Product Description
" . . . will be of interest not only to those concerned with Pakistan and the new Muslim presence in Europe, but also to those interested in an anthropological study of religion." --Barbara Metcalf Pnina Werbner traces the development of a Sufi Naqshbandi order founded by a living saint, Zindapir, whose cult is centered in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan and has extended globally to Britain, Europe, the Gulf States, and Southern Africa. Drawing on 12 years of fieldwork in Pakistan and Great Britain, she presents an ethnographic perspective on ritual and belief, examining how such cults are manifested through ritual action and embodied in sacred mythology and transnational movement. ... Read more

Product Description

In recent years Sufism has undergone something of a revival as a spiritual alternative to other manifestations of Islam. This book investigates the development of Sufism in Western societies, with a regional focus on North America and Europe. Exploring a number of issues relating to the dynamic tensions between religious globalization processes and specific sacred localities, this book looks at the formation of Sufi movements that have migrated from their place of origin to become global religious networks.

Sufi groups are highly differentiated and often inaccessible, so the origins and development of Sufism in the West have not been widely studied. Employing a comparative approach based on regional fieldwork and case studies, this book addresses theoretical issues and gives a comprehensive analysis of distinct communities and the development of regional branches of Sufi orders, providing an international perspective on Sufism in the West. With contributions from well-known international experts on the topic, the book addresses Sufi orders in the context of the transnational networks in which they are operating and the constraints of the localities in which they live.

This book will be of interest to scholars and students of religion, Islam and Sufism in particular.

Product Description
This book offers intimate and moving portraits of Sufism as practiced in five countries. Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, is as far from the strident and often violent fundamentalist strain of the religion that has so captured world attention as it is possible to be. Sufis in all parts of the Islamic world are broad-minded, tolerant, and non-violent, their quest only to find and approach God through all means, including poetry, music, and dance.

Historian Nicolaas Biegman has been observing and photographing Sufi practice and ritual in different Muslim lands for many years, and here in this collection of extraordinary photographs he feels the pulse of the Sufi experience, with its enormous variety in discipline and exuberance, intellectualism and spontaneity, in Egypt, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Macedonia. In accompanying texts he explores what lies behind the rituals, and explains aspects of Sufi life and practice such as the position of women. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Heartof Love
Osho points the way to the heart of love within all of us. He must be the 21st century's most articulate communicator about the world's esoteric and religious traditions, and this book about the Sufi Way is no exception. ... Read more

Product Description
Investigating sufi-inspired spirituality in the modern world, this multi-faceted and interdisciplinary volume focuses on Beshara, a spiritual movement that applies the teachings of Ibn 'Arabi in a non-Muslim context. It traces the movement's emergence in sixties Britain and analyses its major teachings and practices, exploring through this case-study the interface between Sufism and the New Age, and the encounter between Islam and the West. Examining from a global perspective the impact of cultural transformations associated with modernisation and globalisation on religion, this timely volume concludes by tracing possible futures of Sufi spirituality both in the West and in the Muslim world. ... Read more

Product Description
Sindh--the southernmost province of Pakistan--has a distinctive character of its own, setting it apart from other areas of the Islamic world. Nowhere else has Sufism gained such a stronghold. Shrines of Sufi saints are scattered all over the country, and still countless pilgrims flock to them. The cultural landscape of Sindh, however, is reaching far beyond the borders of the present province. Having been the cradle of many civilizations, some so old that we still lack any precise knowledge about them, the valley still provides the geographical and cultural backbone to a young country which displays a spectacular mix of cultures.
The Saints and Singers of Pakistan tell the story of the travels and adventures of the human soul in a myriad different ways, so that it may not be out of place to call it Pakistan's soul music. Whereas Qawwali, the most popular genre, made a spectacular entrance into the world music arena, most of the other manifold-and often equally interesting-expressions of Sufi music are still very little known by the western audience. ... Read more

Product Description
The first work to appear in Fons Vitae's Contemporary Spiritual Masters series treats the reader or seeker to a firsthand, intimate experience of the master-disciple relationship in the Islamic mystical tradition: Sufism. Following a scholarly introduction, which describes the five great Sufi orders and their lineages of renowned saints and masters (of which Hazrat Rasool is himself a product) the contemporary master answers oft asked and important questions covering such topics as: the transformational changes Sufism may bring about in a serious seeker, the nature of the individual who has achieved the goal, the role of the guide or master, the "centers of consciousness," the transmission of the methodology and meditation, what it means for the heart to be "awakened" or enlightened, and the kind of realization experienced by students of Sufism.

