The Way of the Sufi

by Idries Shah

The Way of the Sufi is the best-selling follow-up and complimentary work to Idries Shah’s first landmark book on the subject, The Sufis.

Idries Shah’s, The Way of the Sufi is a compendium of traditional tales, poetry, epigrams, anecdotes and sayings from individual Sufis and Sufi schools over the last millennia. Shah’s work presents an unparalleled cross-section of Sufi teachings—from Morocco to Indonesia—as an introductory and basic course of Sufi study.

Included are biographical sketches of some of the best-known Sufi masters from the classical Islamic period, and descriptions of four of the major Sufi the Chisti, Qadiri, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi schools. Shah considers attitudes to Sufi ideas, and evidence of their existence in other traditions. Medieval Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jewish mysticism and various modern philosophical teachings, the author shows us, all bear some imprint of Sufi influence.

Shah’s comprehensive and well-sourced introduction conveys the essentially undefinable nature of Sufism, both through what outside observers have in part believed it to be, and also what it is not.

Forming a matrix of disparate yet synergistic materials, The Way of the Sufi illuminates aspects of the Sufi tradition relevant to the contemporary world.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Mysticism, History

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Idries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.

Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.

In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.

Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.

Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."

Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim

Reviews

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of Sufi stories,parables,poetry,lectures and contemplation.

The reader need not necessarily agree with all of it,but it's thought provoking,nevertheless.

Epitaph of Jalal ud Din Rumi
"When we're dead,seek not our tomb in the earth,but find it in the hearts of men."

Jewels and Dust
"If a gem falls into mud it is still valuable
If dust ascends to heaven,it still remains valueless."

The Straight Path
"I have never seen a man lost who was on a straight path."

[Omar Tlich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to start reading about Sufism. However, I expected a more "documentary" type of writing. The book is so full of quotes and anecdotes of famous Sufi sheikhs (most of the book).
There is a great emphasis on how the methods of teaching change from one era to another, and one place to another. The Sufi Sheikh is supposed to know exactly what the student needs and direct him to the right way. This topic is perhaps the most recurrent one.
I wished to know more about Sufism by delving into the main teachings of some orders, the lives of famous Sheikhs (Al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi particularly). I'll see if I find this in his other books.
Really enjoyed reading this though!

[Kevan Bowkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text was called 'a key book' by Doris Lessing. Written by traveller and authority on the Sufis, Idries Shah, the volume contains a great variety of material concerning the people called the Sufis, what they study, and how and why. The collection includes essays, tales, jokes, themes for contemplation, statements by masters, poetry, information on Four Major Orders of Sufism and on classical teachers such as Rumi, Ghazali, Saadi, and Omar Khayyam -- in its variety the book seems more like Middle Eastern works such as The Thousand and One Nights, or Jami's Abode of Spring (or even the Bible) than it is like familiar Western genres. The book serves as a splendid introduction to Sufi thought and practice (and the introductory essay, 'The Study of Sufism in the West,' which helps orient the seeker with respect to contemporary Sufism, is alone worth the cost of the volume), and gives the inquirer many matters for thought and reflection. One high point, in a book filled with very many highlights, is the poem of ibn al-Arabi called 'The Special Love,' which seems to convey something of the essence of what the Sufis seek. One valuable message of the book seems to be that the Sufis seek what is sometimes called the Truth, or Reality, out of love for it, for its own sake, not due to ordinary personality needs extended into this area. Rabia is quoted on this:

O Lord!
If I worship you from fear of hell, cast me into hell.
If I worship you from desire for paradise, deny me paradise.

