CONTENTS PAGE

Author's Preface ix

Introduction 1

Chapter One

THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM 13

Kinds of Knowledge · Divine Knowledge · Man's Knowledge · Constituents of Ma'rifat (Batin of Islam) · Constituents of Shariat (Zahir of Islam) · Knowledge of the Essence of God · Knowledge of Sifat (Attributes) · Knowledge of Divine Deeds (Af'al) · Knowledge of Shariat · Knowledge of Consensus · The Philosophers · Sayings of the Saints of Islam about Knowledge

Chapter Two

DERVISHHOOD (FAQR) 23

Controversy about Faqr and Ghina (poverty and richness) · Abul Qasim Qushairi on Faqr and Ghina · Secrets of Faqr and Ghina

Chapter Three

ABOUT TASAWWUF (SUFISM) 37

The reason for the name of Sufi or Sufism · Section - Sayings of the Sufis · Saying of Dhunnun Misri · Saying of Junaid Baghdadi · Saying of Abul Hasan Nuri · Saying of Ibn Jala Damishqi · Saying of Abu Umar Damishqi· Saying of Abu Bakr Shibli · Saying of Shaikh Husri · Saying of Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussain bin · Ali ibni Abi Talib · Saying of Abu Muhammad Murtaish · Saying of Abu Bakr Shibli · Saying of Junaid Baghdadi · Saying of Shaikh Husri · Saying of Ali bin Bandar al-Sairni · Saying of Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Maqri · Section - The Conduct of the Sufis in the Affairs of People · Saying of Abu Hafs · Saying of Muhammad Murtaish · Saying of Abu Ali Quzwini · Saying of Abul Hasan Nuri · Saying of Abul Hasan Abu Shanja

Chapter Four

WEARING OF PATCHED GARMENTS 57

Method of Patching · Merits and demerits of wearing wool and other patched garments · Reason for wearing blue clothes · Qualifications of a Shaikh · Section - Reason for Changing the Dress

Chapter Five

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAQR (DERVISHHOOD) AND SAFWAT (PURITY) 67

Chapter Six

SELF-ABASEMENT (MALAMAT) 71

The Causes of Malamat (Defamation) · More Examples of Malamat · Merits of Malamat

Chapter Seven

LEADING COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET (s.a.w.) 79

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq · Umar bin al-Khattab · Uthman bin Affan · Ali bin Abi Talib (The fourth Caliph)

Chapter Eight

THE IMAMS OF THE HOUSE OF THE PROPHET (s.a.w.) 85

Imam Hasan bin al-Murtaza · Imam Hussain bin al-Murtaza · Abul Hasan Ali Zainal-Abidin · Imam Ali Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussain al-Baqir · Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq

