Finally, an introduction in the English language to the much neglected life and works of Sultān Walad, Rumi’s son and interpreter who had extraordinary Sufi teachers: his father, Shams-e Tabrīzī, and (after the latter’s final disappearance) his father’s favorite disciple, Salāh al-Dīn the goldsmith. This book is scholarly and thorough, as well as readable; it offers a rewarding exposition of the main teachings of Sufism during the era of Rumi and Shams. Topics include ascetic practices, Sufi saints and sainthood, striving against the lower self or ego, the Sufi sheikh, miraculous wonders of the saints, ecstatic movements inspired by mystical music and poetry, spiritual retreat, mystical secrets, death and the hereafter, and divine Unity. These are discussed in the context of Sufism as the mystical dimension of Islam, in which Sultan Walad frequently refers to and interprets verses from the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
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