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Understanding Islam
"Islam is the meeting between God as such and man as such.... Islam confronts what is immutable in God with what is permanent in man."
These are the opening words of what has become a classic work on Islam, perhaps the most misunderstood of the great Revelations. And yet the purpose of this book "is not so much to give a description of Islam as to explain . . . why Moslems believe in it." Both Westerners unfamiliar with Islam and Moslems seeking a deeper understanding of the basis of faith will be struck by Schuon's masterful elucidation of the spiritual world of Islam.
Schuon's foundation is always the intrinsic nature of things rather than any confessional point of view. This perspective opens up new avenues of approach and surprising insights into the "five pillars" of faith, the Quran, the Sunna, the Prophet and the esoteric dimension which is the kernel of Moslem spirituality. A hallmark of the author's perspective is an intellectual universality, which in examining a given religious framework readily draws upon parallels and concepts from other traditions, especially that of the Vedanta. For "what is needed in our time, and indeed in every age remote from the origins of Revelation, is . . . to rediscover the truths written in an eternal script in the very substance of man's spirit."
These are the opening words of what has become a classic work on Islam, perhaps the most misunderstood of the great Revelations. And yet the purpose of this book "is not so much to give a description of Islam as to explain . . . why Moslems believe in it." Both Westerners unfamiliar with Islam and Moslems seeking a deeper understanding of the basis of faith will be struck by Schuon's masterful elucidation of the spiritual world of Islam.
Schuon's foundation is always the intrinsic nature of things rather than any confessional point of view. This perspective opens up new avenues of approach and surprising insights into the "five pillars" of faith, the Quran, the Sunna, the Prophet and the esoteric dimension which is the kernel of Moslem spirituality. A hallmark of the author's perspective is an intellectual universality, which in examining a given religious framework readily draws upon parallels and concepts from other traditions, especially that of the Vedanta. For "what is needed in our time, and indeed in every age remote from the origins of Revelation, is . . . to rediscover the truths written in an eternal script in the very substance of man's spirit."
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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876 people want to read
About the author
Frithjof Schuon
181 books223 followersFrithjof Schuon was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality.
Schuon is recognized as an authority on philosophy, spirituality and religion, an exponent of the Religio Perennis, and one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School. Though he was not officially affiliated with the academic world, his writings have been noticed in scholarly and philosophical journals, and by scholars of comparative religion and spirituality. Criticism of the relativism of the modern academic world is one of the main aspects of Schuon's teachings. In his teachings, Schuon expresses his faith in an absolute principle, God, who governs the universe and to whom our souls would return after death. For Schuon the great revelations are the link between this absolute principle—God—and mankind. He wrote the main bulk of his metaphysical teachings in French. In the later years of his life Schuon composed some volumes of poetry in his mother tongue, German. His articles in French were collected in about twenty titles in French which were later translated into English as well as many other languages.
http://www.sophia-perennis.com/philos...
Schuon is recognized as an authority on philosophy, spirituality and religion, an exponent of the Religio Perennis, and one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School. Though he was not officially affiliated with the academic world, his writings have been noticed in scholarly and philosophical journals, and by scholars of comparative religion and spirituality. Criticism of the relativism of the modern academic world is one of the main aspects of Schuon's teachings. In his teachings, Schuon expresses his faith in an absolute principle, God, who governs the universe and to whom our souls would return after death. For Schuon the great revelations are the link between this absolute principle—God—and mankind. He wrote the main bulk of his metaphysical teachings in French. In the later years of his life Schuon composed some volumes of poetry in his mother tongue, German. His articles in French were collected in about twenty titles in French which were later translated into English as well as many other languages.
http://www.sophia-perennis.com/philos...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 27, 2024
(Original Review November 2013)
There are metaphysical concepts in this work which makes it something other than an introduction to Islam. Yet one does not have to necessarily be familiar with all the ritualistic practices of Islam to read it. This is a book that dives into the basic symbols of Islam and relates those symbols to universal truths in a metaphysical way. So anyone who has experienced the deeper aspects of spirituality (of any tradition) will find common ground here. Schuon's entire conception of Islam - through the Perennialist philosophy - is based on this: "...if the religions are true, it is because each time it is God who has spoken, and if they are different, it is because God has spoken in different 'languages' in conformity with the diversity of the receptacles. Finally, if they are absolute and exclusive, it is because in each of them God has said 'I' ".
