a grotesque lens. This study provides us with the idea that grotesquery is employed as a template to translate meanings and interpretations of medical thrillers. Through multiple responses as elicited by the grotesque, these thrillers engage with readers differently and hence produce varied responses. The second section of this issue is Philosophy. The first paper of this section has been authored by Ghasemali Kouchnani and Nadia Maftouni explores the Semiotics of Love in Suhrawardi’s Allegorical Philosophy. The paper concludes that the theme of Suhrawardi’s stories is mystical love and the wayfarer loves God. This love is to be spiritual emotion rather than passionate love simply because, on his way, the seeker must overcome his own inner and outer senses. These perceptions are symbolized by ten towers, ten graves, ten flyers, ten wardens, five chambers and five gates. These are the allegories of perceptions, i.e., the five internal and the five external senses could be seen in “Treatise on Towers”, “A Tale of Occidental Exile”, “The Simurgh’s Shrill Cry”, “The Red Intellect”, and “On the Reality of Love”. The second paper of this section has been authored by Alexandros Schismenos. The paper represents an opinion that, as a chimera, time-travel is non-feasible and impossible. To support his claim the author briefly outlines the origins of the time-travel concept and its epistemological and metaphysical/ontological conditions. If these conditions prove to be absurd, the logical impossibility of time-travel will have been demonstrated. The third section of this issue is Political science. The first paper of this section has been authored by Dr Michelle L Blakely and Dr Curtis R Blakely. This paper represents the first application of the Game theory to the field of penology, conceptualizing the relationship between prisons and prisoners as a “game” provides insight into the motivations, strategic behaviors and decision-making processes of its players. The second paper of this section has been authored by Rotimi Adeforiti which tends to identify the factors responsible for the crises of integration in the Nigeria federal system. The paper concludes that the foundations of federalism were laid by the British consciously or unconsciously for the existence of Nigeria. The country subscribed to federal system of government and had been practicing it. The problem facing Nigeria federal system today among others is no longer amalgamation of the country but the interest of various elite or elite ‘to be’ in the country. The third paper of this section has been authored by Gizachew Wondie Gifayehu which attempts to analyse the development and practice of citizenship and citizenship rights in Ethiopia. The fourth paper of this section has been authored by Prof. Inderjeet Singh Sodhi. This paper deals with the current status of water management in India and its emerging issues and challenges. The fifth paper of this section has been authored by Dr Prakash Chand Kandpal. This paper focuses on the development of sustainable cities, highlighting the actions and initiatives undertaken by the Government of Delhi to combat the menace of pollution in Delhi. The sixth paper of this section authored by Isha presents the concept of Public-Private Partnership and also evaluates its progress in school education in India. The paper concludes that the introduction of the PPP model in school education in India could help in the achievement of desired results as the payments are made by the government against the services delivered through the private sector. But there is a risk sharing between both government and private sector which is helpful for the delivery of public services in an efficient manner. However, PPP in the education sector has a long way to go as the schools approved under PPP model in some states of India like Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal are still not functioning. The seventh paper of this section has been authored by Sisay Assemrie Temesgen. This paper analyzes the moral acceptability of violent force and retaliation at the individual and community level, and in the arena of national and international politics.