The book “Messages on the Sufi Path” is a translation into English of five of Al-Sulami’s letters that depict the breadth of classical Sufi wisdom and the extent of Al-Sulami’s own contribution to preserving and teaching this wisdom:
Ways of companionship and friendship
Appropriate behavior in the presence of Sufi sheikhs and maintaining respect for them
A message on the essence of poverty and its ways
Explanation of the conditions of Sufism
A message of regretTogether, these letters provide an introduction to Sufism, including the relationship between seeker and spiritual guide, the close friendship between companions on the Sufi path, the importance of spiritual poverty before God, the proper sense of shame and remorse for sins that characterize true piety, and the various states of ecstasy that Sufis experience.In his book “Messages on the Sufi Method,” Dr. Jason Weil provides a general introduction to: Al-Sulami’s life, the Sufism that was practiced in Khorasan during the fifth century AH/eleventh century AD, and the importance of the Prophetic hadiths for this Sufi doctrine, in addition to Al-Sulami’s literary works. The book also includes an introduction to each of the five messages, and comprehensive explanations.
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