100 Best Sufism Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The Essential Rumi

Jalal al-Din Rumi

5.0

This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems.

Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a remarkably wide range of readers, making the ecstatic, spiritual poetry of thirteenth-century Sufi Mystic Rumi more popular than ever.

The Es

Recommended by Adam Robinson, Adam Robinson, and Zainab Salbi.

Adam Robinson

The author’s gotten me in touch with the mystical, and the mysterious, and the magical in life. [source]

Adam Robinson

The author’s gotten me in touch with the mystical, and the mysterious, and the magical in life. [source]

Zainab Salbi

In the evolution of my journey I learned that the way that we can transform women’s lives and our lives generally is not necessarily only through the warrior’s ways. I do not deny the warrior’s ways. I have ridden the horse and carried the armour! But as I evolve in my own growth I have learnt that the way we can truly achieve transformation and change is through our own inner peace. It is through seeing our inner joy and inner happiness and through love. [source]

2

The Forty Rules of Love

Elif Shafa

4.6

In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her 2007 novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz—that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.

Ella Rubenstein is forty

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3

The Sufis

Idries Shah

4.6

When it first appeared in 1964, The Sufis was welcomed as the decisive work on the subject of Sufi Thought. Rich in scope, author Idries Shah explained clearly the traditions and philosophy of the Sufis to a Western audience for the first time. In the five decades since its release, the book has been translated into more than two dozen languages, and has found a wide readership in both East and We

4

The Conference of the Birds

Attar, Sholeh Wolpé

4.5

Considered by Rumi to be “the master” of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar is best known for this epic poem, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul’s search for meaning. He recounts the perilous journey of the world’s birds to the faraway peaks of Mount Qaf in search of the mysterious Simorgh, their king. Attar’s beguiling anecdotes and humor intermingle the sublime with the mundane, the spiritual

5

The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam's Mystical Tradition

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

4.5

The headlines are filled with the politics of Islam, but there is another side to the world's fastest-growing religion. Sufism is the poetry and mysticism of Islam. This mystical movement from the early ninth century rejects worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment, insisting rather on the love of God as the only valid form of adoration. Sufism has made signifi

6

The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran

4.4

Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. Published in 1923, it has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone have sold more than nine million copies.

The Prophet is a collection of poetic essays that are philosophical, spiritual, and, above all, inspirational. Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chap

Recommended by Naval Ravikant, Daylon Soh, Jason Nemer, and 3 others.

Naval Ravikant

CEO & Co-Founder/AngelList

It actually read like a modern-day poetic religious tome. Up there with the Bhagavad-gita, the Tao Te Ching, The Bible, The Qur’an. It was written in that style where it had that feel of religiosity and truth, but it was very approachable and beautiful and non-denominational and non-secretarian. I really liked that. I loved that book. He has a gift for poetically describing what children are like, what lovers are like, what marriage should be like, how you should treat your enemies and your friends, how you should work with money, what can you think of every time you have to kill something to eat it. I felt, like the great religious books, it gave a very deep, very philosophical, but very true answer to how to approach the major problems in life. I recommend The Prophet to anybody, whether you’re religious or not. Whether you are Christian or Hindu or Jewish or Atheist. I think it’s a beautiful book, and it’s worth reading. [source]

Daylon Soh

The non-business book that has connected to my being most deeply would be poems in The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. [source]

Jason Nemer

I love really condensed, shakti empowerment-filled, energy-filled statements - something that you can read in a few minutes or you can read for your whole life. [source]

7

Essential Sufism

Robert Frager, James Fadiman, Huston Smith

4.4

The definitive compendium of Sufi wisdom, 'Essential Sufism' draws together more than three hundred fables, poems and prayers that reveal the luminous spirit of Islamic mysticism. Embracing all eras and highlighting the many faces of Sufism, this collection provides a matchless overview of the complex, rich traditional that has touched a dozen cultures and endured for more than fifteen hundred yea

8

The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn Al-Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination

William C. Chittick

4.4

Ibn al-'Arabi is still known as "the Great Sheik" among the surviving Sufi orders. Born in Muslim Spain, he has become famous in the West as the greatest mystical thinker of Islamic civilization. He was a great philosopher, theologian, and poet.

William Chittick takes a major step toward exposing the breadth and depth of Ibn al-'Arabi's vision. The book offers his view of spiritual perfection and e

9

The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish

Neil Douglas-Klotz

4.4

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 e

10

Tales of the Dervishes: Teaching Stories of the Sufi Masters Over the Past Thousand Years

Idries Shah

4.3

Dervish tales are more than fable, legend, or folklore. For centuries dervish masters have instructed their disciples by means of these teaching stories, which are said to increase perception and knowledge and provide a better understanding of man and the world. In wit, construction, and piquancy, they compare with the finest tales of any culture. Idries Shah spent many years traveling through thr

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11

مثنوی معنوی

Mawlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi and Kazem Bargnaysi

4.3

Persian poems by Maulana Jalāl al-Dīn Mohammad Balkhi (appropriated as Rumi by the Ottomans), 1207-1273.

12

Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn 'Arabi

Corbin, Henry.

