The Principles of Sufism

The Principles of Sufism
Author: ʿĀʾishah al-Bāʿūniyyah
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2016-03-15
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 1479864684

'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. Born into a prominent family of pious scholars and Sufi devotees, 'A'ishah received a thorough religious education and memorized the Quran at age eight. A mystic and a prolific poet and writer, she composed more works in Arabic than any other woman before the twentieth century. Yet despite her extraordinary literary and religious achievements, 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah remains largely unknown. For the first time, her key work, The Principles of Sufism, is available in English translation. The Principles of Sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. Outlining the four principles of Repentance, Sincerity, Remembrance, and Love, it traces the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novice’s transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both human limitations and God’s limitless love. Drawing on lessons and readings from centuries-old Sufi tradition, 'A'ishah advises the seeker to repent of selfishness and turn to a sincere life of love. In addition to his lucid translation, Th. Emil Homerin provides an insightful introduction, notes and a glossary to 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah’s remarkable account of the pursuit of mystical illumination. An English-only edition.

Principles of Sufism

Principles of Sufism
Author: Nahid Angha
Publisher: Jain Publishing Company
Total Pages: 130
Release: 1994
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0875730612

A simple introduction to the mystical branch of Islam called Sufism. Written with the general reader in mind who has no prior knowledge of the subject, the book explains the twelve basic principles of sufism in a non-technical, easy to understand style. Ideally suited for the classroom as well as the spiritually oriented reader.

The Risalah

The Risalah
Author: ʻAbd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayrī
Publisher: Kazi Publications
Total Pages: 584
Release: 2002
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

Practical Sufism

Practical Sufism
Author: Phillip Gowins
Publisher: Quest Books
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2012-12-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0835630102

This wise, funny, and compassionate book follows Gowins apprenticeship with Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, spiritual leader of the Sufi Order International. Until now, Pir Vilayat’s order has not had a strong, accessible introduction. This book not only provides that service but is more down-to-earth than most books on Sufism. It also has the advantage of being universalistic. “The Sufi Way is not a religion or a component of a religion but the heart of all religions and spiritualities,” Gowins says. Because it is non-dogmatic and offers no catechisms or creeds, its teachers are essential. Gowins emerges as a superb teacher, offering a user-friendly guide to the Sufi Way that is at once valuable to any seeker entering any spiritual path. Gowins is quick to emphasize that Sufism is not the only path or even the right path for everyone. His approach is full of engaging stories and specific practices that could be helpful in many circumstances. Readers will benefit from his gentle Sufi teachings of love, tolerance, unity, and consciousness, no matter what their chosen path.

Universal Sufism

Universal Sufism
Author: H. J. Witteveen
Publisher: Wild Earth Press
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2013-05
Genre:
ISBN: 9780989455008

This heartfelt introduction to modern Western Sufism is a highly accessible and practical guide to the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, the renowned Indian musician and Sufi mystic who brought Universal Sufism to the Western world in 1910. Inayat Khan's teachings, frequently prescient of modern science and the stresses and challenges facing us today, offer compassionate guidance and relevant inspiration for spiritual growth and daily life. Chapters about Inayat Khan's upbringing, his years in India, and his life in Europe allow a unique glimpse of his personal life, and illuminate the influences that shaped his message of Universal Sufism. Inayat Khan's own words, Sufi poetry, and teachings from many of the world's great religions bring each chapter to life. Topics include the philosophy and mysticism of Sufism, the relationship to God from a Sufi perspective, the mysticism of sound, and teachings on health and healing. Universal Sufism offers a comprehensive history of Sufism beginning with its pre-Islamic roots, the influence of poetry and music, its arrival in India, to its emerging role in unifying Eastern and Western spiritual thought.

Essential Sufism

Essential Sufism
Author: Robert Frager
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2013-02-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0062283464

“A welcome addition to the literature on Islam . . . Reading through the many entries, one gets a feeling for the beauty and deep wisdom of the Sufis.” —Library Journal The definitive compendium of Sufi wisdom, Essential Sufism presents more than three hundred beautiful and inspirational works from all eras of Sufism. From thousand-year-old prayers to contemporary Sufi poetry, this beautiful collection embraces the full diversity of a rich tradition and reveals the heart of Islamic mysticism. Written by Sufi prophets, saints, and teachers, these luminous stories, fables, and aphorisms help us to see the love and generosity of God in all of creation, and to experience the love for all things that embodies the Sufi's relationship with God. Voicing a passionate faith that aims to soften hearts hardened by daily life and open them to love, the Sufi tradition as illustrated in these pages teaches us to seek the Divine while remaining engaged in the world, to find our opportunities for spiritual growth, awareness, and generosity, and to realize that there is nothing in this world or the next that is not both loved and loving. “This book presents selections from a multitude of saints and sages whose hearts were opened through the Sufi path.” —Huston Smith, from the foreword “A treasure of jewels in the tradition of Sufi soul-work. I really love and value this book.” —Coleman Barks, translator of The Essential Rumi