The great value of this book may be the perennialist idea and the way that it deepens one's understanding of a particular tradition through comparison of different expressions of the human condition. For if Islam is true, and there is only "One", yet many unique manifestations in our world (which is at the very basis of Islamic theology - One God, many manifestations), then the One is going to look different through different "lenses". Yet what remains unchanged is the One.
Schuon was a Sufi master. I discovered this book through reading Martin Lings' biography of the Prophet (pbuh). Lings was a disciple of Schuon. At the end of this book, Schuon illustrates - through Sufi terminology - how the paths of the various traditions in our world all look at the same truth, e.g. "Where Jew and Christian put intensity and thus totality of love, the Moslem puts sincerity and so totality of faith, which in becoming realized becomes gnosis, union, mystery of non-other-ness".
There are metaphysical concepts in this work which makes it something other than an introduction to Islam. Yet one does not have to necessarily be familiar with all the ritualistic practices of Islam to read it. This is a book that dives into the basic symbols of Islam and relates those symbols to universal truths in a metaphysical way. So anyone who has experienced the deeper aspects of spirituality (of any tradition) will find common ground here. Schuon's entire conception of Islam - through the Perennialist philosophy - is based on this: "...if the religions are true, it is because each time it is God who has spoken, and if they are different, it is because God has spoken in different 'languages' in conformity with the diversity of the receptacles. Finally, if they are absolute and exclusive, it is because in each of them God has said 'I' ".
The great value of this book may be the perennialist idea and the way that it deepens one's understanding of a particular tradition through comparison of different expressions of the human condition. For if Islam is true, and there is only "One", yet many unique manifestations in our world (which is at the very basis of Islamic theology - One God, many manifestations), then the One is going to look different through different "lenses". Yet what remains unchanged is the One.
Schuon was a Sufi master. I discovered this book through reading Martin Lings' biography of the Prophet (pbuh). Lings was a disciple of Schuon. At the end of this book, Schuon illustrates - through Sufi terminology - how the paths of the various traditions in our world all look at the same truth, e.g. "Where Jew and Christian put intensity and thus totality of love, the Moslem puts sincerity and so totality of faith, which in becoming realized becomes gnosis, union, mystery of non-other-ness".
May 3, 2024
Contains some interesting considerations here and there, but contains also some appalling claims. These guys are great critics of the modern world, but perennialism is a mistake.
- not to be taken as a doctrinal source at all ;
- contains some crazy attempts at Islam-Christianity pseudo-'ecumenism' (No Mr. Schuon, when Islam affirms at the Messiah is not God, it does not mean that he is "not 'a god' other than God" (!!!) p14) ;
- "There is an imitation of the Prophet founded on the religious illusion that he is intrinsically better than all the other Prophets, including Jesus" (!!!)
- not to be recommended to persons wanting to be introduced to Islam... (as the author himself says actually) ;
Islam does not need a substratum of Vedantic / Hindu terminology to be understood - and I highly stress this point. One should not need to rely on Atma, Maya and Brahman to understand any islamic concepts. Therefore, in the end, this book was probably meant for a specific audience already familiar with scholasticism and Hinduism, and ignorant of Islamic creed.
It is, in fact, very suspicious to hear, from Schuon himself, being a muslim since the 1930s, to hear him say, in the nineties, "Exoteric islam doesn't interest me more than any other religion" - because, as a muslim, I think it should ?
Also, another strange saying :
Omnipotence, like every attribute relating to an attitude or an activity, has its sufficient reason in the world and is exercised in the world; it is dependent on Being and cannot be exercised beyond that. God, “in creating” and “having created” is all-powerful in relation to what His work includes, but not so in relation to that which, in the Divine Nature itself, provokes both creation and the inner laws of creation; He does not govern that which makes the metaphysical necessity of the world and of evil. He governs neither relativity — of which He is, as ontological Principle, the first affirmation — nor the principial consequences of relativity (p71)
I'm sorry, what ?