4.3

"Henry Corbin's works are the best guide to the visionary tradition.... Corbin, like Scholem and Jonas, is remembered as a scholar of genius. He was uniquely equipped not only to recover Iranian Sufism for the West, but also to defend the principal Western traditions of esoteric spirituality." —From the introduction by Harold Bloom

Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) was one of the great mystics of all time. T

13

The Gift

Hafiz

4.3

More than any other Persian poet, it is perhaps Hafiz who accesses the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry. Because his poems were often ecstatic love songs from God to his beloved world, many have called Hafiz the "Tongue of the Invisible."

With this stunning collection of 250 of Hafiz's most intimate poems, Daniel Ladinsky has succeeded brilliantly in capturing the essence of one of Islam's gr

14

The Way of the Sufi

Idries Shah

4.3

In this wide-ranging anthology of Sufi writings, Idries Shah, who was one of Sufism's leading exponents, offers a broad selection of poetry, contemplations, letters, lectures, and teaching stories that together form an illuminating introduction to this unique body of thought.
Sufism, the mystical aspect of Islam, has had a dynamic and lasting effect on the literature of that religion. Its teaching

15

المنقذ من الضلال والمفصح بالأحوال

أبي حامد الغزالي

4.3

النيل والفرات:
ألف الغزالي المنقذ من الضلال بعد عودته من عزلته التي قضاها متنقلا بين الشام والقدس ومكة. إذن فهو يقع في المرحلة الثانية من حياة الغزالي، مرحلة النضج وتوضيح الخيارات النهائية. وفي المنقذ من الضلال يذكر أن سنه قد نافت على الخمسين مما يحدد وضعه الكتاب أواخر عام 499هـ وبدايات عام 500هـ في نيسابور،حين عاد إلى التدريس في نظاميتها لتبيان حقيقة النبوة. أما دافع الغزالي إلى تأليف كتابه هذا وهدفه منه، وكما يبدو من مقدمته، أنه رسالة إلى أخ في الدين، يطلب فيها هذا الأخير من الغزالي أن يبث إليه "غاية العلوم وأسرارها, وغائلة المذاهب وأغوارها، وأحكي لك ما قاسيته في استخلاص الحقائق بين اضطراب الفرق". وإذا كان ذلك هو الدافع الحقيقي، أو أن هناك دوافع أخرى، فإن الملاحظ أن الغزالي أراد من خلال منقذه أن يبين لنا مسار حياته الفكرية والروحية، وكيفية خروجه من الشك وصولا إلى خياراته النهائية في الحصول على نور اليقين، والتصديق النهائي. إن دواعي التصديق لم يجدها الغزالي لا في علم الكلام ولا في الفلسفة ولا في مذهب التعليمية. بل عند الصوفية فهل يكون الهدف من كتاب المنقذ تبيان صحة مذهب الصوفية. وما هي الاعتبارات التي حدته إلى اعتماد هذا الخيار؟ هل هي اعتبارات فكرية، روحية، أم سياسية. الإجابة عن هذه التساؤلات توجب قراءة واعية لهذا الكتاب، ومهما يكن من أمر وكيفما جاءت الإجابات فان المرء لا يستطيع أن ينكر بأن غرض الغزالي الأساسي هو إنقاذ الناس من الضلال والإفصاح عن الأحوال، ولا يكون ذلك إلا بنشر حقيقة النبوة، وما بان من خلال هذه الحقيقة. وتجدر الإشارة ‘إلى أن مخطوط هذا الكتاب يعود نسخه إلى عامين فقط بعد وفاة الغزالي أي عام 507 هجرية وهي أقدم نسخ عثر عليها حتى الآن، وبالتالي فإنها ستكون أكثر دقة من غيرها وأقل ابتعاداً عن المصدر الأساسي، وما يمكن أن يكون قد دخل عليها من تحريفات مقصودة أو إسقاطات غير مقصودة. وقد تميزت هذه الطبقة بعمل المحقق الذي شمل تعريفاً بعصر الغزالي وحياته ووصف للمخطوط وتحليل لمضمون كتاب "المنقذ من الضلال" مع شرح له وتعليق عليه.

16

Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart

Hamza Yusuf

4.3

Translation and Commentary of Imam al-Mawlud's Matharat al-Qulub by Hamza Yusuf

This exploration of Islamic spirituality delves into the psychological diseases and cures of the heart. Diseases examined include miserliness, envy, hatred, treachery, rancour, malice, ostentation, arrogance, covetousness, lust, and other afflictions that assail people and often control them. The causes and practical cu

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17

Mystical Dimensions of Islam

Annemarie Schimmel

4.3

Mystical Dimensions of Islam presents, for the first time, a balanced historical treatment of the transnational phenomenon of Sufism—Islamic mysticism—from its beginnings through the nineteenth century. Through her sensitivity and deep understanding of the subject, Annemarie Schimmel, an eminent scholar of Eastern religions, draws the reader into the mood, the vision, the way of the Sufi in a mann

18

The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi

William C. Chittick

4.3

This is the most accessible work in English on the greatest mystical poet of Islam, providing a survey of the basic Sufi and Islamic doctrines concerning God and the world, the role of man in the cosmos, the need for religion, man's ultimate becoming, the states and stations of the mystical ascent to God, and the means whereby literature employs symbols to express "unseen" realities. William Chitt

19

Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure

Camille Adams Helminski

4.2

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 respect for the feminine in the Sufi worldview, and they are shared in the spirit of inspiration and hope for the flouris

