Sufism has been defined in different ways by scholars and religionists: some call it the mystical tradition of Islam, others the universal heart of all spirituality. But for many mystics it can only mean one thing - that when you love God, you die to yourself and live in Him. The readings in this book, ranging from the tenth to the twentieth century and mostly deriving from the Middle East and India, offer a glimpse into the living world of the Sufis.

1. Mystical Understanding of the Qur'an
The Book of the Elect: On Understanding and Following the Book of God
2. The Character of the Prophet Muhammad
The TS of the Lamp
The Book of the Example and Imitation of the Messenger of God
3. Spiritual Practice
from The Bewildered Traveler
The Treatise on Meditation
The Treatise on the Intermediate State
The Nine Lodges
from The Clear Fountain
4. Divine and Human Love
On the Courtesy of the Lover and Beloved
5.Listening to Music
On Listening to Music
from The Melodies of Listening to Music
6. Ethical Practice
The Errors of Wayfarers
7. Mastery and Discipleship
The Testament to Disciples
from The Clarification of Virtue for the People of Divine Knowledge
8. Lives of the Saints
The Life of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi
Early Women Saints
Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya
Fidda
from Reports of the Righteous on the Secrets of the Pious
Bibi Sara
Bibi Fatima Sam
from The Garden of the Guardians and the Extract of the Deeds of the Upright
Rabi'a bint Abi Bakr
Zaynab bint al-Rifa'i
from The Confidant of Spirits
Notes on Sources
Index of Qur'anic Passages and Prophetic Sayings