- not to be taken as a doctrinal source at all ;
- contains some crazy attempts at Islam-Christianity pseudo-'ecumenism' (No Mr. Schuon, when Islam affirms at the Messiah is not God, it does not mean that he is "not 'a god' other than God" (!!!) p14) ;
- "There is an imitation of the Prophet founded on the religious illusion that he is intrinsically better than all the other Prophets, including Jesus" (!!!)
- not to be recommended to persons wanting to be introduced to Islam... (as the author himself says actually) ;
Islam does not need a substratum of Vedantic / Hindu terminology to be understood - and I highly stress this point. One should not need to rely on Atma, Maya and Brahman to understand any islamic concepts. Therefore, in the end, this book was probably meant for a specific audience already familiar with scholasticism and Hinduism, and ignorant of Islamic creed.
It is, in fact, very suspicious to hear, from Schuon himself, being a muslim since the 1930s, to hear him say, in the nineties, "Exoteric islam doesn't interest me more than any other religion" - because, as a muslim, I think it should ?
Also, another strange saying :
Omnipotence, like every attribute relating to an attitude or an activity, has its sufficient reason in the world and is exercised in the world; it is dependent on Being and cannot be exercised beyond that. God, “in creating” and “having created” is all-powerful in relation to what His work includes, but not so in relation to that which, in the Divine Nature itself, provokes both creation and the inner laws of creation; He does not govern that which makes the metaphysical necessity of the world and of evil. He governs neither relativity — of which He is, as ontological Principle, the first affirmation — nor the principial consequences of relativity (p71)
I'm sorry, what ?
February 21, 2014
Well, this was really a hard reading for me whether because of the language itself (where I kept the dictionary beside me) or the spiritual aspects of this book. This is my first encounter with Schuon who was called the Messenger of the Perennial Philosophy and to be honest it required a lot of effort and focus to stay along with this human encyclopedia of comparative religions!
I think this book is more into specialized interested people in the topic rather than any regular Muslim such as myself as it would be a little bit more concentrated dose of spirituality and Sufism, metaphysical and esoteric aspects of Islam. Its hard to relate to it at the beginning but as you read deep inside, a lots of doors and wisdom will be opened to you and better understanding of this aspect of Islam will be presented in an interested and provoking way.
I already read lots of comparative writing between Islam, Christianity and Judaism through the writings of Ali Izzat Bigovic and others but this one gave me insights on the Far East religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism and how they usually linked between Sufism and these more spiritual religions. His metaphysical interpretations of these religions in accordance with the Islamic doctrine will show you how these are connected in a way or another and how we all worship the same Absolute Divine, The One, Allah. So we all relate to the same Universal divinity.
His talk about the Qura'an, Morals and Virtues, Sacred Arts and the deep meaning of the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) was of a great mental joy for me. The one regarding Morality and Values (which are my current interest in this world) was really appealing and I think I should take his interpretation into consideration in my research on the topic.
I think this book is more into specialized interested people in the topic rather than any regular Muslim such as myself as it would be a little bit more concentrated dose of spirituality and Sufism, metaphysical and esoteric aspects of Islam. Its hard to relate to it at the beginning but as you read deep inside, a lots of doors and wisdom will be opened to you and better understanding of this aspect of Islam will be presented in an interested and provoking way.
I already read lots of comparative writing between Islam, Christianity and Judaism through the writings of Ali Izzat Bigovic and others but this one gave me insights on the Far East religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism and how they usually linked between Sufism and these more spiritual religions. His metaphysical interpretations of these religions in accordance with the Islamic doctrine will show you how these are connected in a way or another and how we all worship the same Absolute Divine, The One, Allah. So we all relate to the same Universal divinity.
His talk about the Qura'an, Morals and Virtues, Sacred Arts and the deep meaning of the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) was of a great mental joy for me. The one regarding Morality and Values (which are my current interest in this world) was really appealing and I think I should take his interpretation into consideration in my research on the topic.
August 12, 2016
Very deep metaphysical introduction to the core principles of Islam. Proves that Islam is as metaphysically and philosophically deep as any world religion.