20

The Bezels of Wisdom

Ibn Al'Arabi, R.W.J. Austin, Titus Burckhardt

4.2

Called by Moslems "the greatest master," Ibn Al-'Arabi was a Sufi born in twelfth-century Spain. The Bezels of Wisdom was written during the author's later years and was intended to be a synthesis of his spiritual doctrine. Bezel means a setting in which a gem, engraved with one's name, is set to make a seal ring. The setting in which Ibn Al-'Arabi has placed his spiritual wisdom are the lives of

21

The Masnavi, Book One

Jalal al-Din Rumi

4.2

Rumi's 'Masnavi' is widely recognised as the greatest Sufi poem ever written, and has often been called the 'Koran in Persian'. This updated translation of the classic work remains faithful to the original text, and also includes notes for readers who are new to Rumi.

22

Sufism: The Transformation of the Heart

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee PhD

4.2

Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart gives a clear and accessible outline of Sufism: its basic principles, historical background, and recent development in the West. While exploring the spiritual and psychological processes of transformation, this book offers practical guidelines to help the seeker. Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart is a valuable introduction to a dynamic spiritual path t

23

The Book of Assistance

Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad, Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi

4.2

Long popular in Arabic, as well as Swahili and Malay, this classic text offers a complete guide to Muslim devotions, prayers and practical ethics. There are many books in English which present Sufi doctrine, but few which can be used as practical travel guides along the Path. Originally written in Classical Arabic, the aptly-named Book of Assistance is today in widespread use among Sufi teachers i

24

Journey to the Lord of Power: A Sufi Manual on Retreat

Ibn Arabi

4.2

Journey to the Lord of Power is the first English translation of Ibn 'Arabi's twelfth-century text dealing with spiritual ascent. 'Arabi, whose metaphysical teachings have had a profound influence on both the Muslim and Christian worlds, is known as one of the greatest writers of mystical love poetry of all time.
Written in answer to the questions of a friend, this illuminating guide describes the

25

The Poems of Hafez

Shamseddin Hafez

4.2

Poetry. Sufism. Middle Eastern Literature. Arab American Studies. Translated from the Persian by Reza Ordoubadian. Shamsed-din Hafez was born some six hundred years ago in southern Iran, but his poems have universal and contemporary appeal. Wherever Persian is known, he is easily recited by both king and common man. Those uncertain about matters of love, fortune, or any other situation open a page

Recommended by Pooneh Ghoddoosi.

Pooneh Ghoddoosi

Yes. Hafez is my favourite poet. I grew up reading his poetry and trying to understand what it meant. My parents are also huge fans so it has an important place in my life. The way people might feel about the Bible, Torah or Koran, or any spiritual book, is how I feel about his poetry. [source]

26

The Risalah: Principles of Sufism

Abu'l Qasim Abd al-Karim bin Hawazin al-Qushayri and Laleh Barkhtiar

4.2

A Sufi textbook of the highest order where Sufi practices, states and stations, rules of travel, dreams and advice to the spiritual seeker, among other topics are related to Quranic verses, Traditions of the Prophet and sayings of early Sufis. This was a book that Rumi read and recommended to his students as a book popular among Sufis.

27

Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam

Carl W. Ernst Ph.D.

4.2

The soaring voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the ecstatic dance of the Whirling Dervishes, the rapturous verse of Jalaluddin Rumi—all are expressions of Sufism, often regarded as the mystical tradition of Islam. Who are the Sufis? They are more than mystics; they are empowered by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. They are guided by saints and masters. They belong to orders ranging from North Afr

28

Learning How to Learn

Idries Shah

4.2

100 Conversations with Idries Shah

Condensed from over three million words, these conversations involve housewives and cabinet ministers, professors and assembly-line workers, on the subject of how traditional psychology can illuminate current human, social and spiritual problems.

More than a hundred tales and extracts from Sufi lore, ranging from the eighth century Hasan of Basra, to the modern A

29

Kashf Al-Mahjub: The Revelation of the Veiled: An Early Persian Treatise on Sufism

Reynold A. Nicholson

4.2

Al-Hujwīrī came from Ghazna, now in Afghanistan, then the capital of the mighty Ghaznavid Empire. He was a Sufi mystic who travelled widely in the Middle East and Transoxiana. The Kashf al-Maḥjūb was probably written in Lahore, where he is buried, not long before his death in about 1074. One of the oldest Sufi works in Persian, it is a substantial treatise aiming to set forth a complete system of

30

Me and Rumi: The Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi

Shams-i Tabrizi, William C. Chittick, Annemarie Schimmel

4.2

The astounding autobiography of the man who transformed Rumi from a learned religious teacher into the world's greatest poet of mystical love.

31

Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Imam al-Ghazali and Muhtar Hollan

4.1

In this book readers are lead on a powerful and inspiring journey through the inner dimensions of a range of Islamic acts, including prayer, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage.

Consisting of a selection of writings by a towering figure in Islamic history, Imam al-Ghazali, this book helps readers realise the benefits of the upliftment of their spiritual, social and moral qualities.

