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Passionate & witty, earthy & mystical, the soul-stirring poetry of 13th century Sufi poet Rumi transports us, especially when translated by Coleman Barks & accompanied by the work of artist Matt Manley. ... Read more

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A powerful interpretation of Rumi and his message of divine love and union.

A penetrating antidote to today's spiritual crises, The Way of Passion presents Rumi's magnificent visions of spiritual surrender and mystical union. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Review of Poetry by Rumi
I was sorta disappointed when I got this book. The reviewer is good, but ... I was expecting more actual poetry.

An amazing piece of work!
Through his exquisite writing, using Rumi's work as a vehicle, Andrew Harvey has given us a handbook to the inner courts of the soul. The depths of his observations will take you about as far as the written word can. It is not enough to just read this book. One must then go back and meditate one's way through it to truly absorb its richness. To do less would be to smell the fragrance of the wine but never taste it. Truly, this masterful study is a veritable banquet for the searching soul.

FINE RUMI POEMS & SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS
One viewpoint: Harvey is clearly inspired and explores many of Rumi's pieces in a heartfelt way. Excellent reading! It's healthy to spend time with Rumi and contemplate on his ideas--and humor. Rumi is among the top, top spiritual writers available. He understands--as does Harvey--what's important in Soul's journey Home.
(I'd suggest, to fill out this book's perspective, reading Twitchell's Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad (I and II).)

Come On Baby - Light My Fire!
The Divine Love, Divine Passion, Divine Power, and Divine Truth of Rumi are all explained here by Andrew Harvey.True to the book's title, Harvey has truly created a delightful celibration of Rumi and his works.If you are on your path, or even if you have wondered off the path into the dark forest, Harvey has provided a clear roadmap to the next level of transformation.This map comes repleat with warnings of speed traps, and roadsigns - telling of Rumi and Shams "wildness, violence, and ferocity" as they traveled down their path, drinking wine, and going ever onward, toward the Sun.Just enjoying moments of Divine Grace.

A mystic for our time
As one with a lifelong interest in mysticism, I have been reading Rumi for forty-five years now. Unfortunately, I cannot yet read the originals, and I have had to intuit the sense in some rather bloodless interpretations. Harvey, however, seems to hit it just right. To the degree that we can speak of these things during a person's lifetime, he seems to me to be a genuine mystic himself, passionate and full-blooded as the real thing usually is. Six months ago, I gave a copy of this to a much younger friend who had discerned the via negativa with no external guidance before we met. He rejoices in the book and is delighted to find words that exactly mirror his own untaught discoveries. I do not normally gush over such books. I was rigorously trained in Catholic theology and philosophy, hold a graduate degree in East Asian religion and identify myself as a Christian. I am not expert in Islam, though I know far more than the average reader, having edited one work on Rumi. So I tend to cast a jaundiced eye over most work like this. But if I were forced to reduce my library to a scant hundred volumes, The Way of Passion would still find an honored place. Rumi, though heterodox like all mystics, spoke powerfully not only to the Sufis of his time but to orthodox Muslims, Jews and Christians. Though Harvey certainly does not rank with Rumi, his interpretation can speak meaningfully to all persons of good will who do not barricade themselves behind denominational lines. On the basis of this book alone, I would read anything that Harvey writes. ... Read more

Product Description
The fragments collected here include the essence of Rumi's teaching, distilled from over 60,000 verses composed by the 13th century Sufi master. Jelaluddin Rumi may be the greatest poet the world has known, and is the most widely-read poet today - seven centuries after his death! The secret of this mystery lies within these pages. The poems of the Sufis of Persia and elsewhere, such as Hafiz and Jami, Rumi and Farid-ud-Din Attar, are not only philosophical statements, but they are written from beginning to end in admiration of beauty. And if one were to dive deep into their every verse, one would find that each one is equal to a hundred books full of philosophy. Why? Because their souls have been moved to dance at the sight of beauty. What they have expressed in their words is living, burning full of beauty. It penetrates the one who can feel it, who can admire it. Jelaluddin Rumi gave a new life and a new form to the mystic current, and it is from his time that the Sufi mystic culture spread throughout the world. He is the first mystic who came forward in the world and said that the essence of spirituality is the quality of heart.No mystic will ever say it as Rumi has: "Whether you love man or whether you love God, at the end of your destiny you will be brought before the King of love." The difference between Jelaluddin Rumi's work and the work of the great Hafiz of Persia is that Hafiz has pictured the outer life, whereas Rumi has pictured the inner life. And if I were to compare the three greatest poets of Persia, I would call Sa'di the body of the poet, Hafiz the heart of the poet, and Rumi the soul of the poet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Transported
Liebert captures the ecstacy of Rumi.It is extraordinary.You won't feel cheated.
He doesn't departfrom the thrill.It is just too short. "I drained this cup; / there is nothing, now,/ but ecstatic annihilation/ were I ever other than this/ I regret being born/ if forever it is this, / I'll tramle both worlds!/ and dance/ ecstatic/ forever!/ O, Shams, / I am so drunk!/ what can I say, but I am so drunk on love"

