Contos do País dos Sufis

by Mojdeh Bayat, Mohammad Ali Jamnia

Aesop and Jesus both knew that the best way to get a point across was through stories. In Tales from the Land of the Sufis, we find that same approach applied in Sufism, the mystical heart of Islam. Mojdeh Bayat and Mohammad Ali Jamnia retell in exquisite style some of the great tales from the likes of Attar and Rumi. Their emphasis is on the authors of the tales and how the exemplary lives of the master Sufi storytellers have also become material ripe for stories. Sufi story collections tend to be enchanting or humorously provocative and stand detached from the tradition. By including classic Sufi storytellers as subject matter, Bayat and Jamnia present these tales in their full spiritual glory. With themes such as self-sacrifice, humility, service, simplicity, faith in God, and, ultimately, union with God, the stories show both the outrageous iconoclasm of Sufism and its highest fundamentals. So, from dark tales, like the one about a mystic blasphemer who was executed by having his limbs and sense organs removed, to lighter stories, like those about a bald parrot and Alexander's big ears, Bayat and Jamnia strike a balance in this informative and eloquent storybook. --Brian Bruya

Genres: Islam, Fiction

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[John Dishwasher John Dishwasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read the principal texts and commentaries on all of the world’s main religions. One thing I noticed is that the mystics in all the different traditions describe the same Ultimate; and they describe mostly the same way of arriving at and experiencing that Ultimate. The exception to this rule (until I read this book, anyway) was Islam. I had not delved into the Sufis yet; and I’ve always wondered how they would reconcile what I would crudely call the proscribed unapproachability of Allah with the mystic experience, which by its nature, purports to be a oneness or dissolving into the Ultimate, or, Allah. Well, they do it in the same terms all the rest do, through Love and a dissolving of the self. And they definitely caught some flack for it as some of the background given here describes. But the Truth follows no worldy rules. Philosopher types who like to slice all these traditions into a million different slivers notwithstanding, the basic thrust is the same from mystic tradition to mystic tradition. IMHO.

[Aurimas Gudas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kažkoks nevykęs bandymas pavaiduoti sufijus kaip pakilusius aukščiau religijos.

[Ali Shahab · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتابی شیرین و نغز درباره‌ی زندگی و آثار هفت ادیب صوفی ایران بزرگ: حلاج، ابوسعید ابوالخیر، عطار، نظامی، مولانا و جامی. ترجمه‌ی سلیس خانم میترا معتضد بر لذت خواندن این کتاب افزوده است. بخش مهمی از کتاب را یک نفس خواندم.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rounding this up from a 3.5. I have read several books on Sufism and love learning about it. This book was interesting, but it felt like the authors couldn't commit to a genre. They do tell you the structure at the beginning of the book, but the longer it goes, it just feels like it gets bogged down. It was intriguing but lacked the depth and richness I was looking for.

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing reading expirience that gave me a large and great opinion about the Islamic authors. As a religious researcher it bring me new approaches about the relation bettwen the Cristianism and the Islamis.
Probably on of the most amazing books about the true love.

[A. B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly loved this book. A compilation of stories by and of the great Sufi saints -- Hallaj, Abu Sa'id, Attar, Nizami, Rumi, and Jami. Contains the classics, like Yusuf-Zulaikha, Khusro-Shirin, Layla-Majnun, Shaykh San'an, Bahlul, the Grocer and the Parrot, Musa and the Shepherd, among others.

[Faisal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent retelling of the beautiful love stories I listened to in my childhood

[James Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in 2003 and it took me 13 years to sit down and finally read it.
Religion can be so divisive amongst people and turn to such ridiculous violence- It astounds me the many parallels and teachings they all have within them.

This book really taught me more about the meaning of joy, love, faith, and how we view others. I also enjoyed how the the Author described the Sufi's life and how they came to be the Masters they turned into.

I enjoyed all of the stories in the book but the ones I enjoyed most were:

This Too Shall Pass
Layla and Majnun (very similar to Romeo and Juliet)
The Great Secret of Alexander
The Grocer and His Parrot
The Philosopher and the Skipper
Yusuf and Zulaykha

[Ayman Fadel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, I assumed it would simply be texts attributed to Sufi masters. The authors inserted some of their own biographical materials about those Sufi masters and some historical background to Sufism and their own beliefs. I thought these insertions were too much in the first third of the book, but overall they struck a good balance.

Keep in mind that the narrations in this book are focused on the Sufi masters from Persia or whose Persian books survived. It is not a comprehensive list of all of Sufi masters.

I enjoyed the tales very much. Would that I abandon my attachments to this impermanent world so that I could better understand them!

[Sowmya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whirlwind of opinions,
Love-hate-love-hate saga for a while.
Puzzled by stories of unions & reunions,
Amused and captivated, the stories worthwhile.

One star rating, had I stopped after chapter one,
I would have missed the book, not sharing with anyone.
Now I know about persistence and broad mind,
That even a small thing can teach you how to be open and kind.

[Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written in such an easy form, that even I can understand it. I really didn't know too much about Sufi literature, but I was fascinated... and even wrote notes.
Available in most public libraries

[Artemisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting place to learn about Sufism and tale telling within sufism traditions.

[Amyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I have read it twice already. I really liked the story of fakir by nizami. Every time you read this book, it broadens your horizons. <3