32

Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the 99 Names of Allah

Wali Ali Meyer

4.1

This book takes the reader into the heart of the mystery of the 99 sacred Names of Allah. It is a vehicle for understanding the infinite nature of God, and for discovering the divine potential in every soul. It is also a guidebook for progressing through the stages of the spiritual path and an instruction manual for teachers on how to work with students more wisely, as physicians of the heart. In

33

موت صغير

محمد حسن علوا

4.1

منذ أوجدني الله في مرسيّة حتى توفاني في دمشق وأنا في سفرٍ لا ينقطع. رأيت بلاداً ولقيت أناساً وصحبت أولياء وعشت تحت حكم الموحدين والأيوبيين والعباسيين والسلاجقة في طريقٍ قدّره الله لي قبل خلقي. من يولد في مدينة محاصرة تولد معه رغبة جامحة في الانطلاق خارج الأسوار. المؤمن في سفرٍ دائم. والوجود كله سفرٌ في سفر. من ترك السفر سكن، ومن سكن عاد إلى العدم

34

The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism (Revised)

Henry Corbin

4.1

A penetrating analysis of the writings of the great Persian mystics on the quest for dawning light in the spiritual journey. Suhrawradi, Semnani, Najm alDin Kubra and other Sufis.

35

رباعيات خيام

Umar Khayyam and Kazem Bargnaysi

4.1

The rubaiyat are a series of poems or 'stanzas' by the famous 12th century Persian atronomer and philosopher

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (Persian: رباعیات عمر خیام) is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and numbering about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám (1048–1131), a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer. A

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36

The Mysticism of Sound and Music

Hazrat Inayat Khan

4.1

Music, according to Sufi teaching, is really a small expression of the overwhelming and perfect harmony of the whole universe—and that is the secret of its amazing power to move us. The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), the first teacher to bring the Islamic mystical tradition to the West, was an accomplished musician himself. His lucid exposition of music's divine nature has beco

37

A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi and Suha Taji-Farouk

4.1

38

The Subject Tonight Is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz

Hafiz

4.1

To Persians, the fourteenth-century poems of Hafiz are not classical literature from a remote past, but cherished love, wisdom, and humor from a dear and intimate friend. Perhaps, more than any other Persian poet, it is Hafiz who most fully accesses the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry. Daniel Ladinsky has made it his life's work to create modern, inspired translations of the world's most pr

39

الحِكم العطائية

ابن عطاء الله السكندر

4.1

40

Al-Ghazali on the Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife (Book XL of The Revival of the Religious Sciences)

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali, T. J. Winter

4.1

This is the first English translation of the last chapter of Al-Ghazali's Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din), widely regarded as the greatest work of Muslim spirituality. After expounding his Sufi philosophy of death and showing the importance of the contemplation of human mortality to the mystical way of self-purification, Ghazali takes his readers through the stages of the fu

41

The Secret of Secrets

Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Tosun Bayrak

4.1

An interpretative translation by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak of Sirr al-Asrar by Hadrat Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1077-1166AD), considered by many to be one of the greatest saints of Islam and the eponymous founder of the Qadiriyya order. This book, appearing in English for the first time, contains the very essence of Sufism, giving a Sufi explanation of how the outward practises of Islam—prayer, fasting, a

42

Sufism: A Short Introduction

William C. Chittick

4.1

William C. Chittick, the leading scholar in the field, offers a compelling insight into the origins, context, and key themes of this fascinating movement. He draws upon the words of some of the greatest Sufi writers to give a fresh and revealing perspective on the teachings and beliefs of Sufism and its proponents. This fresh and authoritative book will be appreciated by anyone interested in Sufis

43

Rumi: Past and Present, East and West

Franklin Lewis

4.1

Going beyond the limits of biography, this text covers the origins, spiritual context and teachings of the great founder of the Whirling Dervishes, but also includes a study of Rumi scholarship throughout the ages, bringing this volume right up to date.

44

إحياء علوم الدين

أبو حامد الغزال

4.1

كتاب جامع في التربية والأخلاق والتصوف والفقه والعقيدة ، وهو من أهم كتب المواعظ وأعظمها .
رتبه رحمه الله على أربعة أقسام ، ومقدمة في العلم ، وبين في الربع الأول أحكام العبادات وكشف عن أسرارها ، وذكر آدابها وسننها والترغيب فيها ، وخصص الربع الثاني للعادات كالنكاح ، والأكل والكسب ، والحلال والحرام ، والصحبة والعزلة ، والمعاشرة والسفر ، والأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر ، وبين فيه أسرار المعاملات الجاري

45

The Star and the Shamrock

Jean Grainger

4.1

Ariella Bannon has no choice: she must put her precious children, Liesl and Erich, on that train or allow them to become prey for the Nazis.

Berlin 1939.

When her husband doesn't come home one day, Ariella realises that the only way she can ensure her Jewish children's safety is to avail of the Kindertransport, but can she bear to let them go?

A thousand miles away, Elizabeth Klein has closed her

46

Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom: Including What the Seeker Needs and The One Alone

Ibn Arabi, al-Jerrahi al-Halveti

4.1

A powerful but little known work, this volume contains three mystical texts. 'Al-tadbirat,' the largest, is a fascinating treatise on the divine design and management of the world, and the central role the human model plays in the creative and governing process. The other two are 'kitab kunh ma la budda minhu lil-murid' (or, "What the Seeker Needs"), a brief guide for those want to follow the Sufi

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47

The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing

Coleman Barks

4.1

Now in paperback, this is the definitive collection of America′s bestselling poet Rumi′s finest poems of love and lovers. In Coleman Barks′ delightful and wise renderings, these poems will open your heart and soul to the lover inside and out.