Rumi: Fragments & Ecstacies
As some of the world's most spiritually poignant and pithy literature, the writings of Rumi can be a challenge to translate.Fragments & Ecstacies is Rumi at his best and translation at its best.It is a journeyof absolute love and wisdom set in the simplest of peotic form.A realgem! I think Rumi, himself, would be pleased. ... Read more

Product Description
This work attempts to present Rumi to the English-speaking world and to shed light on his life as seen from within the Islamic mystical tradition. The knowledge presented in this work comes from Sefik Can, a great expert of Rumi and who used to be the highest authority, Sertariq, of the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey until he passed away on January 24, 2005. Two aspects of this work make it unique. The first is that the book was originally authored by a man who is ninety five years old and who has dedicated his entire life to the teachings of Rumu. Such a Mevlevi's view of Rumi makes this work greatly valuable. The second important contribution to the book is the foreword, which was translated by from the original turkish, written by M. Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Muslim thinker and interfaith activist of Turkey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not only the ritual, but the soul behind it.
This book is written by Sefik Can, whom devoted his life to Mevlevi tradition. Foreword is by Fethullah Gulen, who is a Turkish scholar known by his moderate ideas in and outside Turkey. Translated by Zeki Saritoprak, a Theology professor in John Carroll University. It seems the best combination to learn the real Rumi.

Rumi and Sufism
"In this volume we encounter Rumi living through the words of a contemporary Mevlevi Shaykh, Sefik Can.
Shaykh Can's presentation of the biography and poetry of this passionate, God-absorbed Rumi reminds us of that message of love, acceptance of diversity, and self-transcendence that is the true essence of Islam. Here we meet Rumi as Sufi, as Muslim, but above all as lover of God expressed in the love of humanity."
Marcia K. Hermansen
Professor of Islamic Studies
Loyola University, Chicago" ... Read more

Product Description
Seven centuries after his death, Jelaluddin Rumi maintains aunique position of significance in the hearts and minds of people today. Itis the deep emotional power of this extraordinary man that has made hispoetry become the epitome of the romantic, passionate voice we all long toexpress. This beautifully designed box contains a 128-page book and 50lavishly illustrated cards. One side of each card depicts a glorious colorillustration drawn from original Persian classical art; and on the otherside there is a Rumi poem. The book includes a history of Rumi's life, andexplanation of the Sufi path of Love and interpretations of all the poems.Amazon.com Review
Manuela Dunn Mascetti has culled Kabir and Camille Helminski's translations of Rumi for the great Sufi's most sublime statements on love. In addition, she has combed the vast stores of Persian art, choosing a lush painting to accompany each poem. She has put these together in the form of cards that pique the imagination and get the mystical juices flowing. Although the cards are without question enchanting, touching, and beautiful to look at, the commentaries that Mascetti put together in book form to accompany the cards are equally profound. While commentaries on poetry or Scriptures usually favor precision over lyricism, Mascetti has obviously imbibed the spirit of Rumi, delivering succinct but lovely statements that resemble Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet in their beauty and wisdom. "Love teaches us about soul, about the machinations of a great mystery that we cannot control." "See that love is like musk, it attracts attention. By knowing a lover one learns how to love." Try a card every day and see if you don't imbibe the spirit as well. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Absolutely Intoxicating!
Fabulous! Astounding! Super! A very uniquely packaged book. In short - youwill be intoxicated reading this. I've loved Rumi poetry for a long longtime and this is one of the best books I've seen. Poetry doesn't get anybetter than this. I get drunk reading Rumi's poetry every night. If youwanna get high - this is the stuff to get high on! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A Vintage Bottle from Rumi's Vineyard
This small, handsome, bilingual volume of inspired verse by a Sufi icon and a giant of Persian literature, Muhammad Jalal al-Din Balkhi (known in the West as "Rumi" and in the East as "Maulana") is an excellent introduction to the poet and his poetry, written specifically for the 2007 celebration of the 800th anniversary of his birth and, generally, for the growing contemporary Western interest in Eastern literature.