Chapter Nine

COMPANIONS OF THE VERANDAH (SUFFAH) 93

Chapter Ten

FOLLOWERS OF THE COMPANIONS (TABI'IN) 95

Uwais Qarni · Harm bin Hayan · Khawaja Hasan Basri · Saeed bin Mussayyib

Chapter Eleven

COMPANIONS OF THE FOLLOWERS OF THE COMPANIONS 101

Habib Ajami · Malik bin Dinar · Abu Halim Habib bin Aslam al-Rayi · Abu Hazim al-Madni · Muhammad bin Wasia · Imam Abu Hanifah · Abdullah bin Mubarak al-Mazuri · Fudhail bin Ayadh · Dhunnun bin Ibrahim al-Misri (Egyptian) · Khawaja Ibrahim bin Adham · Bishr Hafi · Abu Yazid Bistami · Abu Abdullah al-Harith bin Asad al-Muhasibi · Abu Sulaiman Daud bin al-Tai · Abul Hasan Sari Saqti · - Charms of God Vision (Didar): · Abu Ali Shaqiq Balkhi · The Pious do not Die: · Shaikh Abu Sulaiman Darani · Ma'ruf Karkhi · Hatim al-Asam · Imam Shafiyi · Imam Ahmad bin Hambal · Ahmad bin al-Hawari · Ahmad bin Khadhroya · Abu Turab al-Nasfi · Yahya bin Muadh Razi · Shaikh Abu Hafs · Abu Salih Hamdun · Masur bin Ammar · Abu Abdullah bin Asim Autaki · Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Khafif · Abul Qasim Junaid Baghdadi · Abul Hasan Ahmad Khurasani al-Nuri · - Sufi Sects · Abu Uthman Saeed bin Ismail Hiri · Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Yahya bin Jalal · Abu Muhammad Ruwaym bin Ahmad · Abu Ya'qub Yusuf bin Hussain Razi · Abul Hasan Samnun bin Abdullah Khawas · Shah Shuja Kirmani · Umar bin Uthman Makki · Abu Muhammad Suhail bin Abdullah Tustari · Abu Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad bin Balkhi · Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali Tirmidhi · Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Umar Warraq · Abu Saeed bin Isa Kharraz · Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Asfahani · Muhammad bin Ismail Khair-un-Nasaj · Abu Hamzah Khurasani · Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Masruq · Abu Abdullah bin Ahmad Ismail Maghribi · Abu Ali bin Hasan bin Ali Jurjani · Abu Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Hussain Jariri · Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sahl Amli · Abul Mughith Hussain bin Mansur Hallaj · Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Ahmad Khawas · Abu Hamzah Baghdadi Bazzaz · Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Musa Wasiti · Abu Bakr bin Dulaf Shibli · Abu Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Nasiruddin Khuldi · Abu Ali Rodbari · Abul Abbas Qasim bin Mahdi Sayyari · Abul Abbas Qasim · Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Khafif · Abu Uthman Saeed bin Sallam Maghribi · Abul Qasim Ibrahim bin Mahmud Nasrabadi · Abul Hasan Ali bin Ibrahim Husri

Chapter Twelve

ABOUT THE SUFIS OF MODERN TIMES 165

Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Muhammad Qassab · Abu Ali Daqqaq · Abul Hasan Ali bin Ahmad Kharqani · Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali Daghistani · Abu Saeed Fadhlullah bin Muhammad Mihni · Abul Fadhl Muhammad bin Hasan Khuttali · Abul Qasim bin Hawazan Qushairi · Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Muhammad Ashqani · Abul Qasim bin Ali bin Abdullah Gorgani · Abu Ahmad al-Muzaffar bin Ahmad bin Hamdan

Chapter Thirteen

CONTEMPORARY SUFIS 175

The Shaikhs of Syria And Iraq · The Shaikhs of Fars · The Shaikhs of Kohistan, Azerbaijan And Tabaristan · The Shaikhs of Karman · The Shaikhs of Khurasan, The Blessed Land · The Shaikhs of Transoxus Countries · The Shaikhs of Ghazna

Chapter Fourteen

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AMONG SUFI ORDERS 181

The Muhasibi School of Thought · What is Ridha? · Sayings About Ridha · Difference between Hal and Maqam · THE QASSARIS · What is greatness? · THE TAIFURIS · Difference Between Sukr and Sahw · Kinds of Sukr · Kinds of Sahw · THE JUNAIDIYA SCHOOL · THE NURIYA DOCTRINE · The Nature of Ithar · Kinds of Ithar · Sacrifice of Abul Hasan Nuri · Sacrifice of Abdullah bin Umar · Sacrifice of Nine Sufis · Sacrifice of Ali · Sacrifice of the Wounded Sahabah · Sacrifice of an Israelite · Sacrifice of a Lion · THE SAHLIYYA DOCTRINE · The Nature of Nafs (lowerself) and Hawa (lust) · Sayings of the Sufi Shaikhs about Nafs · Purification of Nafs · The Nature of Lust (Hawa) · THE HAKIMIYAH SCHOOL · Affirmation of Walayat · On Miracles (Karamat) · The difference between Mu'jizat and Karamat · Manifestation of Karamat on the Part of One who Professes Divinity · Superiority of Prophets to the Auliya · Superiority of the Prophets and Saints to the Angels · THE KHARRAZIYAH ORDER · Fana and Baqa · What is Fana · OPINIONS OF VARIOUS SHAIKHS ON FANA AND BAQA · THE KHAFIFIYAH ORDER · Discourse on Ghaibat and Hudhur · THE SAYYARIYAH ORDER · Discourse on Jama' and Tafriqa (Union and Separation) · THE HULULIYAH SECT (the Reincarnationists) · Discourse on the human soul (ruh)

Chapter Fifteen

LIFTING OF THE FIRST VEIL: REGARDING MA'RIFAT OF ALLAH (GNOSIS) 275

Chapter Sixteen

LIFTING OF THE SECOND VEIL: REGARDING TAUHID (ONENESS OR MONOTHEISM) 291

Chapter Seventeen

LIFTING OF THE THIRD VEIL: REGARDING IMAN (FAITH) 299

Chapter Eighteen

LIFTING OF THE FOURTH VEIL: REGARDING PURIFICATION (TAHARAT) 305

Kinds of Purification

Chapter Nineteen

REPENTANCE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS 309

What is Repentance (Taubah) ?

