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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious experience > Mysticism
"Al-Ghazali on Conduct in Travel" is a translation of the
seventeenth book of the "Revival of the Religious Sciences" (Ihya
Ulum al-Din), which is widely regarded as the greatest work of
Muslim spirituality. In "Al-Ghazali on Conduct in Travel", Abu
Hamid al-Ghazali uncovers, as elsewhere in the "Revival", the
mystical and religious dimension of one of humanity's most basic
needs: in this instance, travel.---In Chapter One, Ghazali begins
by providing the reader with the four reasons for travel, which
include for the quest for knowledge and to flee from harm and
danger. The advantages gained from travelling are also described by
Ghazali-for example, the disciplining of the soul through exposure
to the harsh conditions of travel as well as the acquisition of
virtue and self-knowledge. Ghazali then explains what the seven
proper conducts of travels-both outward conduct and inward
conduct-consist of. In Chapter Two, Ghazali provides a practical
chapter on the use of religious concessions while travelling, and
concludes with a final chapter on how the traveller is to establish
the proper direction and times for prayer. "Al-Ghazali on Conduct
in Travel" will be of interest to all those wishing to explore the
disciplining qualities of everyday activities applied here to the
spiritual dimension of travelling.---In this new edition, the
Islamic Texts Society has included the translation of Abu Hamid
al-Ghazali's own Introduction to the "Revival of the Religious
Sciences" which gives the reasons that caused him to write the
work, the structure of the whole of the Revival and places each of
the chapters in the context of the others.
Many biographers have written about Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam,
but none have employed this literary device to relate his story in
detail. The Beloved Prophet: An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme is a
story overflowing with emotion and sentiment, presented in the most
compressed literary style. This is not the only element that sets
this unique biography apart. Combined with these verses are
beautiful hand-drawn artwork that further animates the spirit of
this profound story. The book comprises of fifty-two chapters, each
with its corresponding artwork, 624 stanzas and 2,496 verses to
delight a variety of palates ranging from the young to the old.
Ahmad Sirhindi is considered one of the founding figures of the
renowned Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi Sufi lineage. In this book,
Sirhindi's principal teachings, originally written in Persian, are
translated into English and explained in detail. Offering access to
the spiritual experiences and contemplative practices of a great
16th-century Sufi, this account demonstrates why there are so few
other texts that have continued to impact Muslims in the eastern
Islamic world.
"In these critical times nothing could be more valuable for the
West than a rediscovery of its true spiritual heritage: books which
were once the treasures of people, now rare and little known."
Seyyed Hossein Nasr Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj,
Poetic and Theological Writings translated, edited and with an
introduction by Michael A. Sells preface by Carl W. Ernst God is
the light of the heavens and earth. The light like the light of a
lamp in a niche The lamp enclosed in a cover of glass The glass
like a glistening star Kindled from the oil of a blessed tree An
olive not of the East not of the West Its oil glows forth nearly
without the touch of fire... Qur'an 24:35 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
are the foundation texts of the pre-Sufi spirituality: the Qur'an
passages most important to the mystical tradition; the accounts of
Muhammad's heavenly ascent (Mi'raj); and the crucial work of early
poets in setting a poetic sensibility for speaking of union with
the divine beloved. The volume then presents the sayings attributed
to the key early figures of Islamic spirituality: Ja'far as-Saddiq,
the Sixth Imam of the Shi'ite Tradition; Rabi'a, the most famous
woman saint of classical Islam; Muhasibi, the founder of Islamic
moral psychology; Bistami, whose sayings on mystical union have
generated fascination and controversy throughout the Islamic
tradition; Tustari, a pioneer in the mystical interpretation of the
Qur'an; Junayd, who helped place Sufi mysticism at the center of
the Islamic tradition; Hallaj, famous for his ecstatic utterances
and martyrdom; and Niffari, whose sayings are considered among the
deepest mystical expressions within Islam. The sayings of these
pioneers are embedded in the later stratum of analytical and
synoptic writings of later Sufi thinkers: Sarraj; Sulami; Qushayri;
and 'Attar. Extensive portions of these writers are translated into
English for the first time.