Rumi's "Divan-e Kabir" ("Works") fills 10 volumes, while this book provides just an introductory selection of 44 poems/620 lines including rubaiyat (quatrains) and ghazals (longer poems of from 5 to 15 couplets) which alternate here.Skilled English translations and the clear, amply-spaced Farsi script of the original poems appear on facing pages.These bilingual page-spreads provide aesthetic, authentic, inspiring and useful texts for both English-speaking students of Persian literature and/or Farsi language and for Farsi-speaking students of poetry or English language.

Most readers will be interested in the poetry itself for its radically spiritual Sufi themes that contrast with the radical materialism of contemporary Western life.Rather than give commentary here, and in keeping with Rumi's emphasis on direct experience, I urge readers to buy or borrow the book and read it through or dip into it again and again to share Rumi's inspired quest for "something beyond your grasp,/ the wisdom beyond definition,/ hidden in the hearts of men of God."Poems are listed on the Contents pages by their opening lines:"Love is my only companion...," "Let Love, the Water of Life, flow in my veins...," "If you long to be purified...," "Seek the art of loosening knots...," "All that pure ruby wine...," "If a tree could move...," "We are from above...," "I am your friend...," etcetera.The end-of-couplet refrain, "Say nothing," in "I'm a slave of the Moon" on page 55 provides the title of the entire volume.

The front matter includes a useful 5-page commentary by a Sufi scholar at Boston College, the translator's 11-page discussion of her work of linguistic transposition, and a 14-page introduction to the lives of Rumi and his soul-mate in their search for transcendence, Shams of Tabriz. Back matter includes 24 pages of illuminating Notes for the poems, a bibliography of 15 "Suggestions for Further Reading," and a list of Primary Persian Sources.

If you read this little "vade mecum" you will surely want to travel much farther on the Sufi road with Rumi. "Hush!Enough chatter in the sea, about the pearls in His sea./ If you want to be a pearl diver, don't waste your breath."

... Read more

Product Description
Also known as THE SPIRITUAL COUPLETS
OF
MAULANA JALALU-'D-DlN MUHAMMAD RUMI

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (Persian: جلال الدین محمد بلخى), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), and popularly known as Mowlānā (Persian: مولانا) but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and sufi mystic. Rūmī is a descriptive name meaning "the Roman" since he lived most of his life in an area called Rūm because it was once ruled by the Byzantine Empire.

Rumi was born in Greater Balkh (Bakhtarzamin), thus he´s called as Balkhi, in Wakhsh, a small town located at the river Wakhsh in what is now Tajikistan. Wakhsh belonged to the larger province of Balkh, and in the year Rumi was born, his father was an appointed scholar there. Both these cities were at the time included in the Greater Persian cultural sphere of Khorasan, the easternmost province of historical Persia, and were part of the Khwarezmian Empire.

His birthplace and native language both indicate a Persian heritage. Due to quarrels between different dynasties in Khorasan, opposition to the Khwarizmid Shahs who were considered devious by Bahā ud-Dīn Walad (Rumi's father) or fear of the impending Mongol cataclysm, his father decided to migrate westwards. Rumi's family traveled west, first performing the Hajj and eventually settling in the Anatolian city Konya (capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, now located in Turkey). This was where he lived most of his life, and here he composed one of the crowning glories of Persian literature which profoundly affected the culture of the area.

He lived most of his life under the Sultanate of Rum, where he produced his works[14] and died in 1273 CE. He was buried in Konya and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. Following his death, his followers and his son Sultan Walad founded the Mawlawīyah Sufi Order, also known as the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, famous for its Sufi dance known as the samāʿ ceremony.