Chapter Twenty

LIFTING OF THE FIFTH VEIL: REGARDING SALAT (PRAYER) 317

Chapter Twenty-one

LOVE AND MATTERS CONNECTED WITH IT 325

Kinds of love · Love: Ishq

Chapter Twenty-two

LIFTING OF THE SIXTH VEIL: REGARDING ZAKAT (COMPULSORY TAX FOR THE POOR) 333

Regarding Bountifulness (Jud) and Generosity (Sakha)

Chapter Twenty-three

LIFTING OF THE SEVENTH VEIL: ON FASTING (AS-SAWM) 339

On Hunger and Matters Related to it

Chapter Twenty-four

LIFTING OF THE EIGHTH VEIL: ON THE PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ) 347

Mushahidah

Chapter Twenty-five

LIFTING OF THE NINTH VEIL: ON COMPANIONSHIP AND ALLIED TOPICS 355

On Details of Etiquettes · Rules of Companionship Concerning the Residents · Regarding Rules for the Travelling Dervishes · Manners of eating · On Mashaikh's Manners of Walking · Etiquette of Sleeping in Travel and at Home · On Rules Regarding Speech and Silence · On the Etiquettes of asking (sawal) · Rules and Etiquettes Regarding the Sufi's Marriage (taswij) and Celibacy (tajrid)

Chapter Twenty-six

ON THE LIFTING OF THE TENTH VEIL: CONCERNING SUFI PHRASEOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS OF THEIR TERMS AND VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, SECRETS AND MYSTERIES 379

Hal and Waqt · Maqam and Tamkin · Muhadhirah and Mukashfah · Qabd (contraction) and Bast (expansion) · Uns (Intimacy) and Haibat (Awe) · Qahr (violence) and Lutf (kindness) · Nafi (negation) and Asbat (affirmation) · Musamrah and Muhadithah · Ilm-ul-Yaqin, Ain-ul-Yaqin, Haq-ul-Yaqin · Ilm (knowledge) and Ma'rifat (Gnosis) · Shariat (The law) and Haqiqat (Reality) · Second category of Sufi Terms employed with metaphor to describe their spiritual experiences· Haq · Haqiqat · Khatarat · Watanat · Tams · Alaiq · Wasait · Zawaid · Fawaid · Malja · Manja · Kulliyat · Lawaih · Lawami · Tawali · Tawariq · Lataif · Sirr · Najwa · Isharat · Ima · Warid · Intibah · Ishtibah · Qarar · Inziaj · Third category of Sufi Terms employed without metaphor to describe their spiritual experiences · Alam · Muhdath · Qadim · Azal · Abad · Dhat · Sifat · Ism · Tasmiyat · Nafi · Ithbat · Shai'an · Dhiddan · Ghairan · Jawahir · Ardh · Jism · Sawal · Jawab · Husn · Qubh · Safah · Zulm · Adl · Malik · Fourth category of Terms · Khatir · Waqia · Ikhtiyar · Imtihan · Bala · Tajalli · Tahalli · Takhalli · Shurood · Qusud · Istina · Istifa · Istilain · Rein · Ghein · Talbis · Shurb · Dhawq

Chapter Twenty-Seven

LIFTING OF THE ELEVENTH VEIL: ON SAMAA' (SPIRITUAL MUSIC) 403

Hearing of Qur'an and allied matters · On hearing poetry · On hearing songs and melodies · On Ahkam-i-Samaa' (Principles of Music) · Sayings of Mashaikh on Samaa' · On difference of opinion about Samaa' · Regarding their grades (Maratib) in Samaa' · Wajd, Wujud and Tawajud · On Dancing (Raqs) · Looking at Human Beauty · On the rules of Samaa' (Adab-i-Samaa')

Appendix One

Name Index 421

(Index of Names of Persons Mentioned in This Book)

Appendix Two

Subject Index

(Selective Index of Terms and Subjects Mentioned in This Book)