[Dan Sperling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people know little or nothing about Sufism, and what they may have heard about it here and there is likely to be erroneous. In THE WAY OF THE SUFI, Idries Shah does an excellent job of cutting straight to the chase to give the reader an unclouded glimpse of what Sufism really is. The result is a book that’s both eye-opening and fascinating. Reading it, one learns that Sufism is working towards a practical goal rather than propagating empty theory, and that the materials it makes use of must be carefully tailored to the target audience as well as to the times. That’s why, as Shah puts it in the introduction, THE WAY OF THE SUFI “is designed to present Sufi ideas, actions and report: not for the microscope or as museum-pieces, but in their relevance to a current community – what we call the contemporary world.”

[John Zada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a superb compendium of traditional tales, poetry and sayings from individual Sufis and Sufi schools over the last millennia. The introduction by its compiler, the late Anglo-Afghan author and experiential philosopher, Idries Shah, may be one of the most accurate and comprehensive short articles defining Sufism that exists anywhere. Pages upon pages of anecdotes bursting with layers of wisdom - and involving a mish-mash of characters from Morocco to Indonesia - will reward a conscientious reader with a great deal more than the sum of its parts. An interconnecting matrix of materials that is encyclopedic in scope.

[Erling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This selection of Sufi writings is great. Insightful about Sufism itself and the subjects it teaches. I also enjoyed the extra information given, like different branches, history, the relativity of Sufism, etc.
However, Idries Shah, the translator and selector of the texts, has an unlikeable and elitist attitude which is unfortunate. Luckily, the book mainly consists of the Sufi texts, so Idries Shah’s own writings did not ruin the book for me.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great source of information and history on Sufism. A scholarly work, published first in 1970, it is still pertinent to today.

It opens with an important chapter on the study of Sufism in the Western world -- and its limitations.

Shah raises questions about how much one can learn and understand about Sufism, using books and writings which may not fully understand how Sufism works. As one example, he uses modern Western debates on the meaning of the word "Sufi". Westerners, with our determination that there is an understandable and intellectual explanation for everything, often cannot accept that there may not be a 'logical' explanatin.

As explained in the eleventh -century Revelation, the earliest Persian writings on Sufism by Hujwiri, the term 'Sufi' has no etymology.

But for decades, a common explanation by Westerners is that
'Sufi' is similar to the Arabic word pronounced soof which means 'wool'. Those practicing Sufism wore wool, therefore this is the logical explanation.

(Shah submits that the reason common among Sufis is that the effects of sounds are important in Sufism -- and the sound of the Arabic letters which bring out the sounds of S U F are significant to the Sufis in their practices).

This short chapter is full of useful thoughts for modern day Western "Sufis" , with cautions and thoughts about what Sufism is, how it is understood and much more. He ends the chapter with a list of requirements for Western students studying Sufism -

1. Understand the bulk of translations available are unsuitable 2. seek authorative written and oral information and activities designed by Sufis to operate in the student's own culture and times
3. Recognize organizations not genuinely Sufi are 'conditioning instruments' whether consciously or otherwise
4. be prepared to abandon preconceptions about what it means to 'study'
5. decide whether the student's search is or is not a disguised search for social integration, a manifestation of sheer curiosity, a desire for emotionial stimulus or statisfactin?
6. credit the possibility that there is a conscious, efficient, deliberate source of legitimate Sufic teaching in the West.
(These seem to be true and good questions for any Seeker to ask, of any religious practice)

This is all in the first chapter, and more - worth the price of the book just to read that section. But, there is of course, much more. Shah states the intent of this book is to give geeral reader an idea of the richness and variety of Sufi ideas, and the rest of the writings have been formed as an introduction to Westerners in the mid-20th century, when the book was written.

Next is a section on Classic Authors with quotes and short biographical/historical/philosophical information about these authors. Twelfth century philosopher El-Ghazali, Omar Khayyam, Attar of Nishapar, Ibn El-Arabi, Saadi of Shiraz, Hakim Jami, Hakim Sanai, Jalaludin Rumi are touched on.

The next section is Four Major Orders, with short explanations of 1) The Chishti Order 2) The Qardi Order 3) The Suhrawardi Order and 4) The Naqshbandi Order.