′There are lovers content with longing.

I′m not one of them.′

Rumi is best known for his poems expressing the ecstasies and mysteries of love of all kinds - ero

48

The Journey of the Soul: The Story of Hai Bin Yaqzan

Abu Bakr Muhammed bin Tufail, Riad Kocache

4.1

The Story of Hai bin Yaqzan is a truly remarkable product of 12th-century Moorish Spain. It is widely regarded as the prototype for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Best described, perhaps, as a philosophical romance, it tells the story of a young man, cast upon a deserted island as an infant, suckled and reared by a doe, who succeeds by his own efforts in fitting himself for life in his natural en

Recommended by Jason Webster.

Jason Webster

I think it is an extraordinary book. Many people see it as one of the inspirations behind Robinson Crusoe. There was a translation done of it from the Arabic into Latin just a few years before Defoe wrote Crusoe and there are various parallels between the two books….For me it’s really interesting because there is something quite modern about this book that was written in the 12th century – he talks about vivisection and how blood flows through the body. There is almost an understanding of evolution there. And also I think it is an incredible work of imagination. [source]

49

The Meccan Revelations, Volume II

Ibn Al'Arabi, Michel Chodkiewicz, Denis Gril, David Streight

4.1

50

Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam

A. Helwa

4.1

Are you longing to experience a more intimate and loving relationship with the Divine?

Secrets of Divine Love draws upon spiritual secrets of the Qur'an, ancient mystical poetry, and stories from the world's greatest prophets and spiritual masters to help you reignite your faith, overcome your doubts, and deepen your connection with God.

Through the use of scientific evidence, practical exercises,

51

I Am Wind, You Are Fire: The Life and Work of Rumi

Annemarie Schimmel

4.1

This book celebrates the extraordinary career of Persia's great mystical poet, Rumi (1207–1273), through the story of his life, along with an enlightening examination of his ecstatic verse. Rumi lived the quiet life of a religious teacher in Anatolia until the age of thirty-seven, when he came under the influence of a whirling dervish, Shams Tabriz, and was moved to a state of mystical ecstasy. On

52

Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires (Books XXII and XXIII of The Revival of the Religious Sciences)

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali, T. J. Winter

4.1

The spiritual life in Islam begins with riyadat al-nafs, the inner warfare against the ego. Distracted and polluted by worldliness, the lower self has a tendency to drag the human creature down into arrogance and vice. Only by a powerful effort of will can the sincere worshipper achieve the purity of soul which enables him to attain God's proximity.

This translation of two chapters from The Revival

53

Rumi: The Big Red Book: The Great Masterpiece Celebrating Mystical Love and Friendship

Coleman Barks

4.1

“Really, what other book would anyone ever need?” —Naomi Shihab Nye, author of Honeybee

“Elegant and exquisite.” —Deepak Chopra, author of Muhammad, Jesus, and Buddha

The Big Red Book is a poetic masterpiece from Jalaluddin Rumi, the medieval Sufi mystic whom Time magazine calls “the most popular poet in America.” Readers continue to be awed and inspired by Rumi’s masterfully lyrical, deeply express

54

Inner Life

Hazrat Inayat Khan

4.1

55

The Rumi Collection

Jelaluddin Rumi

4.1

Rumi's poems are beloved for their touching perceptions of humanity and the Divine. Here is a rich introduction to the work of the great mystical poet, featuring leading literary translations of his verse. Translators include Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Andrew Harvey, Kabir Helminski, Camille Helminski, Daniel Liebert, and Peter Lamborn Wilson. To display the major themes of Rumi's work, each of th

56

The Magic Monastery: Analogical and Action Philosophy of the Middle East and Central Asia

Idries Shah

4.1

The Magic Monastery differs from its predecessors in that it contains not only traditional tales--mostly unpublished--but also stories specially written by Shah to complete the book as 'a course in non-linear thinking.'

57

Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth: From Mazdean Iran to Shi'ite Iran

Henry Corbin and Nancy Pearson

4.1

It may be that the world which our authors here describe in symbolic language as the "eighth climate" will be seen by Western people as the "lost continent." Should some of them be searching for it, the Spiritual Masters whom the present book seeks to interpret will perhaps serve as their guides.

58

Thinkers of the East

Idries Shah

4.1

59

Caravan of Dreams

Idries Shah

4.1

Caravan of Dreams distills the essence of Eastern thought in a feast of stories, sayings, poems and allegories, collected by one of the world's leading experts in Oriental philosophy. Idries Shah builds up a complete picture of a single consciousness, relating mythology to reality, illuminating historical patterns, and presenting philosophical legends in this unique anthology. Its title is inspire

60

Wisdom of the Idiots

Idries Shah

4.1

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 work

61

The Niche of Lights

Al-Ghazali, David Buchman

4.1

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali's philosophical explorations covered nearly the entire spectrum of twelfth-century beliefs. Beginning his career as a skeptic, he ended it as a scholar of mysticism and orthodoxy. The Niche of Lights, written near the end of his illustrious career, advances the philosophically important idea that reason can serve as a connection between the devout and God. Al-Ghazali