Scholarly yet accessible, authoritative yet humble, moderate yet firmly rooted in spiritual tradition, "Turning toward the Heart" challenges preconceptions of both Islam and Sufism. In a world in need of beacons of truth, Hazrat Rasool's gentle voice instructs, informs, and, most importantly, inspires. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Turning Toward the Heart, Awakening to the Sufi Way
This little treasure has been in my personal library for several years now. There are numerous marked passages, as I often refer to this book in times of need-a tool to assist my own spiritual journey. The format of Q & A is natural and conversational,covering a range of topics such as spirituality in modern life, meditation and spiritual discipline, Islam's role in Sufism, the relationship between a student and teacher, etc.

An excerpt from the author's biography,written by his representative in the US, Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid, offers a portrait: "The cheerfulness, faith, trust and sincerity of Hazrat Azad Rasool are proven keys to success outwardly and, most importantly, inwardly. His ability to turn challenge into an opportunity for growth and worship ('ibadah) is a sign of the real Sufi"

An easy reading
This book is very easy going for a beginner. It summarizes the essential teachings of sufism, particularly the Naqshbandi tariqa. Based on a set of questions and their answers, this book educates a novice to the teachings of sufism. This book also gave a very brief historical setting of how sufism, and in particular, Naqshbandi tariqa flourished. This is an excellent mentor reading on the soft mystic side of Islam.

Profound and captivating
Written in a question and answer format, Shaykh al-Tariqat Hazrat Azad Rasool answers most if not all question regarding Sufism.

His style is warm and heartfelt, but without sacrificinglucidity and succinctness and in the process covers a tremondous range of topics quite well. Most readers will come away with a firm understanding of what Sufism is and is not, plus what it has to offer us moderns.

What makes this book so special among the plethora of books on sufism is this: Unlike many authors, Shaykh Rasool is a Sufi and teacher with a real lineage, so he writes from first hand experience and knowledge. Which is quite rare when one examines many of the books, where the authors are either academics or new age purveyors.

One cannot but help when reading this book, that one is in the presence of a true spiritual guide. Someone who lives what he teaches. As one other reviewer put it, I'm grateful that such teachers still exist in our time. It renews ones faith to say the least.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what Sufism is and is a joy to read. It makes a perfect gift to religous students and others who are curious about other spiritual traditions.

Looking for a balanced approach in Sufism
If you are looking for more than the New Age approach to "universal" Sufism, or psychological approach of Idries Shah, and feel uneasy about the eschatological approach of Shakh Nazim, Turning toward the Heart will offer you an alternative and balanced approach in the traditional path of Sufism, written in a simple language, yet containing profound truths that are applicable for both an advanced student, as well as a beginner, who would like to experience the way of the Sufi.
The book has been extremely helpful to me in claryfying many confused ideas about Sufism, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the mystical dimension of Islam.
From a seeker after truth from Warsaw

Applicable wisdom for the contemporary seeker
This book is like a beacon of light. Hazrat Azad Rasool is quite clearly an authentic representative of the tradition of Wisdom which has showed itself here and there throughout the history of mankind, and shows itself here in the form of Sufism. However, this is not merely an academic tome. The effect of reading this book is an almost palpable transformation of one's understanding and being which remains with you long after you put it down. At least, that was the effect it had on me. I am both amazed and grateful that such writers still live in our time. ... Read more

Product Description
Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, also known as Shaikh al-ishraq or the Master of Illumination, lived in the sixth century AH / twelfth century CE.
His thoughts form a consistent and coherent philosophical system, and a close study of his writings in Persian reveals a theory of knowledge generally called 'Knowledge by Presence'. The elaborate web of myth and symbolism in Suhrawardi's philosophy articulates his theory of knowledge, an important subject in the ishraqi school of thought.
Suhrawardi, who claims first to have discovered the truth and then embarked on a path to find the rational basis of his experiential wisdom, represents a thinker who tried to reconcile rational discourse and inner purification. ... Read more