The present volume honours Rabbi Professor Nehemia Polen, one of
those rare scholars whose religious teachings, spiritual writings,
and academic scholarship have come together into a sustained
project of interpretive imagination and engagement. Without
compromising his intellectual integrity, his work brings forth the
sacred from the mundane and expands the reach of Torah. He has
shown us a path in which narrow scholarship is directly linked to a
quest for ever-broadening depth and connectivity. The essays in
this collection, from his students, colleagues, and friends, are a
testament to his enduring impact on the scholarly community. The
contributions explore a range of historical periods and themes,
centering upon the fields dear to Polen's heart, but a common
thread unites them. Each essay is grounded in deeply engaged
textual scholarship casting a glance upon the sources that is at
once critical and beneficent. As a whole, they seek to give readers
a richer sense of the fabric of Jewish interpretation and theology,
from the history of Jewish mysticism, the promise and perils of
exegesis, and the contemporary relevance of premodern and early
modern texts.
In Israel there are Jews and Muslims who practice Sufism together.
The Sufi' activities that they take part in together create
pathways of engagement between two faith traditions in a
geographical area beset by conflict. Sufism and Jewish Muslim
Relations investigates this practice of Sufism among Jews and
Muslims in Israel and examines their potential to contribute to
peace in the area. It is an original approach to the study of
reconciliation, situating the activities of groups that are not
explicitly acting for peace within the wider context of grass-roots
peace initiatives. The author conducted in-depth interviews with
those practicing Sufism in Israel, and these are both collected in
an appendix and used throughout the work to analyse the approaches
of individuals to Sufism and the challenges they face. It finds
that participants understand encounters between Muslim and Jewish
mystics in the medieval Middle East as a common heritage to Jews
and Muslims practising Sufism together today, and it explores how
those of different faiths see no dissonance in the adoption of Sufi
practices to pursue a path of spiritual progression. The first
examination of the Derekh Avraham Jewish-Sufi Order, this is a
valuable resource for students and scholars of Sufi studies, as
well as those interested in Jewish-Muslim relations.
Ibn al-Arabi's Fusus al-Hikam is a translation of one of the most
important works written on Islamic Mysticism. Muhyi al-Din Ibn
al-Arabi (1165-1240) is deemed the greatest mystic of Islam and his
mystical philosophy has attracted the attention of both Muslims and
non-Muslims from his time to the present day. Believing that the
world is the self- manifestation of God, he claimed that all
religions are equal and that the perfect human being is he who
knows all the religious phenomena in the world. Fusus al-hikam
examines the singular characteristics of twenty seven prophets of
Islam and constitutes the best summary of Ibn al-Arabi's thought.
The translation of these twenty seven chapters is preceded by an
introduction that explains the main ideas of Ibn al-Arabi and is
accompanied by explanatory notes to the text. Providing an easily
accessible translation of one of the greatest mystics of Islam, Ibn
al Arabi' Fusus al-Hikam is essential reading for students,
scholars and researchers of Islamic Philosophy, Mysticism and
Islamic Mysticism in particular.
Scriptural Exegesis gathers voices from an international community
of scholars to consider the many facets of the history of biblical
interpretation and to question how exegesis shapes spiritual and
cultural creativity. Divided into four broadly chronological
sections that chart a variety of approaches from ancient to modern
times, the essays examine texts and problems rooted in the ancient
world yet still of concern today. Nineteen chapters incorporate the
expertise of contributors from a diverse range of disciplines,
including ancient religion, philosophy, mysticism, and folklore.
Each embraces the challenge of explicating complex and often
esoteric writings in light of Michael Fishbane's groundbreaking
work in exegesis.
Since the eighteenth century, adherence to Sufism, the mystical
tradition of Islam, has been associated with membership in one of
the Sufi brotherhoods. These brotherhoods constitute distinct
religious communities within the general community of Islam. Jamil
M. Abun-Nasr describes them as "communities of grace" because his
readings in Sufi hagiographies have convinced him that divine grace
is the central element of their system of beliefs.