62

الفتوحات المكية

Ibn Arabi (Sufi) ابن العربي

4.1

فتوحات المكية من أعظم كتب ابن عربي في علم التصوف التي تحتوي أكثر من 4000 صفحة قال فيها الشيخ كنت نويت الحج والعمرة فلما وصلت أم القرى أقام الله في خاطرى أن أعرف الولي يفنون من المعارف حصلتها في غيبتى، وكان الاغلب هذه منها ما فتح الله على ثم طوافى بيته المكر، وقال في الباب الثامن والأربعين واعلم ان ترتيب أبواب الفتوحات لم يكن عن اختيار ولا عن نظر المذوق وإنما الحق. الله يملى لنا على لسان ملك الإلها

63

Quest for the Red Sulphur: The Life of Ibn ʻArabī

Claude Addas, Peter Kingsley

4.1

Quest for the Red Sulphur: The Life of Ibn Arabi is undoubtedly a landmark in Ibn Arabi studies. Until the publication of this book, anyone who wanted to learn about the life of Ibn Arabi has had little choice of material to work from. This major study by Claude Addas is based on a detailed analysis of a whole range of Ibn Arabi's own writings as well as a vast amount of secondary literature in bo

64

Daughter of Fire: A Diary of a Spiritual Training with a Sufi Master

Irina Tweedie

4.1

Tweedie documents her five-year process of purification and inner work with the heart in the "Naqshbandi" or "Golden Sufi" tradition: the daily doubts, agonies, discomforts, culture shocks, terrors, bodily states, uncertainties, and ecstasies along the path to truth.

65

The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn Al-'arabi's Cosmology

William C. Chittick

4.1

The Self-Disclosure of God offers the most detailed presentation to date in any Western language of the basic teachings of Islam's greatest mystical philosopher and theologian. It represents a major step forward in making available to the Western reading public the enormous riches of Islamic teachings in the fields of cosmology, mystical philosophy, theology, and spirituality.

The Self-Disclosure o

66

Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul: The Pertinence of Islamic Cosmology in the Modern World

William C. Chittick

4.0

With academic courses either encouraging commercialism, or cultivating zealots, Chittick states that it is impossible to understand classical Islamic texts without the years of contemplative study that are anathema to the modern education system. Insisting upon a return to the ways of the ancient wisdom tradition, which saw the quest for knowledge of the soul, the world, and God as a unifying spir

67

Sufism and Taoism: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts

Toshihiko Izutsu

4.0

In this deeply learned work, Toshihiko Izutsu compares the metaphysical and mystical thought-systems of Sufism and Taoism and discovers that, although historically unrelated, the two share features and patterns which prove fruitful for a transhistorical dialogue. His original and suggestive approach opens new doors in the study of comparative philosophy and mysticism.

Izutsu begins with Ibn 'Arabi,

68

The Principles of Sufism

A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

4.0

Aishah al-Bauniyyah of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. Born into a prominent family of pious scholars and Sufi devotees, Aishah 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 20th century. Yet despite her extraordinary literary a

69

The Art of Being and Becoming

Hazrat Inayat Khan

4.0

The Art of Being and Becoming gathers Inayat Khan's teachings on what the Sufis consider the fruit of the whole creation -- the divine art of creating the human personality. This volume gives methods for training the ego, tuning the heart, and developing will power, all to help one develop and perfect a natural way of being in the world.

Excerpt:

" For every soul there are four stages to pass throug

70

The Way of Abu Madyan: The Works of Abu Madyan Shuayb

Abu Madyan Shuayb, Vincent J. Cornell

4.0

This collection provides a unique opportunity to experience several of the most important genres of religious writing in the Islamic Middle Period. The Arabic text accompanies the English translation and is well-suited for use in advanced-level classes of Arabic.

71

The Illuminated Rumi

Jalal Al-Din Rumi

4.0

Rise up nimbly and go on your strange journey to the ocean of meanings...

In the mid-thirteenth century, in a dusty marketplace in Konya, Turkey, a city where Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist travelers mingled, Jelaluddin Rumi, a popular philosopher and scholar, met Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish. Their meeting forever altered the course of Rumi's life and influenced the mystical evolut

72

ترنيمة سلام

احمد عبدالمجي

4.0

إن ما يجعل قصة خالد قصة تستحق الحكي أن أحدًا منا لم يمتلك الشجاعة التي امتلكها للوصول بالتدمير الذاتي لحياته إلى منتهاه.. نحن دائمًا ما ندور في دوائر مفرغة، نبتعد ونقترب من النجاح دون أن نحسم قرارنا.. نشعر أننا لا نستحق الحب، فتفشل قصصنا العاطفية، ثم ما نلبث أن نبدأ من جديد لأننا نسأل أنفسنا في كل مرة: ولم لا؟ قد تكون هذه هي المرة الناجحة !. وحده خالد محفوظ الذي امتلك الشجاعة ليكسر تلك الدائرة الم

73

Bridge to the Soul: Journeys Into the Music and Silence of the Heart

Coleman Barks

4.0

2007 is the "Year of Rumi," and who better than Coleman Barks, Rumi's unlikely, supremely passionate ambassador, to mark the milestone of this great poet's 800th birthday? Barks, who was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in Persian language and literature by the University of Tehran for his thirty years of translating Rumi, has collected and translated ninety new poems, most of them never pub

