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A lot of discussions recently about works that present an inaccurate view of Islamic spirituality. I wanted to share a thread on accessible and accurate English primary sources on #Sufis, #Sufism #Islamic #spirituality.
(prioritizing primary sources, not secondary studies).
Love Is the Wine: Talks of a Sufi Master in America. By Sheikh Mozaffar Ozak. Sohbet genre book by a leading 20th century Sufi teacher. amazon.com/Love-Wine-Talk…
Beauty and Light. By Cemalnur Sargut. Powerful book by a leading female Turkish mystic. fonsvitae.com/product/beauty…
A Sufi Saint in the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi – His Spiritual Heritage and Legacy
AUTHOR: MARTIN LINGS
fonsvitae.com/product/a-sufi…
The first volume of Masnavi, translated by Jawid Mojaddedi.
amazon.com/Masnavi-Book-O…
Listen: Commentary on the Spiritual Couplets of Mevlana Rumi. Probably the best one volume English commentary on the Masnavi.
AUTHOR: KENAN RIFAI
TRANSLATOR: VICTORIA HOLBROOK

fonsvitae.com/product/listen…
Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman and Robert Frager. A very accessible introduction.
amazon.com/Essential-Sufi…
Gayan by Hazrat Inayat Khan. A poetic and deeply mystical book by the South Asian Sufi who’s usually seen as the first Sufi to have come to the West.
omegapub.com/?page_id=89
Madeline: Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan. Heartbreakingly beautiful book about the life and teachings of Noor-Un-Nisa, Sufi woman, musician, and spy whose chivalrous bravery in resisting the Nazis led to her martyrdom.
omegapub.com/?page_id=3004
A book of God’s love by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen: bmf.org/shop/a-book-of… Tiny little pocket book of wisdom from the luminous Sri Lankan sage who came to America in the 1970s and 1980s.
Quest for the Red Sulphur: The Life of Ibn ‘Arabi. Best one volume biography of Ibn ‘Arabi.
AUTHOR: CLAUDE ADDAS

fonsvitae.com/product/quest-…
The Way of Sufi chivalry by al-Sulami. Beautiful book on Sufi friendship and companionship.
amazon.com/Way-Sufi-Chiva…
When You Hear Hoofbeats Think of a Zebra
By Shems Friedlander. Little cult classic. amazon.com/When-Hear-Hoof…
Annemarie Schimmel. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. A secondary study that reads like a primary source. A beautiful written masterpiece that stands the test of time.
amazon.com/Mystical-Dimen…
‘Attar, Speech of the Birds. Complete translation of ‘Attar’s masterpiece Manteq al-Tayr.
amazon.com/Speech-Birds-I…
Sells, Michael A. Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur‘an, Mi‘raj, Poetic and Theological Writing.
A beautiful anthology of early Arabic Sufi material. amazon.com/Early-Islamic-…
Nizam Ad-Din Awliya: Morals for the Heart. Translated by Bruce Lawrence. Beautiful book on the life of the most influential South Asian Sufi, of the Chishti order.
amazon.com/Nizam-Ad-Din-A…
Losensky, Paul. Farid ad-Din ‘Attar’s Memorial of God's Friends: Lives and Sayings of Sufis. Lovely anthology of early Sufis. amazon.com/Farid-ad-Din-A…
Uruc Guvenc, Oceans of Remembrance. All-time favorite Sufi CD by a master Sufi and musician. OK, I know people don’t buy CDs anymore. But this is a must. Download, go to spotify, whatever.
Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure by Camille Helminski. amazon.com/Women-Sufism-C…
Ok, I’ll include my own anthology of Sufi wisdom from the Path of Radical Love. Called, what else, but: Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. This will help you see where Rumi comes from:
amazon.com/Radical-Love-T…
If you want something video-based, check out my own online course “heart of Rumi’s Poetry”, and more courses coming soon, insha’allah:
illuminatedcourses.com/theheartofrumi…
Early Sufi Women. AUTHOR: ABU ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-SULAMI
TRANSLATOR: RKIA ELAROUI CORNELL

fonsvitae.com/product/early-…
Caravan of Souls;
An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat KhanCaravan-of-Souls-web
Compiled and edited by Pir Zia Inayat-Khan
omegapub.com/?page_id=65
I think I'll stop here. Remember that any such short thread is selective and partial. These are some of the works that have spoken to my heart. May they touch yours. <3 Blessings, and joy.
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More from @ostadjaan see all

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omid safi
@ostadjaan
A thread on why 99.9% of Hafez quotes on the internet are… fake. Including the ones you probably like. A thread on #Hafiz #Hafez, or I should say #FakeHafez.
(Including the one here, which is alas, Fake!)
“Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, ‘you owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that! It lights up the whole sky.”
You like that one from Hafez?
Too bad. It’s Fake Hafez.
Fake.
“Your Heart and My Heart Are Very Very Old Friends.”
Like that one from Hafez too?
Too bad.
Also Fake Hafez.
Read 16 tweets
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omid safi
@ostadjaan
A thread on the “Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr), one of the holy nights in the last ten nights of Ramadan.

In honor of approaching the last nights of #Ramadan, known as Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power, Night of Destiny, a thread on: #Laylatalqadr #Nightofpower #Ramazan
Hidden in the last ten nights of Ramadan is a night called Night of Power (Laylat al-qadr). This is a night that Muslims cherish, a night that according to the Qur’an, the angels and the Spirit descend down.
Commentators differ on the identity of the “Spirit”. Some think it refers to the archangel Jibril (Gabriel), others say that it refers directly to God’s mercy.
Read 27 tweets
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omid safi
@ostadjaan
A Thread on Imam Ali.
Since these day overlap with the anniversary of #ImamAli’s martyrdom, I thought it was a good time to offer a thread on his significance in Islam.
It’s of course well-known that he is the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, his son in law through marriage to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, and father to Imam Hasan and Imam Hossein.
According to most Muslim sources, he was the first male convert to Islam. (The first convert overall was the Prophet’s wife Khadija.)
Read 34 tweets

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