There are also stories of Sufi Masters, teaching stories, themes for solitary contemplation, group recitals and letters and lectures (very short, at the end).

My Turkish daughter in law when introduced to American Sufis in our Quaker meeting looked puzzled -- they did not seem closely related to the Sufis she is familiar with. This book may explain why.

[Ita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eight centuries after El Ghazali wrote about it, Ivan Pavlov announced the results of his experiments on dogs, and was credited with the discovery of conditioning. Ghazali – a Sufi’s – work even exceeds contemporary knowledge, according to Idries Shah. He is one of a number of scientists and writers of astounding achievement, who depended for their accomplishments, not on the scientific method as we know it, or even on the intellect, but on the Sufi Way. ‘Man is made for learning,’ wrote El Ghazali. The educational system which allowed him to develop involves the whole person. Another Sufi, Baba Tahir Uryan, referred to it as the Celestial Science. Others saw it as the Science of Man, and the Science of Knowledge. The dying words of Mansur al-Hallaj, who accepted stoning rather than abandon it, were, ‘I recommend you to seek something of which the smallest part is worth more than all goodness: the Knowledge of what is true – true science.

Sufi writers produced, and still produce, work considered impossible by our experts in literature. In the 13th century, Saadi of Shiraz spent most of his time as a wanderer, but succeeded in writing two great classics within three years. These books contain the whole range of the deepest Sufi knowledge which can be put in writing, the different layers interwoven to produce a seamless whole. Hakim Sanai was the author of The Walled Garden of Truth, in which there are several passages that can be read in more than one way. Shah tells us how ‘this effects a shift in the perceptions which is analogous to a change of focus on one and the same object.’

Work of this calibre was possible because the Sufis had developed techniques for raising human consciousness. They employed the enlightened use of music, and became expert in the induction of spiritual states. Shah stresses that techniques such as these must be used within the context of the development of the whole person, under the guidance of one who has travelled the entire Sufi Way.

‘Teachers should be studied,’ is the advice offered by Musa Kazim. In Part Four of this book, Among the Masters, we are shown, through the words, and records of the actions of numerous Sufis, how teachers, each one unique but conscious of a Unity, perform their function. ‘My duty,’ wrote Ibn el-Arabi, one of the great Sufis of the Middle Ages, ‘is the debt of love.’

Study materials are found in the last one hundred pages of this most enjoyable book. They include letters and lectures, contemplation themes, and fifteen timeless, and priceless, teaching stories.

[Neil Ramshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking book, that offers some first steps to wisdom. It begins to both outline and apply some of the breadth of methods used by Sufis to engender higher states of mind – the verbalised materials ‘intended to establish in the mind not a belief but a pattern, a blueprint which helps it to operate in ‘another’ manner.’
A wide range of materials show, not tell what spirituality, knowledge and detachment are and are not. Is the bar set high? Read - ‘Be a real man: learn nobility of thought and action, like that of Fazl-Rabbi’ and decide for yourself.
One striking theme that distinguishes the book is the focus on getting the reader to consider their motives and sincerity towards their interest in this area. This is a stark contrast to the approach of many cults and deteriorated systems that were around when the book was written and which still seek to recruit. As Hakim Jami observes, ‘Seekers there are in plenty; but they are almost all seekers of personal advantage. I can find so very few Seekers after Truth.’
The book begins to reveal other facets of the reader’s internal state. ‘Man thinks many things. He thinks he is One. He is usually several. Until he becomes One, he cannot have a fair idea of what he is at all.’
There is a good deal more in this book, particularly about how real knowledge is to be approached. If one finds it challenging and perplexing, many of the ideas are returned to and explored from different viewpoints in later books by the same author. If one doesn’t want to explore further one will have had a least a good introduction to practical critical thinking that can be applied in everyday life.