Product Description
Guide to India's mystical tradition, short sketch of the sufis in India, shrines, life and influence ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gem of a Reference !!
I would highly recommend this book for any student on the sufi path irrespective of the order or tariqa he has choosen cause this books gives a glimpse of all those saints who made the Indian sub-continent their home inspite of having migrated from different parts of asian region. Reading this book can only raise ones admiration to all those saints who have taught sufism with their teachings and practices as required of their times.The author has painstakingly put in a sincere effort thus doing a favor to the readers/sufis in describing their early life, education and training, initiation into sufi order, traits and character, poetic taste, teachings and sayings, marriage and children, their caliphs and supernatural powers on each saint of all orders ranging from Qadariyyato Chistiyya along with Suhrawardiyya & Naqshbandiyya while ending their biographies with all references used to compile the same. Books with such information are a few around to be had and I consider this to be one Gem of a reference on many prominent and well known saints of sufism/tassawuf from the Indian sub-continent. I would say this is a must have for any one who is on the sufi path. This book will aid in opening your eyes and hearts.Rest Allah knows best. ... Read more

Product Description
'To express in the language of Sufism, that is, Islamic mysticism, some of the universal truths which lie at the heart of all religions'—this is the book's avowed purpose. It came into being because the author was asked by a friend to set down in writing what he considered to be the most important things that a human being can know. He was also asked to make it very easy, and despite the depth of all that it contains, it has in fact a remarkable simplicity and clarity, due no doubt to the constant use of traditional imagery which awakens and penetrates the imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing
I review this work with some trepidation."Martin Lings" and "Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din" are the same person, incidentally; Lings embraced Islam and wrote this book in Egypt, where, he indicates, it has been translated into Arabic.

My impression can be summed up succinctly.To date, I have not encountered any other original work in a Western language that incorporates and reveals so much directly transmitted Sufi lore - not Guenon, not Henry Corbin, not Frithjof Schuon - and this despite the fact that this is a little book, less than 100 pages.I was a surprised to find such material in print, and I wonder if it should have been written at all, due to the possibility of misinterpretation.

But then, I am not qualified to pass judgment on such matters.The book requires multiple re-readings to obtain all that it has to offer - then set it aside, and read it again in a couple of months.In this unenlightened age, it is a treasure. ... Read more

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Shabistari's thought, opposition to Persia's mullahs, relationship to peripatetic philosophy and place in classical Persian literature. ... Read more

Product Description
The Taste of Hidden Things is a portrait of Sufism as a living mystical system. Sara Sviri brings together the wisdom, metaphysical boldness, and lyrical passion of the great Sufi masters, past and present. A special place is given to al-Hakîm at-Tirmidhî. Excerpts from his work, including teaching dreams of his wife, are published here for the first time in English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Taste of Hidden Things
I lovely book full of wonderful insights from the Naqshabandi Sufi Path that can be understood and used by anyone seeking deeper wisdom of the heart.

Masterful
This volume by Sara Sviri is a model of eloquence and rare
Beauty.Every chapter will inform and inspire the Sincere.
You cannot but be uplifted by it. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Guide to India's mystical tradition, short sketch of the sufis in India, shrines, life and influence ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gem of a Reference !!
I would highly recommend this book for any student on the sufi path irrespective of the order or tariqa he has choosen cause this books gives a glimpse of all those saints who made the Indian sub-continent their home inspite of having migrated from different parts of asian region. Reading this book can only raise ones admiration to all those saints who have taught sufism with their teachings and practices as required of their times.The author has painstakingly put in a sincere effort thus doing a favor to the readers/sufis in describing their early life, education and training, initiation into sufi order, traits and character, poetic taste, teachings and sayings, marriage and children, their caliphs and supernatural powers on each saint of all orders ranging from Qadariyyato Chistiyya along with Suhrawardiyya & Naqshbandiyya while ending their biographies with all references used to compile the same. Books with such information are a few around to be had and I consider this to be one Gem of a reference on many prominent and well known saints of sufism/tassawuf from the Indian sub-continent. I would say this is a must have for any one who is on the sufi path. This book will aid in opening your eyes and hearts.Rest Allah knows best. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the theological, philosophical and Islamic mystical dimensions of the Suhraward sufi order from the 13th to 15th centuries. The Suhrawards were a legally grounded and intellectually vibrant sufi order whose mystical path was based on exchanges and debates on the Qur'an and on the Prophet's customs. The book analyses their interpretation of sacred texts: the Qur'an, hadiths, sunna, and malfuzat. This created a unique self-understanding, which developed specific sufi spiritual exercises. The book discusses new important ways of thinking about the sufi hermeneutics of the Qur'an and its contribution to Islamic intellectual and spiritual life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fantastic!
I was always interested in learning more about Muslim mystics & whether they were at all connected to politics. This book showed me that Muslim mystics like the Suhrawardis were truly commited to their religious values while at the same time interested in making sure that mystics (sufis) were active participants in society. I always assumed that all mystics - like in Christianity - had to live in monastaries away from society. But this book was really good that it help me understand that Muslim mystics were also politicians, economists, and legalists. The end of the book gives examples of specific spiritual exercises the Suhrawardis employed. REALLY AWESOME READ.