Rumi's works are written in the new Persian language. A Persian literary renaissance (in the 8th/9th century) started in regions of Sistan, Khorāsān and Transoxianaand by the 10th/11th century, it reinforced the Persian language as the preferred literary and cultural language in the Persian Islamic world. Although Rumi's works were written in Persian, Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His original works are widely read in their original language across the Persian-speaking world. Translations of his works are very popular in other countries. His poetry has influenced Persian literature as well as Urdu, literature and other Pakistani languages written in Arabic script e.g. Pashto and Sindhi. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats; He has been described as the "most popular poet in America" in 2007. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rumi for the road
It is great to have Rumi on a Kindle! There are a few typos in this version which seem to be the remnants of a scanning process. Nevertheless one can't complain at this price!
To get a feel for Rumi in context of the Quran (in which the Masnavi is anchored)see the kindle book A Perspective on the Signs of Al-Quran: Through the prism of the heart ... Read more

Product Description
The words of the thirteenth-century mystical teacher and poet, Jalal al-Din Rumi, resonate down the centuries, touching the hearts of readers from all cultures. Gathered under a thematic spectrum of headings, from The Sufi Way to Living in the Spirit, this vibrant anthology offers a distillation of the most beautiful and profound wisdom written by the great Persian writer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great selection
I love this book! I really felt I connected to Rumi's ideas and could understand Sufi thought after reading this. I picked up a friend's copy to browse, and found myself completely immersed in it for hours. A really great introduction to Rumi.

Inspirational anthology, beautiful edition
I was given this collection of Rumi's poetry as a gift, and immediately fell in love with it. I have since bought other books of Rumi's work, but this is still my favourite. The selections focus on the main themes in Rumi's writings, and the style of writing of the translation is simple and beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a personal guide to Sufi thought, and for private reflection. It's a lovely book.

Beautiful selections. Beautifully packaged.
I think this is the nicest gift edition of Rumi poetry that I have seen. The selections are also very thoughtful and arranged under themes. I have given it as a gift to several friends and they loved it. ... Read more

Product Description
Rumi has influenced thousands of people across the centuries with his vision of our relationship with God as a path of love. Today, he is considered one of the most popular poets in the world. "The Illustrated Rumi" is an embodiment of the Sufi idea that life is a gift. A beautiful and lavishly designed book that is filled with art from the 14th century to modern times and striking new translations of Rumi's longer works and poetry, "The Illustrated Rumi" is authentic, engaging, accessible and exquisite. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of stories from Rumi's classic opus The Mathnawi, this astounding compilation of more than 24,000 verses is carefully adapted for younger audiences. Best known for his spiritual poetry and the whirling dance of sufi practice he inspired, Rumi's influence continues to spread around the world. ... Read more

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Reprint of the 1961 classic study of the discourses of the founder of the order of Whirling Dervishes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A book full of unrestrained exuberant ideas
One of the most exuberant books. This book will give you a most valuable insight into the ideas of Rumi, one of the worlds most famous Persian poets, in a way that is neither holier then thou, nor disconnencted from you. I felt the power of his ideas gushing inside me as I read this book. A must read for anyone remotedly interested in improving their way of life. It consists of anecdotes and so can be easily read by everyone.

Fihi ma fihi as it's called
I have previously read Rumi's poetry which I have foundto have been hard to comprehend due to translation mistakes and cultural differences.

This book is like a Sufi version of say Confucius' Analects(discourses with pupils). Here Rumi and friends, and disciples converse on everything from mundane everyday matters to the esoteric, and connect them together into a whole.

This gives a more practical and down to earth approach into this Sufi's teachings.

This is perhaps the best work available from Rumi. His poetry is good and deep, but this is more accessable and therefore more enlightening. After reading this you will know why Rumi is concidered aSufi master.

Strange that this book isn't more widely available....Theres thankfully a free E-book version of this outhere somewhere. Get that till this is reissued.

