Customer Reviews
Quality Book - By: JKK, 02 Aug 2006 
I've always been interested by Sufi books. What I like about this is that as well as having stories & quotes form past mystic sages it also draws from contemporary writing & thus appears very up-to-date. This mystic religion is not buriedin ritual but can adapt & appeal to different ages. If you read through the book, like me, you will come across some stories that are quite moving. The edition I've got is hardback with a nice cover - worthy of such a quality book.
Seeking the face of God - By: Kurt Messick, 21 Dec 2005 The Sufi practitioner is a mystic. Sufi practices are the mystical practices of Islam. Many of those whom Islam heralds as saints & sages were Sufi masters. For nearly 1500 years, Sufi practices have co-existed with a diversity of other practices & culturesin which Islam has survived & thrived.
'According to many Sufis, the essential truths of Sufism existin all religions. The foundation for all mysticism includes the outer forms of religious practice, plus a life based on moral & ethical principles. The roots of the tree of religion are foundedin religious law.... The branches of the tree are mysticism.... The fruit of the tree is the Truth, or God.'
Edited by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, this book reaches from the very beginnings of Sufi practice to the present, & pulls together materials that are luminous & spirit-provoking, from prayers that have survived a millennium to contemporary poetry. Writers such as Ibn al-Arabi, Ahmad al-Ghazzali, Hafiz, Rumi & Attar fill this book with an enchanting sense of a divine presencein the curiously distant yet all-to-present reality.
Many of the teachings of Sufi are very basic & practical, much moreso than one would think a mystical framework would be. And yet, God is practicalin many ways. God particularly expects those with wisdom to impart the wisdom, & this is best done practically for many hearers. Action is the final essential component of wisdom.
The task of the Sufi is to recognise the Truth, to learn & remember it, & secondly, to help others to the Truth as well. As the task evolves, it becomes one process, which infiltrates daily life, worship, & all of existence. Nothing is apart from God. The Sufi strives to recognise this wholeness.
'Oh heart, sit with someone
who knows the heart;
God under the tree
which has fresh blossoms.'
- Rumi
For many of the Sufi, the path to Truth is the path of Love. 'Whatever we wish to know well, we must love.' Yet, there is resistance & fearin this love. Love can transform us, make us unrecognisable even to ourselves, & this is worrisome. Yet God will always know who we are.
Sufi literature also has a humourous aspect to it; the Hodja stories of Turkish collections is illustrated here. These are interesting, because they always illumine more upon closer examination.
'I can seein the dark,' boasted Hodja one day while sittingin a tea shop.
`If that's true,' said his friends, `why do we sometimes see you carrying a light at night?'
`Well,' he replied, `I only use that lamp to prevent other people from bumping into me.'
Ultimately the goal of all mystical practice, & perhaps most especially the Sufi, is the experience of knowing God. The paths to God are as numerous as the seekers, the Sufi believe, which is why the path through other religious faith is not discounted. Through prayer, remembrance & service, the Sufi comes to know God, & join with God.
One day a man asked a sheikh how to reach God. `The ways to God,' the sheikh replied, `are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest & easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, & to make others happy.' - Abu Sa'id
The call of God is powerful, & Sufi practice is one of the most powerful responses to this callin the world. Sufi are an impatient lot, who long to see God now. May your journey be enlightened by walking some of their paths.
Spritually Uplifting - By: , 29 Aug 2001 There are some poetry books that you may pick up from time to time, they may raise a smile or even a move you somewhat but this book will take you far beyond superficial emotions. The sheer cross section of poetry & poets is truley amazing, there is somethingin this book for everyone. From the sections on Sufi humour to the heart pulling poetry by those Sufi Saints who are powerlessly devoted to the divine. This book is a must for all lovers of Sufi poerty.
Brilliant - By: , 03 Jul 2000 An absolutely brilliant read. A book you can just pick up & flick open at any page & read something that completely changes your outlook on life.
