Books
The Repose of the Spirits is a translation of one of the earliest and most comprehensive treatises on Sufism in the Persian language. Written by Aḥmad Sam‘ānī, an expert in Islamic law from a famous Central Asian scholarly family in about the year 1135, it is one of the handful of early Sufi texts available in English and is by far the most accessible. It also may well be the longest and the most accurately translated. Ostensibly a commentary on the divine names, it avoids the abstract discourse of theological nitpicking and explains the human significance of the names with a delightful mix of Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet and various past teachers, interspersed with original interpretations of the received wisdom. Unlike the usual books on the divine names (such as that of al-Ghazali), The Repose of the Spirits reminds the reader of the later poetical tradition, especially the work of Rumi.(Read More…)
There are almost no authoratative books readily available for the general reader that provide, in clear and accessible language, an introduction to the spiritual perspective illuminating Rumi’s magical poetry. In this beautifully illustrated work, William C. Chittick, a leading scholar of Sufism and Rumi, opens doors that give us access to the inner sanctum of Rummi’s thought. (Read More…)
The book covers the four dimensions of Islam as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel: practice, faith, spirituality, and the Islamic view of history. Drawing on the Koran, the sayings of the Prophet and the great authorities of the tradition, the text introduces the essentials of each dimension and then shows how it has been embodied in Islamic institutions throughout history. (Read More…)
William Chittick takes a major step toward exposing the breadth and depth of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s vision. The book offers his view of spiritual perfection and explains his theology, ontology, epistemology, hermeneutics, and soteriology. The clear language, unencumbered by methodological jargon, makes it accessible to those familiar with other spiritual traditions, while its scholarly precision will appeal to specialists. Buy at: (Shepherd) (Amazon)
This is the most accessible work in English on the greatest mystical poet of Islam, providing a survey of the basic Sufi and Islamic doctrines concerning God and the world, the role of man in the cosmos, the need for religion, man’s ultimate becoming, the states and stations of the mystical ascent to God, and the means whereby literature employs symbols to express “unseen” realities. (Read More…)
This book introduces the work of an important medieval Islamic philosopher who is little known outside the Persian world. Afdal al-Din Kashani was a contemporary of a number of important Muslim thinkers, including Averroes and Ibn al-Arabi. Kashani did not write for advanced students of philosophy but rather for beginners. In the main body of his work, he offers especially clear and insightful expositions of various philosophical positions, making him an invaluable resource for those who would like to learn the basic principles and arguments of this philosophical tradition but do not have a strong background in philosophy. Here, Chittick uses Kashani and his work to introduce the basic issues and arguments of Islamic philosophy to modern readers. (Read More…)
The Self-Disclosure of God offers the most detailed presentation to date in any Western language of the basic teachings of Islam’s greatest mystical philosopher and theologian. It represents a major step forward in making available to the Western reading public the enormous riches of Islamic teachings in the fields of cosmology, mystical philosophy, theology, and spirituality. (Read More…)
The astounding autobiography of the man who transformed Rumi from a learned religious teacher into the world’s greatest poet of mystical love. (Read More…)
The very heart of the Islamic tradition is love; no other word adequately captures the quest for transformation that lies at this tradition’s center. So argues esteemed professor of medieval Islam William C. Chittick in this survey of the extensive Arabic and Persian literature on topics ranging from the Qur’an up through the twelfth century. Bringing to light extensive foundational Persian sources never before presented, Chittick draws on more than a thousand pages of newly translated material to depict the rich prose literature at the center of Islamic thought. (Read More…)
The importance of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240) for Islamic mysticism lies in the fact that he was a speculative thinker of the highest order, albeit diffuse and difficult to understand. His central doctrine is the unity of all existence. In this text, William Chittick explores how, through the work of Ibn Al-Arabi, Sufism moves away from anguished and ascetic searchings of the heart and conscience and becomes a matter of speculative philsophy and theosophy. (Read More…)
In Search of the Lost Heart brings together twenty-six essays by William C. Chittick, renowned scholar of Sufism and Islamic philosophy. Written between 1975 and 2011, most of these essays are not readily available in Chittick’s own books. Although this is a collection, its editors have crafted it to be a book “sufficient unto itself, which, when taken as a whole, can be said to explore the underlying worldview of Islam.”(Read More…)