[Cj Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WAY OF THE SUFI contains examples of almost all the different literary formats used by Idries Shah to project Sufi teachings in the modern world: Teaching-stories, jokes and poems; modern University lectures; brief histories and selections from the Classical Authors and traditional Sufi 'Orders'; sayings, doings and teachings of the great Sufi Masters; Solitary and Group Contemplation themes; letters, talks and interviews; and Question & Answer sessions.

You will find selections from people like Rumi, Saadi, Khayyam, Hafiz, Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, Abdul Qadir Jilani, Bahaudin Naqshband, Junayd, al-Ghazali, Ali, and the Prophet Muhammad, among many others. There are even appearances by that inimitable holy fool, the Mulla Nasrudin.

The result is a comprehensive effect made up of many small impacts which, in a non-linear way, give an overall picture and deep impression of Sufi teaching. Because of the way it's formatted, the book compresses an enormous amount of material-- which can be used for many years of study, contemplation, and inspiration-- into the size of an average book, and so it's not only efficient but economical. It's also very entertaining, challenging and stimulating, showing the humor, creativity, richness and variety of Sufi teaching materials.

Along with The Sufis and possibly Caravan of Dreams, this may be the best introduction to Shah's overall work in particular, and the Sufi flavor in general. The opening lecture entitled The Study of Sufism in the West deals with how Sufi ideas have entered, influenced and/or been distorted in Western culture over the centuries-- including the contemporary landscape-- and almost everyone will be able to recognize some of the different people, groups and patterns which Shah refers to. Although controversial in some cases, this material is extremely important for understanding Shah's Sufi presentation. The lecture was originally delivered at Sussex University and therefore also deals (in very small part) with the problems of scholastic and academic approaches to Sufi studies. Although at first the average newcomer to the subject may not be particularly interested in some of these issues, they will find it useful if they have been, or will be, exposed to the vast field of 'Sufi scholarship'.

After the lecture, Shah explains the intention of the book:

"This book is intended to illustrate for the general reader something of the richness and range of Sufi ideas. Its materials have also been chosen and are presented as applicable to the people of the contemporary culture, offering an introductory course of study."

And in the Introduction he writes:

"...The Sufi sages, schools, writers, teachings, humour, mysticism, formulations are all connected with the social and psychological relevance of certain human ideas.
Being a man of `timelessness' and `placelessness', the Sufi brings his experience into operation within the culture, the country, the climate in which he is living.
The study of Sufic activity in distant cultures alone is of value only to those working in the narrow field of scholasticism. Considering Sufi activities as merely religious, literary or philosophical phenomena will produce only garbled renditions of the Sufi way. To try to extract theory or system and to attempt the study of it in isolation is just as comparatively profitless.
This book is designed to present Sufi ideas, actions and report: not for the microscope or as museum pieces, but in their relevance to a current community - what we call the contemporary world."

[Ulrika Eriksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is easy to get lost in the jungle of texts that exists about Sufism and “some doesn´t represent Sufism more than snake handling represents Christianity or Bingo represents Mathematics” writes the author. His book is meant to be an appropriate introduction with material specially chosen to be actual and suitable for our time and he wants to show the vastness and richness of Sufi ideas through the ages.
Sufism invites man to push forward his own evolution. It is a metaphysical system intermeshed in ordinary life that has always been here and it is equivalent to the Hermetic, Pythagorean and Platonic streams. There are many more definitions in the book, as well as material for contemplation and reflection, sufficient for a life time. Shah takes up problems with studies of Sufism, presents different Teachers and their methods, problems typical for our time like indoctrination, institutionalization and the mixing of opinions and facts. The Sufi and scholar El Ghazzali wrote, 800 years before Pavlov, about indoctrination something most of us nowadays are prone to be especially because we are so ill informed about the phenomena and it´s power, in spite of lots of research done. To be able to escape it we must be able to identify it.
In The Way of the Sufis as in his other books there is an underlying urging to familiarize oneself with the knowledge we actually have and start using it.
The book was first published 1968 by Octagon Press Ltd and I read it again now during ISF Publishing´s, http://isf-publishing.org/about/, ongoing republishing of the whole of Idries Shah´s corpus. I recommend it to all seekers of meaning of life apart from happiness. It is outstanding, I think as well as BBC´s The Critic´s did in 1968 when they chose it as outstanding book of the year.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowledge Direction Profit.
An absolute favourite. Pays to read it and read it and read it. Answers questions you've forgotten you asked.
'Jalaludin Rumi...
A Book.
The aim of a book may be to instruct,
Yet you can also use it as a pillow;
Though its object is to give knowledge, direction, profit.'
A quote from the heading THE SUHRAWARDI ORDER.
' Instructional materials of the Order are often, to all appearances, merely legends or works of fiction. To the devotees, however they contain materials which are essential to prepare the ground for experiences which the disciple must undergo. Without them, it is believed, there is a possibility that the student may simply develop altered states of mind which render him unfit for ordinary life.'