The most thought-provoking book on Islam and Sufism
It's refreshing to read a book on Islam after the 9/11 attacks and to learn about its mystical dimensions and long history of philosophy and theology.This is the most thought-provoking book I've read yet on Islam and the intriguing Sufi order.So often, it's hard to decide on books in the field of religion and philosophy.However, this book was an easy choice because it laid out the diversity of interpretation of sacred texts.This topic is so much more rich and educational than the run-of-the-mill new trendy books out each month about Islam without the research to back them up.I think any person who takes an interest in the deeper issues of this culture and religion will find that the author has supported his findings with thorough research and has written a book that anybody with a passion for learning will enjoy.

FABULOUS!
I highly recommend this book.It's very thorough and informative. ... Read more

Product Description

Sufis of Andalusia consists of biographical sketches of some of the contemplatives and spiritual masters among whom Ibn 'Arabi spent his early years.

Customer Reviews (3)

Very useful
As usual the "Seal of the saints" provides information that help the seeker of God. The great variety of saints described adds a colorful array of possible approaches a sufi can take. One can therefore accept more his nature and realize that not all sufis are the same in approach, but all are same in desiring and being pure about the worship of The One. It left me wanting to read more, and if there is one thing that is sad, is that there is not enough of S. Ibn Arabi tranlated into the Enlgish.

An introduction to ibn Arabi
The translator has provided here a partial translation of the 'Ruh al-Quds' written by probably Islams most influential Sufi ibn Arabi.

The book, published by Beshara publications who often print translations of ibn Arabi's works in particular with commentaries by classical Turkish Sufis (Such as Ismail Hakki Bursevi's commentary on the Fusus and the Kernel of the Kernel) is a continuation of the publishers interest with ibn Arabi.

The introduction is by the late Martin Lings who was a British convert to Islam and Sufi who wrote a number of books most notably a biography of Muhammad, a biography of the late Algerian Sufi Sheikh al-Alawi and several works in defence and support of Rene Guenon.

The translator R.J. Austin provides us with an introduction to ibn Arabi's life and times giving us a detailed biography of the man and the cultural world in which he lived in.He then provides an introduction to Sufism it appears using much of Martin Lings' works as reference before the translation.

The translation itself is simply a brief biography of Sufis who were ibn Arabi's teachers, people he met or scholars he knew of.Several of them are women, something that may be of surprise to some though during ibn Arabi's time it was fairly common to find women in high theological positions and well respected Sufis.The style is common to many books that can be found in the Muslim world as it was a common practice for a Sufi master to compile a biography of his teachers or of his Sufi lineage.

This would certainly be of interest to those wishing to know more about Sufism and also to understand the cultural side of the Islamic world.

Out of Print??
Nooooooo! This book must be available to the public!it is a medeocoretranslation, but who cares (:-))

This book from Shaykh AlAkbar waswritten because someone said to him that there was no no more tasawwufleft, let alone there were no Auliya left.

What did he do? He wrote RuhAl-Quds wa Al-Durrat AlFakhira! Included in this book are pages of theAuliya whom he met, studied with and learned from, including women!

IbnAlArabi is the qutb of men, and we may not be able to understand him, or belike him, but this translation is easy to understand, and digest! ... Read more

Product Description
The author provides a guidebook for inner path. It provides with an insight and understanding which may be a welcome in a circle of Sufi friends, or as a silent companion on your further way. It is a volume rich in both quantity and quality. It offers beautiful insights into the world of the mind in its relation to the body one the one hand, and to the soul on another. ... Read more

Product Description
Sufism is the esoteric aspect of Islam. Its purpose is to convey direct knowledge of the eternal. The Sufis impart knowledge through lineages that go back to the Prophet Muhammud. The Sufis repeat their zikr as they turn and empty their hearts of all but the thought of God and whirl in the ecstatic movements of His breath. ... Read more