June 26, 2014
This is by far one of the most difficult works I've ever read! Yet it was a beautiful spiritual journey to re-discover faith!
The title is very misleading by the simple name: "Understanding Islam", it goes through time & different religions core not just simple practice & in a very different writing technique not like attacking other religions & such!
The writer managed to illustrate his profound knowledge of the "Perennial Philosophy" with the comparisons & famous sayings from "Hadith", "Qur'an" , "Bible" & Buddhism sacred writings.
It state that all religions came from one source even if seen in different angles & with different practice techniques. there's a diversity of religions yet they reflect the same truth.
I still need to go through a lot of Frithjof Schuon's writings & read more about the "Perennial Philosophy", that was an eye-opening , reading about Islam & other religions as if you were re-born & becoming a Muslim for the very first time (or that was my own personal reflection on the book"
More about the "Perennial Philosophy":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennia...
The title is very misleading by the simple name: "Understanding Islam", it goes through time & different religions core not just simple practice & in a very different writing technique not like attacking other religions & such!
The writer managed to illustrate his profound knowledge of the "Perennial Philosophy" with the comparisons & famous sayings from "Hadith", "Qur'an" , "Bible" & Buddhism sacred writings.
It state that all religions came from one source even if seen in different angles & with different practice techniques. there's a diversity of religions yet they reflect the same truth.
I still need to go through a lot of Frithjof Schuon's writings & read more about the "Perennial Philosophy", that was an eye-opening , reading about Islam & other religions as if you were re-born & becoming a Muslim for the very first time (or that was my own personal reflection on the book"
More about the "Perennial Philosophy":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennia...
November 27, 2021
After reading of Schuon's background, I was excited to read this book hoping it would provide a fresh insight from a man who lived with the Red Indians and learnt their type of mysticism and also learnt Sanskrit to gain an insight into Hindu mysticism. Having read the book and deliberated on its arguments I am very disappointed because this book abounds in sophistry.
Schuon's idea that the Sufism is the nexus between the esoteric and exoteric is hardly new but using patently absurd Hadith such as 'The Turban is the frontier between faith and unfaith' and 'On the day of Judgement a man shall recieve a light for each turn of the turban around his head' to justify his reasoning is very much the tried and tested formula of a flawed idealogue.
I also found his attempts to convince the reader that the Christian comncept of Logos is valid in Islam by claiming it is the same Sufi concept of there being an Absolute with two different manifestations nonsensical. Yes, the entification of the Divine Names of Allah is an idea much in vogue in Sufi literature but to liken it to Logos is absurd. Similarly, the way he tries to cloth Hindu concepts of Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Maya and Atma in Islamic garb invites more scepticism than credence.
I got the impression that Schuon as with many converts to Islamic Sufism retrofitted his thinking to suit that of his Sufi Master's Sheikh Al-Alawi.
Schuon's idea that the Sufism is the nexus between the esoteric and exoteric is hardly new but using patently absurd Hadith such as 'The Turban is the frontier between faith and unfaith' and 'On the day of Judgement a man shall recieve a light for each turn of the turban around his head' to justify his reasoning is very much the tried and tested formula of a flawed idealogue.
I also found his attempts to convince the reader that the Christian comncept of Logos is valid in Islam by claiming it is the same Sufi concept of there being an Absolute with two different manifestations nonsensical. Yes, the entification of the Divine Names of Allah is an idea much in vogue in Sufi literature but to liken it to Logos is absurd. Similarly, the way he tries to cloth Hindu concepts of Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Maya and Atma in Islamic garb invites more scepticism than credence.
I got the impression that Schuon as with many converts to Islamic Sufism retrofitted his thinking to suit that of his Sufi Master's Sheikh Al-Alawi.
