Sufism, Islam & Rumi

This is a book about the intersection of Sufi and Hasidic wisdom as gleaned from the lives and teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement and Pir Vilayat Khan, the head and spiritual director of the Sufi Order of the West.

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of God: A Biography, an erudite, hugely informative portrait of the God of Islam, the world's second largest, fastest-growing, and perhaps most tragically misunderstood religion.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day, but for too many

of us these are little more than physical movements devoid of any

spirit or divine connection? In contrast, the Prophet characterised prayer as the spiritual ascent

(mi'raj) of the believer. In a modern world of constant distraction,

An unparalleled exploration of Sufism as it is practised around the world, describing meetings with today's enlightened teachers as well as including wonderfully inspiring translations of the great Sufi masters of the past. Ultimately, this book acts as a guide to the Sufi path and offers wise insight into the meaning and purpose of life.

The stories in this book are drawn from the dozens that Douglas-Klotz has enjoyed telling in his seminars over the past 20 years. Most of them appear in works of the classical Sufis, such as Rumi, Attar, or S'adi. To preserve some of the in-person feeling and bring the language up to date, he has given them his own improvised turns.

Considered by Rumi to be "the master" of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar (who died, in 1220, when Rumi was 12 years old) is best known for his epic poem The Conference of the Birds, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul's search for meaning.