This is a short, richly illustrated book on the thought behind the great Sufi poet’s mystical words.

There are now countless books of Rumi’s poetry available in English translation, and he has become one of North America’s favorite poets. There are, however, almost no authoritative books readily available for the general reader that provide in clear and accessible language an introduction to the underlying 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 Rumi’s esoteric, and Sufi, thought.

He is the best English-language primary source for entrance into the rich symbolic world of Sufism…

These new translations have done a great service by catching some of Rumi’s magic and bringing him to the attention of an audience that otherwise would never have been exposed to him. What they generally fail to do, however, is to provide sufficient context to grasp what Rumi is actually saying. For those who know him only through the popularizing translations, this little book may provide some insight into his universe of meaning.

With every part of every page resplendent with Islamic calligraphies, tapestries and evocative paintings, The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi (originally published in another form in 1974) embodies the magnificence, coherence, and immense beauty of which Rumi was a living candle.

Among William Chittick’s other books are Me & Rumi: The Autobiography of Shams-i-Tabrizi and The Sufi Path of Love: The Teachings of Rumi.