August 17, 2014
فهم الإسلام يبتعد تماما هنا عن كل القيود والحدود
لنرحل مع الكاتب في رحلة فلسفية مرهقة وصعبة
لتتجلى أمامنا روح العقيدة
فتخرج منهكا بملاحظات وتساؤلات واقتباسات
تعيد أمامك فتح الصفحات
لتصبح الكلمة وحتى الحرف الذي كنا نظن أننا فهمنا معناه
بألف صورة وألف معنى
ويتوهج نور ما كلما تعمقنا أكثر في هندسة الكلمات
الكاتب يكتب بأسلوب فيلسوف صوفي
لذا كان من القراءات الصعبة جدا
لمن كان هذا النوع من الكتب أولى محاولاته
في فهم هذه الفلسفة....مثلي
لنرحل مع الكاتب في رحلة فلسفية مرهقة وصعبة
لتتجلى أمامنا روح العقيدة
فتخرج منهكا بملاحظات وتساؤلات واقتباسات
تعيد أمامك فتح الصفحات
لتصبح الكلمة وحتى الحرف الذي كنا نظن أننا فهمنا معناه
بألف صورة وألف معنى
ويتوهج نور ما كلما تعمقنا أكثر في هندسة الكلمات
الكاتب يكتب بأسلوب فيلسوف صوفي
لذا كان من القراءات الصعبة جدا
لمن كان هذا النوع من الكتب أولى محاولاته
في فهم هذه الفلسفة....مثلي
May 6, 2021
(Read in French)
This is a beautiful and profound work expounding a Sufi understanding of Islam. Certainly not an introductory book for someone new to Islam, but positively splendid for someone interested in contemporary Sufism from a more Perennialist perspective.
This is a beautiful and profound work expounding a Sufi understanding of Islam. Certainly not an introductory book for someone new to Islam, but positively splendid for someone interested in contemporary Sufism from a more Perennialist perspective.
June 27, 2010
deepened the form that i was born into, left and returned home to...
July 20, 2010
Simple title, but has a very good explanation about the esoteric dimension of Islam, which is known also as the kernel of Muslim spirituality ... highly recommended for those who are interested in the islamic mysticism approach
March 18, 2019
An interesting but difficult work from famed Sufi Frithjof Schuon. As the book makes clear from the outset, this is not a World Religions 101-style introduction to Islamic belief and practice. Instead it purports to show why Muslims believe what they believe, which turns out to be Sufism as the esoteric heart of Islam.
Be warned: There is quite a bit of heavy-duty metaphysics here, as well as a fair bit of polemic against people and viewpoints who, in true French fashion, are mostly not named. These things date the book somewhat, but the heart of it remains accessible.
Be warned: There is quite a bit of heavy-duty metaphysics here, as well as a fair bit of polemic against people and viewpoints who, in true French fashion, are mostly not named. These things date the book somewhat, but the heart of it remains accessible.
April 30, 2025
Least favourite traditionalist
May 7, 2017
Ô fatale fin !
Très bon essai qui déploie l'essence de l'Islam, composé de 4 chapitres traitant respectivement : L'Islam, Le Koran et la Sounna, Le Prophète, et La voie. Partant d'une approche inhérente à l'ésotérisme de l'Islam, l'auteur essaye de simplifier et mettre à une échelle plus compréhensible l'essence de la religion musulmane,tout en gardant la profondeur de l'ensemble principiel de celle-ci, surtout l'aile mystique si je me permets de décrire ainsi le soufisme dans toute son éblouissante illumination. ( Quoique en tant que débutante, le jargon spirituel/ théologique, tel : théosophie, quintessence, intellection, eschatologie,... me fut un vrai casse-tête chinois, mais il était temp d'en apprendre).
Je pense que pour un musulman, qui essaye de réapprendre les fondements de sa religion de manière plus ou moins détachée des enseignements scolaires inculqués dès le tendre âge, l'oeuvre est moins pénible à déchiffrer, et offre au lecteur une nouvelle vision particulière (justement propre à Schuon), aux autres lecteurs appartenant aux autres religions ( Christianisme, Judaïsme, Hindouisme), l'auteur arme son écrit de comparaisons et de parallélisme des notions et des principes afin d'établir des ponts entre les différentes religions.
But,...
