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This work concentrates on the life and writings of Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi (d. 1934). It is an excellent introduction to the intellectual and practical sides of Sufism and has been considered as one of the most thorough studies on the subject produced by a Western scholar.
'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 Sufis speak for themselves and, in a series of unusual and absorbing texts mainly translated from Arabic, he gives a vivid picture of life in a North African Sufi order. Against this background stands the unforgettable figure of the Algerian Shaikh who was head of the order from 1909 until his death in 1934. The last few chapters are mainly devoted to his writings, which include some penetrating aphorisms, and which end with a small anthology of his remarkable mystic poems.
Part One: The Path and the Order.
2.Seen from Outside.
3.The Origins of Sufism.
4.Seen from Within.
5.The Spiritual Master.
Part Two: The Doctrine.
7.Oneness of being.
8.The Three Worlds.
9.The Symbolism of the Letters of the Alphabet.
10.The Great Peace.
11.Gnosis
12.The Ritual Purification.
13.The Ritual Prayer.
Part Three: Further Dimensions.
15.Selections from his Aphorisms.
16.Selections from his Poetry
Appendix I: List of his Writings.
Appendix II: The Spiritual Chain.
About the author:
Martin Lings (AKA: Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din) born in Lancashire, England in 1909. Took an English degree at Oxford university. His interest in Islam and in Arabic took him to Egypt in 1939, and in the following year he was given a lectureship in Cairo University. In 1952 he returned to England and took a degree in Arabic at London University. From 1970-74 he was Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books at the British Museum (in 1973 his Department became part of the British Library) where he had been in special charge of the Qur’an manuscripts, amongst other treasures,
Dr. Martin Lings has been a Muslim for more than 50 years. He is also a Muslim scholar and has written various books in the fields of Traditional Islam and Sufism.
Martin Lings Also Known As Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din.
‘A masterly study of a man whose sanctity recalled the golden age of medieval mystics. In this well documented book Dr Lings draws on many rare sources...and has made some important original contributions.’ A. J. Arberry |