Product Description
For many in the West, the ecstatic dancing ritual of whirling dervishes is
the most recognizable aspect of Sufism. Sufism is the mystical branch of
Islam, with which Muslims throughout the world identify. It emphasizes
direct knowledge of the divine within each person. Its adepts see
meditation, music, song, and dance as integral to the spiritual quest.
The Chishti Sufi order is among the oldest and most popular of all Sufi
traditions. Though most often identified with South Asia, today its devotees
can be found from California to Kuala Lumpur.What are the distinctive
practices of the Chishtis, and how do they differ from other orders?Who
were the founding figures, and what were the seminal texts that provided the
basis for this tradition?And how has this legacy continually been
reinterpreted until the present day?
Sufi Martyrs of Love provides access to the voices of Sufi authorities
through the translation of texts being offered in English for the first
time. It also offers a critical perspective on Western attitudes toward
Islam and Sufism, confronts the prejudices of the academy and the media, and
offers a clarification of the contemporary importance of Sufism from Asia to
America.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lots of information
Sufi Martyrs of Love by Carl Ernst and Bruce Lawrence is a travel through the history and practices of the Chishti order of Sufism from its beginnings to the present.The book did a good job explaining how Sufis of the Chishti order have reconciled being Muslim and a Sufi.The book also discussed how many Muslims particularly Whahbbis do not see Sufism as part of Islam.The book touched upon many interesting concepts such as these and it was obviously well researched.However, if you are looking for a basic introduction into Sufisim this is not it.It was a very slow read and at times very dry.There were many times when I found myself skipping entire paragraphs that seemed to just be filled with the names of Sufi masters.There were far too many names to keep track of and their significance within Chishti order.If you have a good foundation of knowledge of Sufism and want to learn about the Chishti order then this is the book for you.If not, then try your luck elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description

Sufi Heirs of the Prophet explores the multifaceted development of personal authority in Islamic societies by tracing the transformation of one mystical sufi lineage in colonial India, the Naqshbandiyya. Arthur F. Buehler isolates four sources of personal authority evident in the practices of the Naqshbandiyya--lineage, spiritual traveling, status as a Prophetic exemplar, and the transmission of religious knowledge--to demonstrate how Muslim religious leaders have exercised charismatic leadership through their association with the most compelling of personal Islamic symbols, the Prophet Muhammad. Buehler clarifies the institutional structure of sufism, analyzes overlapping configurations of personal sufi authority, and details how and why revivalist Indian Naqshbandis abandoned spiritual practices that had sustained their predecessors for more than five centuries. He looks specifically at the role of Jama'at 'Ali Shah (d. 1951) to explain current Naqshbandi practices.

Customer Reviews (3)

Informative
This book is highly informative of technical details in Naqshbandi order practices. The author took great pains to unravel so many arabic, persian and urdu sources. But its not comprehensive, in the sense that it does not provide a consistent picture of the whole. The writing is haphazard and you need to have considerable background to read this book. Otherwise it takes one of the Pakistani shaykhs as a case study and goes into details of Naqshbandi practices, shaykh-disciple relationship, religio-social backgrounds etc. Surprisingly it did not cover, nor mention, any of the other lineages in India-Bangladesh, of the Mujaddidiya order. Good information but bad style of conveying it.

The Best Book on the Naqshbandi Sufi Practises
This book contains a lot of subjects. But, its most important chapters are on Naqshbandi sufi practises, in my opinion. It gave detailed information about dhikr, lataif and muraqabat which formulated in the Mujaddidi phase. I cogratulates the author.

Scholarly study of Hazrat Jamaat Ali Shah & the Naqshbandis
This book fulfills two roles: it provides a very good history of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order in general and it also looks in detail at the life of one of the greatest Sufi saints of the 19th/20th century Sayyedina Ameer alMillat Grandshaykh Pir Sayyid Jama'at Ali Shah Naqshbandi (may Allah bepleased with him) of Alipur Sharif, Pakistan, as a case study. It isawelcome first look at this great saint and also it gives detailedinformation on Naqshbandi Sufi practices and beliefs. It should appeal toall those interested in tassawuf and also of religion in the Subcontinentas well as to the millions of admirers and disciples of Grandshaykh, HazratAmir al Millat who was the Ghawth [spiritual helper] of his age. I gave itonly 4 stars just because in style it is very academic and meant for thespecialist student of Sufism and not for the lay-person; yet with a bit ofapplication all can benefir from this book and discover real Islam from aMaster. ... Read more