A classic Sufi manual that can be read over and over. I like the fact that on the back cover for endorsements of the book, above the contemporary scholar Sachiko Murata’s statement “A classic work on Sufism.”, the publishers have Jalal Al-Din Rumi in his Mathnawi remarking “A popular book among Sufis…”—what better endorsement?
Extremely profound in its spiritual and psychological depth, I will wrote down just some stories and sayings that struck me as I finished the book today.
I heard Abu ‘Ali Al-Daqqaq say that when Ghulam Al-Khalil slandered the Sufis before the caliph, the caliph ordered that their heads should be cut off. Junayd was protected from this penalty by the study of law, for he used to make juridical decisions in the school of Abu Thawr. As for Al-Shahham, Al-Raqqam, Nuri, and the rest of the congregation, however, they were arrested. The leather mat was spread for their decapitation. Nuri stepped forward. “Do you know what you are hurrying to?” the executioner asked. “Yes.” “Then what makes you impatient?” “I prefer that my friends, rather than myself, should live a little longer.”
The executioner was amazed and sent word to the caliph, who turned the prisoners over to a judge who could investigate their state. The judge threw some questions at Abu’l-Husayn Al-Nuri. He answered them completely and then began to say, “And beyond this, God has servants who when they stand, stand in God, and when they speak, speak in God…” Sayings came, one after the other, that made the judge weep. So the judge sent to the caliph, saying, “If these are heretics, there is no Muslim on the face of the earth.” 232-233
Muadh al-Nasfi said, God Most High will not destroy a people, even though they continue in their evil practices, as long as they do not humiliate and abase the poor. From the Risala of Imam Al-Qushayri
It is related that Abu Darda said, “I would rather fall from the top of a castle and be shattered to bits than to sit with wealth. For I heard the Messenger of God say, “Beware of sitting with the dead!” And when it was asked, “O Messenger of God, who are the dead?” he said, “The rich.”
Abu Ali Mumshad ibn Said Al-Ukbari said, “Inside the dome of Solomon’s temple, a male swallow courted a female swallow. She refused to have anything to do with him. He asked her, ‘Why do you reject me? If you wished, I would pull down this dome on top of Solomon!’ Prophet Solomon summoned the bird to him. ‘What is the meaning of this?’ he demanded. ‘O Prophet of God,’ pleaded the bird, “lovers are not to blame for the things they say!’ ‘You have spoken the truth!’ said the king.” From “The Sufi Book of Spiritual Ascent (The Risala of Imam Al-Qushayri).