[Najlla Habibyar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I call it informative piece of literature. Good to read.

[BaSila Husnain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only if soul was just science

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Deep in the sea are riches beyond compare.
But if you seek safety, it is on the shore."

I picked this book up with an innocent curiosity and without much passion on the subject. After reading it I came to know about the complexity of Sufism and how much I had been missing out on. Despite a lack of clear understanding, I find myself always thinking about certain analogues/stories from this book. Using stories to teach philosophy seems abstract, yet it somehow makes the knowledge easier to grasp. I enjoyed the mix of longer stories alongside the short, proverb-like phrases, which effectively demonstrate the variety in Sufi writing. I could rewrite line upon line of quotes from this book and never tire.

"Your medicine is in you, and you do not observe it. Your ailment is from yourself, and you do not register it."

"The true lover finds the light only if, like the candle, he is his own fuel, consuming himself."

"You may follow one stream. Realise that it leads to the Ocean. Do not mistake that stream for the Ocean."

[Robs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author begins his introduction to this work with the statement - ''So many people profess themselves bewildered by the Sufi lore that one is forced to the conclusion that they want to be bewildered. Others, for more obvious reasons, simplify things to such an extent that their 'Sufism' is just a cult of love, or of meditations, or of something equally selective. But a person with a portion of uncommitted interest who looks at the variety of Sufi action can see the common characteristic staring him in the face'' - in the following,lines, pages, chapters, he does much to illustrate, expound and explain what that 'common characteristic' is...

[Seekers of Unity · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping to have a beautiful overview and introduction to Sufism from an insider and, if biased, scholar. Instead I had to sit and hear him complain about how everyone is misrepresenting Sufism and all his fights and politics, spare me. Wasn’t impressed. The rest of the book was more anthologes and I didn’t read through it. Maybe I need to read his more famous ‘The Sufis’ to find what I was looking for.

If you like books like this you'll love my project:
http://youtube.com/c/seekersofunity?s...

[Boreal Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

a friend reccommended this it was part of some metaphysical conversations we had about whirling dervishes, alcoholism, spirituality, gypsies, tibetan buddhism, old cars and betrayal by friends and lovers

it was above me at the time altho i did gain something by osmosis
love of life
drinking in the world and honoring it

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1968, this book had a huge impact, particularly in England. It was the West's introduction to Sufism, and led to its acceptance in the English-speaking world. It contains stories, short histories of great Sufis, a few essays and a good section on the four largest Orders. This book is a must for any student of Islam.

[Martin]

This is the Original Penguin Paperback Edition issued in 1968 by Idries Shah. It is a fine Book about what is called in Western terms Sufism. Sufism is a simplification of a very complex system of spiritual development. This is one of the best books I have found to clarify a lot of things taken for granted by people who use the term Sufi or Sufism.