Le seul reproche que j'émettrais en son désavantage serait qu'il a peut être privilégié l'ésotérisme de manière dévastatrice, qui, partant de son approche vers des prolongations de matchs, anhilie la pertinence de l'exotérisme en tant que partie indissociable de ce premier ( ésotérisme), pour sa défense je dirais que sa perception avait gardé quelques résidus des pratiques religieuses modernes, et pour s'en débarrasser il a cherché refuge à l'autre extrémité : aussi légère que l'autre fût lourde, moins matérielle concrétisée dans le soufisme, à son tour qu'on pourrait résumer en paroles quasi-éternelles de Rûmi :
Come come whoever you are,
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vowa thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come.
Très bon essai qui déploie l'essence de l'Islam, composé de 4 chapitres traitant respectivement : L'Islam, Le Koran et la Sounna, Le Prophète, et La voie. Partant d'une approche inhérente à l'ésotérisme de l'Islam, l'auteur essaye de simplifier et mettre à une échelle plus compréhensible l'essence de la religion musulmane,tout en gardant la profondeur de l'ensemble principiel de celle-ci, surtout l'aile mystique si je me permets de décrire ainsi le soufisme dans toute son éblouissante illumination. ( Quoique en tant que débutante, le jargon spirituel/ théologique, tel : théosophie, quintessence, intellection, eschatologie,... me fut un vrai casse-tête chinois, mais il était temp d'en apprendre).
Je pense que pour un musulman, qui essaye de réapprendre les fondements de sa religion de manière plus ou moins détachée des enseignements scolaires inculqués dès le tendre âge, l'oeuvre est moins pénible à déchiffrer, et offre au lecteur une nouvelle vision particulière (justement propre à Schuon), aux autres lecteurs appartenant aux autres religions ( Christianisme, Judaïsme, Hindouisme), l'auteur arme son écrit de comparaisons et de parallélisme des notions et des principes afin d'établir des ponts entre les différentes religions.
But,...
Le seul reproche que j'émettrais en son désavantage serait qu'il a peut être privilégié l'ésotérisme de manière dévastatrice, qui, partant de son approche vers des prolongations de matchs, anhilie la pertinence de l'exotérisme en tant que partie indissociable de ce premier ( ésotérisme), pour sa défense je dirais que sa perception avait gardé quelques résidus des pratiques religieuses modernes, et pour s'en débarrasser il a cherché refuge à l'autre extrémité : aussi légère que l'autre fût lourde, moins matérielle concrétisée dans le soufisme, à son tour qu'on pourrait résumer en paroles quasi-éternelles de Rûmi :
Come come whoever you are,
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vowa thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come.
July 27, 2015
No other book has helped me understand the distinctive attitude of Islam as well as the metaphysical and symbolic undertones of its practices and its relationship to other spritual traditions. Christianity is his main source of comparison but he also brings up vedanta quite frequently and Judaism with slices of Buddhism and the Native American religion of the Red Indians.
As a Traditionalist who's stuck between Christianity and Islam, I can't help but see Islam as both a spiritual tradition and political project, vastly superior to the Christian worldview in as much as society is concerned. Secularism has always been- contrary to conservative critiques- a distinct part of Christianity from the start and despite today's turmoils in the Islamic world, it is mostly due to the horizontally-leveling of vertical/Eternal Truths to materialistic, ego/ethnocentric, pragmatic pursuit of 'progress' which has caused the extremism of the middle-east.
It is a spirituality which extends beyond the boundaries of individuality to the sovereignty of the collective as found in Islam which is vastly superior to both the fundamentalization and individualization of protestant Christianity.
To respect the world religions and people's practices of them, does not mean to build a government which is neutral towards them and plays referee: but which celebrates them because of their trascendental unity, instead of a blindly and relativisticly ,'toleration' of them.
Whether I become a Muslim/Sufi or Christian, is up to Him. But I will always attest to the Truth of the Sacred, Qualitative and Eternal civilization of Islam then the profane, quantitative and temporary democracy of the west.
As a Traditionalist who's stuck between Christianity and Islam, I can't help but see Islam as both a spiritual tradition and political project, vastly superior to the Christian worldview in as much as society is concerned. Secularism has always been- contrary to conservative critiques- a distinct part of Christianity from the start and despite today's turmoils in the Islamic world, it is mostly due to the horizontally-leveling of vertical/Eternal Truths to materialistic, ego/ethnocentric, pragmatic pursuit of 'progress' which has caused the extremism of the middle-east.