Beauty in Sufism

Beauty in Sufism
Author: Kazuyo Murata
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2017-04-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1438462808

According to Muhammad, "God is beautiful and He loves beauty." Yet, Islam is rarely associated with beauty, and today, a politicized Islam dominates many perceptions. This work tells a forgotten story of beauty in Islam through the writings of celebrated but little-studied Sufi scholar and saint Rūzbihān Baqlī (1128–1209). Rūzbihān argued that the pursuit of beauty in the world and in oneself was the goal of Muslim life. One should become beautiful in imitation of God and reclaim the innate human nature created in God's beautiful image. Rūzbihān's theory of beauty is little known, largely because of his convoluted style and eccentric terminology in both Persian and Arabic. In this book, Kazuyo Murata revives Rūzbihān's ideas for modern readers. She provides an overview of Muslim discourse on beauty before Rūzbihān's time; an analysis of key terms related to beauty in the Qur'ān, Ḥadīth, and in Rūzbihān's writings; a reconstruction of Rūzbihān's understanding of divine, cosmic, and human beauty; and a discussion of what he regards as the pinnacle of beauty in creation, the prophets, especially Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Muhammad.

The Sufi Book of Life

The Sufi Book of Life
Author: Neil Douglas-Klotz
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2005-02-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1440684243

Part meditation book, part oracle, and part collection of Sufi lore, poetry, and stories, The Sufi Book of Life offers a fresh interpretation of the fundamental spiritual practice found in all ancient and modern Sufi schools—the meditations on the 99 Qualities of Unity. Unlike most books on Sufism, which are primarily collections of translated Sufi texts, this accessible guide is a handbook that explains how to apply Sufi principles to modern life. With inspirational commentary that connects each quality with contemporary concerns such as love, work, and success, as well as timeless wisdom from Sufi masters, both ancient and modern, such as Rumi, Hafiz, Shabistari, Rabia, Inayat Khan, Indries Shah, Irina Tweedie, Bawa Muhaiyadden, and more, The Sufi Book of Life is a dervish guide to life and love for the twenty-first century. On the web: http://sufibookoflife.com

Sufis

Sufis
Author: Idries Shah
Publisher: eBook Partnership
Total Pages: 540
Release: 2020-06-20
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1784790052

The Sufis is the best introduction ever written to the philosophical and mystical school traditionally associated with the Islamic world.Powerful, concise, and intensely thought-provoking, it sums up over a thousand years of Eastern thought - the product of some of the greatest minds humanity has ever produced - into a single work, presenting timeless ideas in a fresh and contemporary style.When the book was originally published in 1964, it launched its author, Idries Shah, on to the international stage, attracting the attention of thinkers and writers such as J. D. Salinger, Doris Lessing, Ted Hughes and Robert Graves.It introduced to the Western world concepts which have subsequently become commonly accepted, varying from the psychological importance of attention and humour, to the use of traditional tales as teaching instruments (what Shah termed 'teaching-stories'), and the historical debt owed by the West to the Middle East in matters scientific, literary and philosophical.As a primer for the many dozens of Sufi books that Shah later produced, it is unsurpassed, offering a clear window onto a community whose system of thought and action has long concerned itself with the advancement of the whole of humankind, and whose ideas about individuals and society, their purpose and direction, need to be understood now more than ever before.

Aisha al-Ba'uniyya

Aisha al-Ba'uniyya
Author: Th. Emil Homerin
Publisher: Oneworld Academic
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2019-08-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781786076106

Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya (c.1456–1517) was one of the greatest women mystics in Islamic history. A Sufi master and an Arab poet, her religious writings were extensive by any standard and extraordinary for her time. In medieval Islam a number of women were respected scholars and teachers, but they rarely composed works of their own. Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya, however, was prolific. She composed over twenty works, and likely wrote more Arabic prose and poetry than any other Muslim woman prior to the twentieth century. The first full-scale biography of al-Ba‘uniyya in the English language, this volume provides a rare glimpse into the life and writings of a medieval Muslim woman in her own words. Homerin presents her work in the wider context of late-medieval Islamic spirituality, examining the influence of figures such as Ibn al-‘Arabi, al-Busiri and Ibn al-Farid, and emphasising the role of the person of the Prophet Muhammad in her spirituality. Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya is a fascinating introduction to a figure described by a sixteenth-century biographer as ‘one of the marvels of her age’.