This anthology of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s most representative essays, edited by William C. Chittick, distills the essence of this leading scholar’s thoughts on the subjects of Islam, Sufism, Tradition, and the Environmental Crisis. (Read More…)
Ibn al-Arabi, known as the “Greatest Master,”is the most influential Muslim thinker of the past 600 years. This book is an introduction to his thought concerning the ultimate destiny of human beings, God and the cosmos, and the reasons for religious diversity. It summarizes many of Ibn al-Arabi’s teachings in a simple manner. The ideas discussed are explained in detail.(Read More…)
William C. Chittick, the leading scholar in the field, offers a compelling insight into the origins, context, and key themes of this fascinating movement. After a general overview of the tradition, he draws upon the words of some of the greatest Sufi writers – among them Ibn Arabi, Baha Walad and Rumi himself – to give a fresh and revealing perspective on the teachings and beliefs of Sufism and its proponents. Covering everything from the history and growth of Sufism to its place in the modern world, this sympathetic book will be appreciated by anyone interested in Sufism, from complete beginners to students, scholars and experts alike. (Read More…)
This book of essays, poems, and interviews by Islamic and Sufi poets, scholars, and storytellers is a much-needed compendium of works from a complex tradition that holds timeless messages for contemporary readers. Contributors range from Rumi to Seyyed Hossei Nasr to Emma Clark — together they create a mosaic of the Muslim view of the world and the cosmos, as well as of Sufi rhythms and rituals. Contributions like “Out of the Hidden Root” and “Slumber Seizes Him Not” promote a deeper understanding of one of the world’s great, and most misunderstood, spiritual traditions. (Read More…)
Islamic Intellectualism is dead: or so argues William Chittick in this radical new book challenging modern trends in religious thought. Whilst many may say that Islamic studies thrives as a subject, Chittick points to the words of one of his former Professors when describing young colleagues: “they know everything one can possibly know about a text, except what it says”. Indeed, Chittick states that it is impossible to understand ancient Islamic texts without the years of contemplative study that are anathema to the modern education system. While the modern intellectual with faith often treats their studies and faith in two seperate spheres, Chittick argues that it is essential to return to the ways of the ancient Sufis, who viewed knowledge of the soul, the world, and God as an extension of the same thing, and he bemoans the loss of the spiritual and intellectual highs of the Medieval Islamic period. (Read More…)
The underlying theme of Sadra’s amplification is emblematic of Muslim philosophy: the importance of self-knowledge in an individual’s journey of “Origin and Return,” the soul’s origins with God and its eventual return to Him. Everything, Sadra says, is on such a path, gradually disengaging from the material world and returning to a transcendent essence—all leading to a final fruition in which everything in the universe returns to God and finds permanent happiness. Philosophy, Sadra argues, is the most direct means to self-knowledge—and thus the best tool for navigating this journey.
“A great many books have appeared on Islamic mysticism. I do not know any, however, that accomplish what Chittick has done in this book. He presents Sufism in a way that can be understood by those with little background in Islam, persuasively laying out the doctrines contained in these texts in ways that locate them firmly within the classical Islamic theological world view. At the same time this material is valuable to those who are well versed in Islamic mysticism. I can imagine this being used as a textbook in the study of Islam in general undergraduate courses as well as in programs at the graduate level.” ― Jane I. Smith, Iliff School of Theology (Read More…)
Created by the Prophet Muhammad and his twelve Imams, the Hadith is an ancient and profoundly influential body of religious texts in Shi‘ite Muslim literature, second in importance only to the Holy Koran itself. Texts on the practical aspects of life and pure metaphysics are included in this first English translations of excerpts from the Hadith. Especially selected for the Western reader by the renowned Islamic scholar Tabataba’i, the passages from the Hadith shed light on the culture, history, law, and theology of the Shi’ite community and provide direct translations of some of the most famous of Islamic prayers. (Read More…)
This annotated translation is here accompanied by a translation of another work attributed to Zayn al-Abidin, The Treatise on Rights. Together, the texts contribute significantly to the understanding of Islamic spirituality and the Muslim’s standing in relation to God and the community, not only in the early period, but, given the widespread use of the Sahifa as a devotional guide, up to the present day. Only a family member of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) can write a book like this. Written by Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abedeen (AS), grandson of Imam Ali (AS) is book of prayers and sublimations but could be easily regarded the best book of principles and values of Islam and in fact the humanity. It is bound to bring tears in reader’s eyes while appreciating the richness and command of the language. (Read More…)