Speaking of silence
"What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence" said Wittgenstein at the end of his Tractatus Logico Philosophicus. The breadth and scope of 'Discourses of Rumi', dictated during the closing years ofRumi's life, has not only anticipated but answered this most profoundphilosophical question. Silence does not equal being mute: to Rumi, andperhaps Wittgenstein silence is a journey into a world untouched by'vulgar' words. It is a world beyond understanding. It is the world of'knowing'. ... Read more

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Product Description
Born in Afghanistan in the thirteenth century, Rumi settled in Turkey
and became a great mystical poet. Although he began his adult life
as a highly respected scholar, he found his true calling after being
mentored by a holy man, Shamsuddin. From "Shams," he learned to listen
for the sacred sound of God within himself. When his creative spirit was
awakened, he recited more than 50,000 rhymed couplets. He also wrote
about the love that resides in the soul of everyone regardless of religion or
background. He founded the order of the whirling dervishes who believed
their spinning dances put them in touch with God and brought peace and
love into the world. Although Rumi died 800 years ago, his poems are more
widely read now than ever before. To honor the 800th anniversary of his
birth, the United Nations declared 2007 The Year of Mawlana Jalaladdin
Rumi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Telling of a 13th century Afghani poet who became the great poet of all
Demi's RUMI: WHIRLING DERVISH is also a winner, telling of a 13th century Afghani poet who became the great poet of all. From his early scholarship to his religious introspection, RUMI provides a fine survey of his life and poems. Both hold Demi's signature drawings in full color. ... Read more

Product Description
75 poems translated from the original Persian texts byarchitect and author Nader Khalili. Rumi's poetry is the inspirationbehind the author's architectural work and the Rumi domes of light(book cover photo). Come let's fall in love again; let's turn all thedirt in this world to shiny gold. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Pure Balm for the restless heart and Soul
Magnificient and soul-stirring poetry. The words flow like honeyand transpose the heart into a restful state. It seems as if Runi had a direct connection to the glory of God.Sentimental and romantic to say the least.It is as if I was reading words written in gold and diamonds.

Best RUMI rendition by far
This is the best Rumi rendition I've seen, by far - and I've seen pretty much all of them (from Nicholson to Arberry to Barks to Schimmel to Shiva to Star). Khalili takes in Rumi in the original Persian, ingests, digests, and spits out pure ecstasy in English. He is free with form and selective with the verses - yet his rendition is closer to the original Persian than many of the non-native translators'. I keep one copy in the house, one in the car and one at work - each page is a momentary trap-door into another world. Khalili's is as Rumi was intended.

[update: july 2004]I can also recommend Raficq Abdulla's "Words of Paradise" and Jonathan Star's "Rumi: in the arms of the beloved" as good translations/renditions.

More than just translations
These poems are so poignantly rendered in the English language from the Persian, it's as if Rumi himself had traveled forward in time to rewrite them just for us. You don't have to be a Sufi to appreciate the wisdom of these words, and you don't have to like poetry to find them unbearablybeautiful. This is the ultimate gift of love.

Breathtakingly beautiful and deeply stirring.
These translations are the purest and the most inspiring I've seen.Letthis be your source of RUMI's teachings as it is mine.

"Seek notwater, seek thirst."--Rumi

The best translations of Rumi I have ever found.
I have been searching for a copy of this book for over a year.WhileColeman Barks seems to be getting better and better over time, NaderKhalili has arrived.These are wonderful selections, beautifullytranslated.Nader's style adds a wonderful touch to Rumi's sure words, andthe resulting combination is truly inspiring.I can't sing enough praisesfor this book.Buy it, and help me convince Nader to write more.Anyonehave his e-mail address? ... Read more

Product Description
In this breathtaking new collection, readers are introduced to the quatrains, the shorter poems that encapsulate Rumi's timeless appeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

WOMEN TRANSLATE RUMI
THIS BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF RUMI'S POEMS AND SAYINGS WAS TRANSLATED BY TWO WOMEN--HIGHLY UNUSUAL. THEIR SENSITIVE AND TRUE TO FORM TRANSLATIONS SEND THE READER INTO BLISS.

I READ IT QUITE OFTEN AND GIVE IT AS GIFTS, ESPECIALLY TO FEMALE FRINDS, WHO LOVE IT.