[Mohamed Bourezi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book seems like a study especially that first part, but once you get past it, it loses that thread and becomes only an amalgam of sayings of different people. You may read the whole book and still can't figure out what sufism is.
Some of the sayings and quotes can trigger your thinking but those are only fragments in the book.

[Saman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical sufi is more like it. Loved it because practical sufi myself.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yet the values of studying special collections of Sufi readings made by a Sufi cannot be exaggerated."

[Lenny Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Enjoy Everything he's written.

[Ronald Tailor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're reading this review, it may be because you are seeking wisdom. The Way of the Sufi will provide as much of this as your wisdom BPA-free plastic water bottle can hold, and more, but it may take time and even several reads for the information to soak in.

This book's format can be surprising for the unprepared. (What follows is a format spoiler. If you enjoy being surprised style shifts, don't read the next paragraph.)

There is long, erudite, scholarly essay at the front of the book, replete with pages of end notes. Some people may be dismayed by this and stop reading early. Others will be delighted by this. Both types of readers may be surprised to find that when the essay is finished, the book's style changes radically. But that is Sufism for you. It tries to teach people what it has to offer in the most effective way possible. Sometimes that means doing things that are completely unexpected. All I'll say about the format of what follows the essay is that it is very different from the essay. To get the most out of this book you need to read it all (yes, even the essay, sigh), perhaps several times but not right in a row! That will be tiring and boring. Give it a rest for a few years and its second-reading yield will be far more abundant, kind of like rotating crops: fields sometimes need to lie fallow a bit before they can fully produce again.

While if you want to get the most from this book, you should try to read the entire thing, but if the first part is daunting (as it was a little to me although I did march bravely through it) you may want to come back to it later. I think one of the reasons that essay is provided at the beginning is to prove to a certain type of mind—a mind that is admirably critical but dreadfully handicapped by habits of thought which sends that critical talent careening down many false paths—beyond a shadow of a doubt, and with carefully researched references that the material to come is, indeed, legitimate, no matter what unconventional forms it may take. Some people don't need this sort of proof, we can smell or otherwise sense the truth in materials and we don't care particularly about their shape, but others, having an untrained sense of smell, may need the academic-proof approach before they'll submit themselves to reading something that appears to be a whole lot less serious. The thing is, the Sufis are always very serious, in the twin sense of sincerity and intent. There is always a method to their apparent "madness" but it can be hard to spot that method with the unschooled minds that our culture mass-produces in people.

What is wisdom, anyway? I define it as something that helps me see myself and the world I live in more clearly and that sometimes helps me function better in the world--and in my own mind. For me, such seeing and functioning is enhanced immensely by being able to notice the ways my mind has been conditioned by my parents, my peers, and my culture to see or think in very narrow ways, to respond habitually and repetitively to stimuli, even when I imagine I am having great and original thoughts. Sufi books, in my experience, work incessantly (if you cooperate with them and don't use your habit brain to stifle their message, as in: "Oh ho! This story reminds me one one I read in college when studying X (insert habitMind's revered subject here). Therefore, Sufism must be a secret form of X!" Trust me: Sufism is NOT a secret form of X--it is actually something entirely different. But it can take years or even decades to figure that out, particularly if one's habitMind is totally addicted to X or one's ego is wrapped up in knowing "The Expert Who Knows All About X." Sufism attempts to break through the magic spells that our various X's cast upon us and make us see them for what they are: pretty toys, distractions on the road, that can cuase us to waste years of our lives that we can never get back pursuing trivialities. For that reason, Sufism is often, feared, hated, and avoided. Nobody likes a critic, even if the critical voice is offering you advice that will save one's life. I guess what I've just said is that if you're sure you know everything important and don't want your mind changed by any of it, it would be best to never pick up this--or any other--Sufi book. Your conscious mind may think you've successfully rejected any new ideas in it, but they have a strange way of slipping through the cracks, unnoticed--and, trust me, you will start to change.