74

The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis

Coleman Barks, Michael Green

4.0

The Prayer is a drawing of the curtain, an invitation to a secret place that is discovered and explored. . . .
According to tradition and the testimony of Sufi mystics, The Prayer--or Salat--was first taught by the angels, who themselves practiced it in celestial adoration. The Prayer is God's gift to all humankind, and in this gorgeously illustrated volume, its simple, archetypal practice unfolds

75

The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin

Idries Shah, LeCain

4.0

76

Love Is a Fire and I Am Wood: The Sufi's Mystical Journey Home

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

4.0

With this program, listeners sit beside teacher and author Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee at a series of actual Sufi meetings, recorded live as they happened. Among these "lovers of God," listeners learn how to kindle the divine fire within through a "spiraling series of talks," each one exploring a different facet of the tradition.

77

رباعيات جلال الدين الرومي

جلال الدين الروميand عيسى علي العاكو

4.0

يتناول هذا الكتاب أثراً من آثار شاعر الصوفية الأكبر الشعرية ذات الأهمية الفائقة، ألا وهي رباعيات مولانا جلال الدين الرومي، وترجمتها إلى العربية. ويعرف الرباعي لغة واصطلاحاً، ويشير إلى أنه أكثر ضروب الشعر الفارسي أصالة، وأكثر تجليات الروح الإيراني والثقافة الإيرانية إشراقاً، وينطوي على الفكر الإيرانية الصرفة ببيان بسيط وجذاب، بعيد عن كل ضروب التكلف والتصنع.

ويوضح أوزان الرباعي وقوافيه ومصطلحاته، وكي

78

The Heart of Sufism

Hazrat Inayat Khan

4.0

The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) was the very first teacher to bring Sufism to the Western world. This is the first representative collection of the master's teachings � making it the perfect book for anyone who has been intrigued by his writings but unsure about where to start in his sixteen-volume collected works. Newcomers will be inspired by just how delightful and useful

79

Rumi: Whispers of the Beloved

Maryam Mafi

4.0

Paperback. Pub Date: April. 2000 Pages: 128 Publisher: Thorsons A eathtaking new collection of Translations of poems by Rumi. One of the world's MOST loved mystical teachers. Beautifully PACKAGED and Illustrated with Persian Calligraphy. This is an ideal gift for every MBS reader.Jalal-uddin Rumi was born in what is now Afghanistan in 1207. His poetry has inspired generations of spiritual seekers.

80

Sufism: Veil and Quintessence: A New Translation with Selected Letters

Frithjof Schuon, James S. Cutsinger, Seyyed Hossein Nasr

4.0

A revised translation of previously unpublished selections from the Perennial Philosophy metaphysician's letters and private writings makes a critical distinction between an absolute Islam and a contingent Islam, in a new edition that is complemented by a glossary and extensive editor notes. Original.

81

أيها الولد

أبو حامد محمد الغزال

4.0

إن في النصيحة كفاية لأهل العلم، وتعد هذه الرسالة الصغيرة من أهم النصائح التي أجاب بها الإمام الغزالي على أحد طلابه النابهين الذين اشتغلوا بالتحصيل وقراءة العلم وطلب منه أن يعلمه شيئاً ينفعه في غده ويؤانسه في قبره، وأن يخبره بما لا ينفعه حتى يدعه فكتب الإمام الغزالي تلك الورقات التي عرفه فيها عن النصيحة وأهميتها وكيف تكون وما هي الأعمال الصالحة والطالحة وأمثلة ذلك وما هو العمل المقرب لله تعالى، وأه

82

The Key to Salvation: A Sufi Manual of Invocation

Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari, Mary Ann Koury-Danner

4.0

This is the first English translation of Miftah al-falah, a thirteenth century Sufi text, written by Ibn Ata Allah, one of the great masters of the Shadhili Sufi order. It is considered to be one of his most important works because it sets out the principles of actual Sufi mystical practices, shedding light on the sacred invocations, and associated practices, such as the spiritual retreat. Written

83

Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition

Omid Safi

4.0

This stunning collection showcases the love poetry and mystical teachings at the heart of the Islamic tradition in accurate and poetic original translations

At a time when the association of Islam with violence dominates headlines, this beautiful collection offers us a chance to see a radically different face of the Islamic tradition. It traces a soaring, poetic, popular tradition that celebrates

84

The Alchemy of Happiness

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

4.0

2017 Reprint of 1910 Edition. Al-Ghazzali, or, Al-Ghazali, the author of The Alchemy of Happiness, was a Persian theologian, philosopher, and prolific Sunni Muslim author, and is regarded as one of the great thinkers of Islam. The work emphasized the importance of observing the ritual requirements of Islam, the actions that would lead to salvation, and avoidance of sin. The factor that set the Alc

85

A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi

Martin Lings

4.0

'Almost a prerequisite for any serious study of Sufism in European languages': this was the verdict of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his review of the first edition of the book. According to the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, it is 'one of the most thorough and intimately engaging books on Sufism to be produced by a Western scholar'. Certainly there is nothing second-hand about it. The author lets Sufi

86

Signs on the Horizons: Meetings with Men of Knowledge and Illumination

Michael Sugich

4.0

Signs on the Horizons is an enthralling contemporary memoir of one seeker's interactions with men who have transcended the ordinary and achieved stations of spirituality and enlightenment that in the modern world we only attribute to the Biblical fathers of ancient times or to myth. Michael Sugich, an American writer who was initiated into a traditional Sufi order over forty years ago and who live

87

When You Hear Hoofbeats Think of a Zebra

Shems Friedlander

4.0

Shems Friedlander has studied with Sufi Shaykhs throughout the Middle East - in Makkah, Madinah, Cairo and Istanbul. Here he presents ancient Sufi teaching stories rooted in the Islamic tradition. With common sense and insightful wit, he addresses questions and problems of contemporary life and awakens our attention to the often overlooked moments that give importance and meaning to our lives. Thr

88

What is Sufism?