A jewel of a book
This wonderful and refreshing treasure of a book comes with me wherever I go and will illuminate many moments! I can't wait for the next volume to appear. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

One of the most inspired translations...
This was my first and still my favorite translation of Rumi.Beutifully and divinely inspired translations to make the spirit soar.It is a shame that it is out of print.If you ever see a copy in a used book store - get it!It will soon become your favorite Rumi translation too. ... Read more

Product Description
The first English translation of the rubais of Rumi

• Presents 233 of the most evocative of Rumi’s 1,700 rubais

• Shows that the mystical embrace is the way to directly experience the Divine

Rumi is well known for the over 44,000 verses that appear in a 23-volume collection called the Divan-i Kebir. Yet Rumi also composed 1,700 rubais, short aphorisms and observations, whose depth and message belie their brevity.

The form of rubais first became well known through the 11th-century collection The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. But unlike Khayyam, who like most poets would sit and carefully craft each word, Rumi would compose and speak his poems through the spontaneous “language of poetry” that poured from his lips as he traveled the streets of Konya, Anatolia (present-day Turkey). Very few of Rumi’s rubais have been translated into any of the languages of the contemporary Western world. Now, Nevit O. Ergin, the translator of the complete Divan-i Kebir, and Will Johnson present here 233 of the most evocative of Rumi’s 1,700 rubais.

Rumi’s poetry expresses profound and complex truths in beautiful yet simple language. He reveals that by going deep into the interior of our heart and soul, we can arrive at a place in which we once again merge and connect with the divine. This mystical quest, Rumi contends, is the birthright of us all. Anything less than a complete dissolving into the world of divine union will not provide the satisfaction and peace that we all seek. The simple, yet profound spiritual truths and visions contained in The Rubais of Rumi lead the way to the path of reconnection to the direct energies of God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A recommended pick for any collection strong in Rumi wisdom.
Rumi is known for over 44,000 verses that appear in a 23-volume collection, yet Rumi also composed nearly two thousand rubias (short observations). His rubias were primarily oral and spontaneous as he journeyed through Turkey, so unlike his other collected verses few have been translated into English, until now. Nevit Ergin is translator of Rumi's 44-volue set and he and Will Johnson together present over two hundred of Rumi's best rubias, making this a recommended pick for any collection strong in Rumi wisdom. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

An agnostic loves it
At one time I had what I thought was a passing interest in Sufism. I am an agnostic, but as such I think it is my duty to delve into and explore different faiths and spiritual traditions. (Saying you don't know doesn't mean you stop looking) This book made a "passing interest" into complete admiration for a spiritual tradition that is rich, witty, wild, exuberant, frustrating, insane, mystical, and Transcendent. I have heard Sufism called the zen Buddhism of the western tradition. I think that makes sense. But there is something about this book that speaks to me in a way that no other book has. I don't know why. But that's the way it goes.

Sufism Debugged
Shams does not mince words.He is also an excellent teacher of exegesis (in his own special way).If he doesn't manage to get under your skin and push off the mask, then it is not for you.My softcover copy has survived a close encounter with a hard surface.Pay special attention then to who is his Master, after you make up.And note that there is a program for your instruction, should you care to follow it.If you don't fall in love with Sham after reading this book, then it is not for you.(And if this review is too cryptic, then it is not for you.)

Here's an extended quote, an entry entitled 'Those who possess the Kernet' (which is followed by the entry "Ali and Muhammad').

Begin quote:

The universe of Truth is an infinitely wide expanse.According to some, it is extremely clear and simple.For some it is very difficult, while according to some it is very easy--yet because of this easiness the remain bewildered.Those who speak about such things, hesitate here.

In the Hadith it has been said,"The Qur'an has seven levels of meaning of both the outer (zahir), the inner (batin), and the inner of the inner."Of these meanings, the scholars know the outer meanings, the saints know the inner meanings, and the prophets know the hidden meanings with the inner meanings, the fourth "none knows but God."So, how can the children of Adam benefit from this?There are many secrets within the hadith as there are in the Qur'an.As God Most High has said, "His heart did not deny what he saw .."[53.11]

They also hesitate to speak about the meaning of the subtle point, "What no eye has seen and no ear has heard."

End quote.(Let that serve as his own meta-review of this book.)

This book is generously footnoted with highly informative content.A short introduction is followed by the main body of the text: a series of entries, ranging from short snippets to a few pages.It is clearly a labor of love, and a very valuable gift to the English reader.Many thanks to Refik Algan and Camille Adams Helsinki for their efforts. Highly recommended. ... Read more