In his reconstruction of the development of the Sufi tradition,
Abun-Nasr examines the emergence of Sufism's central tenets and the
factors that account for their appeal to Muslims in different
lands. Drawing on original Sufi sources, he contends that, in their
formative period, Sufi tenets were shaped by the caliphs' inability
to live up to the ideal the Prophet represented in the Muslim
community: that political leadership was a subordinate function of
religious guidance. He also contends that the Sufi brotherhoods'
form of religious communalism emerged from the adaptation of the
spiritual authority that Sufis ascribed to their leaders to the
Muslims' major pious concerns. In the last two chapters Abun-Nasr
examines the reaction of the Sufi brotherhoods' shaykhs to European
colonial rule, the campaign directed against them by Muslim
reformers of the Salafiyya school, and the reliance of the
independent Muslim states' rulers on their support in counteracting
the hostility of the Muslim reformers, as well as, since the 1970s,
the Islamists, to their secular development plans.
Drawing from her own experience as well as that of her students,
Andrew offers many useful writing tips:
- Write a little every day. Produce small bursts of solid creative
material without becoming overworked or overwhelmed.
- Create writing rituals. Find a favorite pen, notebook, and chair.
Light a candle. Go to the same corner cafe.
- Be wild and fearless. Write whatever comes. There's always time
later for focusing and cleaning up the writing.
- Find a writing community. A writing group or partner helps
readers to stay motivated and keep writing.
- A unique book that shows readers how to write about spirituality
and how to make your spiritual story accessible to others.
- Filled with thoughtful exercises and activities designed to teach
readers new writing techniques.
- practical advice on generating and completing a manuscript.
'A Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct' ('Jawami Adab al-Sufiyya')
was written by one of the foremost early masters of Sufism and is
considered as the first work devoted to the description of the way
of life and the customs of the Sufis. It represents an early
attempt to illustrate the conformity of Sufi beliefs and manners
with the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet ('Sunna'). 'A
Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct' is therefore not only a
pioneering work of ethics and mysticism, it is also a summary of
the views of Sufis up till the eleventh century. It was a major
influence on the development of Sufism from the eleventh century
onwards. The translation by Dr Elena Biagi includes an introduction
that places the author in his historical, literary and religious
context, and a general glossary of Sufi technical terms.
In Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe, Dr. Erica Brown,
one of today's most sought-after Jewish educators, leads the reader
on a transformative journey spanning the ten days between Rosh
HaShana and Yom Kippur. In her distinct interdisciplinary approach,
Brown presents an original guide to teshuva that is both highly
scholarly and deeply personal. For each day, the book offers a
biblical- or rabbinic-themed essay, passages for textual study, and
a practical exercise of self-improvement. The result is an engaging
dialogue with both text and self, empowering Jews of all
backgrounds to connect to the Days of Awe.
Comprising well over a thousand pages of densely written Aramaic, the compilation of texts known as the Zohar represents the collective wisdom of various strands of Jewish mysticism, or kabbalah, up to the thirteenth century. This massive work continues to provide the foundation of much Jewish mystical thought and practice to the present day. In this book, Pinchas Giller examines certaing sections of the Zohar and the ways in which the central doctrines of classical kabbalah took shape around them.
Mystical and practical wisdom for daily life.
The least known of the Hasidic masters teachings the "hanhagot,
" or spiritual practices are at the heart of this book. These short
lists of instructions were created for their followers,
inspirational treasures intended to be carried with you at all
times. They were to be read again and again providing spiritual
guidance, centering, and aid in bringing joy and God s presence
into daily life.
Practical, personal, and wise, these brief teachings range from
straightforward instructions to visualization exercises,
meditations, and mantras. Also included are the "hanhagot" of two
neo-Hasidic thinkers: the modern journalist and mystic Hillel
Zeitlin (1871 1942), and the contemporary theologian Arthur
Green.
This anthology offers a comprehensive look at key texts of the Jewish mystical tradition and the Kabbalah. The selections range from the earliest archetypes and sources of the late Antiquity, important kabalistic works, and mystics throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Early Modern Period up to modern Hasidism. Internationally recognized scholar of Jewish mysticism, Joseph Dan, sets the text in chronological order and provides a historical perspective with introductory material.
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