Martin Lings

4.0

Martin Lings provides an excellent and authoritative introduction to the mystical movement of the Sufis based on his lifelong interest in Islamic culture. His explanation derives from a profound understanding of Sufism, and extends to many aspects which are usually neglected. His illuminating answer to 'What is Sufism?' gives a taste of the very subject matter itself. What do Sufis believe? What d

89

Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj, Poetic and Theological Writings

Michael Anthony Sells

4.0

The first centuries of Islam saw the development of Sufism as one of the world's major mystical traditions. Although the later Sufi writings by mystics such as Rumi are known and available in translation, access to the crucial early period of Islamic mysticism has been far more limited.

This volume opens with an essay on the place of spirituality within the Islamic tradition. Immediately following

90

Rumi: Poems

Jalal Al-Din Rumi, Peter Washington

4.0

The poetry of the medieval Persian sage Rumi combines lyrical beauty with spiritual profundity, a sense of rapture, and acute awareness of human suffering in ways that speak directly to contemporary audiences.

Trained in Sufism--a mystic tradition within Islam--Rumi founded the Sufi order known to us as the Whirling Dervishes, who use dance and music as part of their spiritual devotion. Many of Rum

91

Rumi's Daughter

Muriel Maufroy

4.0

Rumi is now acknowledged as one of the great mystical poets of the Western world, with huge sales of the many collections of his poetry. Not much is known about his life except that he lived in thirteenth-century Anatolia (now Turkey), had a great spiritual friendship with a wild man called Shams, brought an adopted daughter into his family, and was distraught when Shams finally disappeared.

Rumi's

92

The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems

Coleman Barks

4.0

Inside A Lover's Heart There's Another World, And Yet Another Rumi's masterpieces have inspired countless people throughout the centuries, and Coleman Barks's exquisite renderings of the thirteenth-century Persian mystic are widely considered the definitive versions for our time. Barks's translations capture the inward exploration and intensity that characterize Rumi's poetry, making this unique v

93

The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation

Kabir Helminski

4.0

As human beings we stand on the threshold between two realities: the world of material existence and the world of spiritual Being. The "knowing heart" is the sacred place where these two dimensions meet and are integrated.

In Sufi teaching the human heart is not a fanciful metaphor but an objective organ of intuition and perception. It is able to perceive all that is beautiful, lovely, and meaning

94

The Meccan Revelations, volume I

Ibn al'Arabi, Michel Chodkiewicz, et al.

4.0

Book by Ibn al'Arabi

95

دیوان كلیات شمس تبریزی

Mawlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi and Kazem Bargnaysi

4.0

One of the the greatest works of Persian Literature ,a Collection of Lyric Poems that contains more than 40,000 verses.

96

The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin

Idries Shah

4.0

Here, the subtleties of the inimitable Mulla Nasrudin's anecdotes are parallelled with the workings of the mind and designed to amuse the tea-house audience. At the same time they are intended to reach other levels.

97

I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy

Hafiz

4.0

From the renowned translator of The Gift, a rich collection that brings the great Sufi poet to Western readers

To Persians , the poems of Hafiz are not "classical literature" from a remote past but cherished wisdom from a dear and intimate friend that continue to be quoted in daily life. With uncanny insight, Hafiz captures the many forms and stages of love. His poetry outlines the stages of the m

Cover unavailable

98

Samarkand

Amin Maalouf, Russell Harris

4.0

Accused of mocking the inviolate codes of Islam, the Persian poet and sage Omar Khayyam fortuitously finds sympathy with the very man who is to judge his alleged crimes. Recognising genuis, the judge decides to spare him and gives him instead a small, blank book, encouraging him to confine his thoughts to it alone. Thus begins the seamless blend of fact and fiction that is Samarkand. Vividly re-cr

99

The Bond with the Beloved: The Inner Relationship of the Lover and the Beloved

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee PhD

4.0

Continues Vaughan-Lee's original work of integrating Sufism, Jungian psychology, and dreamwork, but gives a more detailed description of the inner stages of the mystical path, states of meditation, and how to integrate these inner transformations into everyday life. Different from any other book in its placing of the mystical relationship of lover and beloved at the center of our present global tr

100

Al-Ghazali on the Ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali, David Burrell, Nazih Daher

4.0

In this work, here presented in a complete English edition for the first time, the problem of knowing God is confronted in an original and stimulating way. Taking up the Prophet's teaching that 'Ninety-nine Beautiful Names' are truly predicated of God, the author explores the meaning and resonance of each of these divine names, and reveals the functions they perform both in the cosmos and in the s