It is a spirituality which extends beyond the boundaries of individuality to the sovereignty of the collective as found in Islam which is vastly superior to both the fundamentalization and individualization of protestant Christianity.
To respect the world religions and people's practices of them, does not mean to build a government which is neutral towards them and plays referee: but which celebrates them because of their trascendental unity, instead of a blindly and relativisticly ,'toleration' of them.
Whether I become a Muslim/Sufi or Christian, is up to Him. But I will always attest to the Truth of the Sacred, Qualitative and Eternal civilization of Islam then the profane, quantitative and temporary democracy of the west.
August 10, 2015
Originally published in French in 1961 and translated to English 1963. This edition is from 1998 with a very good introduction by Annemarie Schimmel. This was my first encounter with Schuon's work directly, though I have heard of him and his movement by reading Charles Le Gai Eaton and Martin Lings. He also came highly recommended in Huston Smith's autobiography as a living encyclopedia of comparative religions and the teacher Smith followed during his 10 year encounter with Islam in Switzerland. I am not altogether familiar with what constitutes the Perennialist school and whatever objections certain orthodox thinkers may hold against them. This is not my focus and does not strike me as extremely important at this time, but it is important to understand that the philosophia perennis is the lens through which this book is written. So throughout, the reader will find deep comparisons between metaphysical concepts across a variety of religions which gives this particular book such a unique perspective. It will especially appeal to advanced students of Islam who are interested in the deeper spiritual aspects of Islam, as well as its universal link to all other religions. This is not an introduction to Islam by any means and even those who have been practicing Islam for years may not be able to relate easily to the content. The title is meant to imply a depth of understanding which may be lost on many. Personally I enjoyed reading this book and took away a wealth of quotes and notes on a variety of subjects.
September 19, 2008
whew! when the veil is lifted from your most beautiful mate, usually one is barely ready. this is many times more wonderful and i am even less prepared....but i ain't scared!
June 9, 2020
Read most of this book despite its tediousness and unnecessarily jargony language, but I decided to leave it aside when I realized Traditionalism is not the lens through which I view the world.
August 20, 2021
Reading how Frithjof Schuon explained his understanding of Islam in a sufistic and philosophical way, made me suddenly feel that I have never really understood this religion that I have embraced for decades. There are several interesting points, including his indirect critique of Jung's theory of Unconscious:
"The idea of the “subconscious” is susceptible not only of a psychological and lower interpretation, but also of a spiritual, higher, and consequently purely qualitative interpretation. It is true that in this case one should speak of the “supra-conscious” but the fact is that the supra-conscious has also an aspect that is “subterranean” in relation to our ordinary consciousness, just as the heart resembles a submerged sanctuary which, symbolically speaking, reappears on the surface thanks to unitive realization; it is this subterranean aspect that allows us to speak—in a provisional way—of a “spiritual subconscious”, which must never at any time be taken to mean the lower, vital psyche, the passive and chaotic dreaming of individuals and collectivities."
As well as Schuon's brief formulation on the meaning of the two Islamic creeds or shahadah:
"The first Shahādah—that of God—enunciates every principial truth; the second Shahādah—that of the Prophet—enunciates every fundamental virtue."
In overall, to me, this book is quiet dificcult to digest.
"The idea of the “subconscious” is susceptible not only of a psychological and lower interpretation, but also of a spiritual, higher, and consequently purely qualitative interpretation. It is true that in this case one should speak of the “supra-conscious” but the fact is that the supra-conscious has also an aspect that is “subterranean” in relation to our ordinary consciousness, just as the heart resembles a submerged sanctuary which, symbolically speaking, reappears on the surface thanks to unitive realization; it is this subterranean aspect that allows us to speak—in a provisional way—of a “spiritual subconscious”, which must never at any time be taken to mean the lower, vital psyche, the passive and chaotic dreaming of individuals and collectivities."
As well as Schuon's brief formulation on the meaning of the two Islamic creeds or shahadah:
"The first Shahādah—that of God—enunciates every principial truth; the second Shahādah—that of the Prophet—enunciates every fundamental virtue."