Perhaps no mystic in the history of the world has delved as deeply into the inner knowledge that informs our being as did Ibn ‘Arabi. He was born into the cultural and religious crucible of Andalusian Spain in 1165, a place and time in which Muslim, Jewish and Christian scholars learned from each other and from the Greek classics that were then being translated and circulated. Drawing from the most advanced philosophical and metaphysical thinking of his time and from his extensive knowledge of the religion of Islam, Ibn ‘Arabi created an extraordinary mystical theology that essentially sprang from his own spiritual realization. Because of the subtlety of his language and complexity of his thought, access to Ibn ‘Arabi has always been difficult and translation daunting. Previously only short extracts were available in English. This volume, the first in our English translation of Les Illuminations de la Mecque, contains 22 key chapters of this Sufi ‘summa mystica,’ on such issues as Ibn ‘Arabi’s doctrine of the Divine Names, the nature of spiritual experience, the end of time, the resurrection and the stages of the path that lead to sanctity.(Read More…)
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The most in-depth and scholarly panorama of Western spirituality ever attempted!In one series, the original writings of the universally acknowledged teachers of the Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic and Native American traditions have been critically selected, translated and introduced by internationally recognized scholars and spiritual leaders.The texts are first-rate, and the introductions are informative and reliable. The books will be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of every literate religious persons”. — The Christian Century (Read More…)
Sachiko Murata, William C. Chittick, Tu Wei-ming, Foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
Liu Zhi (ca. 1670–1724) was one of the most important scholars of Islam in traditional China. His Tianfang xingli (Nature and Principle in Islam), the Chinese-language text translated here, focuses on the roots or principles of Islam. It was heavily influenced by several classic texts in the Sufi tradition. Liu’s approach, however, is distinguished from that of other Muslim scholars in that he addressed the basic articles of Islamic thought with Neo-Confucian terminology and categories. Besides its innate metaphysical and philosophical value, the text is invaluable for understanding how the masters of Chinese Islam straddled religious and civilizational frontiers and created harmony between two different intellectual worlds.
The volume is arranged in the order of the chapter and verses of the Qur’an and 1,500 pages of Persian text. There are 97 chapters, each corresponding to one Qur’anic chapter (which is to say that 17 of the short chapters do not have commentaries). Each chapter consists of explanations of from one or two to as many as 85 verses. Topics include most of the major issues in Islamic theology, metaphysics, cosmology, and spiritual psychology. The language is relatively simple and poetic, making the book much easier to access than any Qur’anic commentary now available in English, not to mention the numerous impenetrable tomes of Islamic thought. Free PDF Download or Purchase on Amazon
by Ali ibn Abu Talib
Translated by William Chittick
This book is a collection of supplications composed by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib.
Publisher : Pir Press Inc.; New Edition (July 7, 2018)
ISBN-10: 0999355252
ISBN-13: 978-0999355251
Paperback: 72 pages (Softcover)
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The first study in English of Islamic thought in China, this book shows that this tradition was informed by both Sufism and Neo-Confucianism; translations of two classic works are included.
Chinese Gleams of Sufi Light investigates, for the first time in a Western language, the manner in which the Muslim scholars of China adapted the Chinese tradition to their own needs during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The book surveys the 1400-year history of Islam in China and explores why the four books translated from Islamic languages into Chinese before the twentieth century were all Persian Sufi texts. The author also looks carefully at the two most important Muslim authors of books in the Chinese language, Wang Tai-yu and Liu Chih. Murata shows how they assimilated Confucian social teachings and Neo-Confucian metaphysics, as well as Buddhism and Taoism, into Islamic thought. (Read More…)
NAQD AL-NUSUS Fi Sharh Naqsh al-Fusus. Selected Texts to Comment the “Imprint of the Fusus”
Edited with Notes and Introductions in Persian and English by William C. Chittick
Persian foreword by Sayyid Jalal al-Din Ashtiyani
The major concern in this book has been to establish a critical text of one of the key works of the school of Ibn Arabi and to show how much Jami is indebted to all his predecessors for the manner in which he elucidates and interprets Ibn Arabi’s ideas.