In overall, to me, this book is quiet dificcult to digest.
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July 18, 2019Se dicessi che ho capito tutto, mentirei. Mi aspettavo un libro un po' più semplice dal punto di vista del linguaggio e delle teorie teologiche, come la premessa lasciava intuire, invece è piuttosto complesso e molto filosofico. Si ricorre a tanti termini arabi collegati alla religione e a volte è necessario fare delle ricerche per approfondire meglio. Comunque ho imparato lo stesso cose che prima non sapevo, interessanti i confronti con le altre religioni.
May 10, 2017
The book contained a lot of information, but was difficult to read and more difficult follow. The caveats and asides were unnecessary. I got a better understanding of the practice of Islam reading Huston Smith's book on world religions.
July 14, 2017
Not an easy book to read, but insightful nevertheless.
January 11, 2023
I want to give 10 of 5 stars to this book. Other level!
February 7, 2023
Hardest book I have ever encountered: philosophy, religion and old-fashioned French make for a slow read.
June 13, 2023
Almost nothing about Islam and more about the Vedanta fangirl side of theosophy, otherwise, all over the place about topics and positions on those topics
August 26, 2025
Karya² schuon bukan karya yang mudah untuk dipelajari. Khususnya karya ini, prof seyyed hossein nasr konon mengatakan butuh 4 tahun untuk kaliber polimatik seperti beliau untuk benar² memahami makna-makna metafisika spiritual yang disampaikan schuon dalam karya ini.
Bahasan ditulis dengan agak melebar, memiliki runutan berpikiranya sendiri, sekaligus mendalam.
Tapi karya ini bagi saya, sekadar menambah referensi dan sudut pandang. Sekadar "tempat singgah sebentar" untuk kemudian melanjutkan perjalanan. Demikian
Bahasan ditulis dengan agak melebar, memiliki runutan berpikiranya sendiri, sekaligus mendalam.
Tapi karya ini bagi saya, sekadar menambah referensi dan sudut pandang. Sekadar "tempat singgah sebentar" untuk kemudian melanjutkan perjalanan. Demikian
August 5, 2025
Schuon's ideas about Islam are marked by three important tendencies: one is that they are inherently esoteric, are a product of a deeply penetrating mind, and show a marked inclination towards spirituality. Secondly, there is the push towards traditionalism: in the sense that he castigates modernism as having fundamentally lost the plot, that he rejects the notion of modern society being an advancement of the pre-modern one (something for there is a consensus in orthodox Islam also, in a particular context) and that he believes that the best the modern seeker can do in the current situation is best served by sticking to traditional values and commentaries which may be out of date outwardly, but inwardly contain traces of now fast disappearing wisdom. Thirdly, despite the best of his intentions, Schuon is not able to get rid of his inherent Western background in his writings; he is chiefly addressing Westerners - so much so that in a lot of his writings he takes great pains to explain positions which would appear a priory true to the Eastern reader.
At any rate, it is certain that Schuon was one of the brilliant thinkers of the preceding century; as has been said "his writings can be ignored but not dismissed", and any serious scholar of Islam will be well served by reading him.
At any rate, it is certain that Schuon was one of the brilliant thinkers of the preceding century; as has been said "his writings can be ignored but not dismissed", and any serious scholar of Islam will be well served by reading him.
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March 27, 2016While I started I had an uncanny belief that it wouldn't be remotely similar to my own religion. But, to my surprise, as I read on,I found certain things which are very similar to those teachings in the Gita. Also, at the end I had sense of disbelief and confusion as to why it has become the most misinterpreted text of the century.
As a person who is very keen to know about religions, I found this book very handy for anyone who would like to know about Islam.
PS: I wouldn't really subscribe to many lines that have been mentioned in the book!
As a person who is very keen to know about religions, I found this book very handy for anyone who would like to know about Islam.
PS: I wouldn't really subscribe to many lines that have been mentioned in the book!
May 24, 2008
An important book, though not the smoothest read. For an academic, though wise, introduction to Islam and Sufism, this is a good read. It's useful however to keep in mind while reading that the philosophy is not the practice.
December 3, 2007
این اثر دو بار به پارسی ترجمه شده است
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