This book's contents may seem trivial to you if you've never encountered the Sufi flavor of wisdom before, but like the toy hobby horse in a classic Sufi Story, they have little-noticed but very powerful effects, effects that make themselves known only when the time and circumstances are right. That's why it's worthwhile to re-read books like this a few years after you've first read them. Like the old joke about perceptions of one's father when one is a teen and then later as an adult, you may be amazed by how much sense and intelligence this tome will have acquired during the intervening years! :-) And if you like this book (or even if you don't like it) give one of the others by Idries Shah a try. Each one is different, different like delightful well-prepared dishes at a holiday feast.

I'd like to wind up this rambling review with a quote from The Way of the Sufi about how books like this should be read:

Reading anything and everything in Sufism is like reading all kinds of books on different subjects without the necessary basis. It is a calamity, and, like indiscriminate medication, may make a man worse than before he started.

Sufi writings are always addressed to a special audience. This audience is not the same in Bokhara as in Barsa, in Spain, as in Africa.

Yet the values of studying special collections of Sufi readings made by a Sufi cannot be exaggerated.

These values include:

The selection of passages which will help a given community to find its way.

The preparation of the student for the enlightenment which is supplied by the master in person when the time is ready.

A corrective against the monotony of ordinary repetition of doctrine and practice, which dulls without our knowing it.

A corrective against the excitement which is our daily lot, and which manipulates us without our knowing it.

Read, therefore, what has been prepared for you, so that you may earn the blessing of eternal felicity.

--Hadrat Bahaudin Naqshbad

PS: This book and other Sufi books talk a lot about the importance of a teacher to help you progress along that path through life that the books show you the general outline of. A lot back-and-forth and controversy occurs over this whole concept of "teachers" and "where to find them." Another of Idries Shah's books, Thinkers of the East has, at least for me, the definitive word on this subject. For me, and perhaps also for you, if you are seeking a teacher, no more is needed than this priceless gem of wisdom:

Do not dwell upon whether you will put yourself into the hands of a teacher. You are always in his hands.

--------------------------

If you want to try out the book and you don't mind ebooks, you can read it for free on the Idries Shah Foundation's website:

Read Online: The Way of the Sufi

[Jorge Centofanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot” Abu- Said, son of Abi-Khair.
“ Do not look at my outward shape but take what is in my hand” Jalaluddin Rumi.
This amazing book, divided into nine parts, starting with Part One: The Study of Sufism in the west.
Part Two: Classical Authors, Part three Four Major Orders
Part Four Among the Masters, Part Five: Teaching Stories. Part six Themes for solitary contemplation. Part Seven: Group recitals. Part 8 Letters and Lectures. Part Nine: Questions and answers on Sufism.
This book is so rich that each part takes us to the recognition of the extraordinary work Idries Shah devoted for our own understanding, walking with us along 287 pages full of previously unknown material, thus giving us a marvellous opportunity to learn about the true meaning of the work of Sufi Masters, including the greatest poets, Like Saadi, Omar Khayyam, Attar of Nishapur, Hakim Jami, Hakin Sanai, Jalaluddin Rumi, the philosopher El -Ghazali…each one with a full description of their lives, character and individual action from which we learn step by step, immersed in their life story and their value to the society of their time, which also covers our current society, much in need of studying The Way of the Sufi.

[Daniel Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would not have expected a book on Sufism to be so good. The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah is a book that outlines what Sufism is and outlines various wisdom from Sufi thinkers throughout the centuries. The introduction outlines why Sufism exists in the world. Apparently, Sufism as a word comes from the Arabic word suuf, which means wool. Sufis are an intellectual movement within Islam.

Within the main section is a wide variety of wisdom and proverbs offered by the various Sufi thinkers. Ibn El-Arabi’s three forms of knowledge, intellectualism or factual knowledge, emotional knowledge, and knowledge of reality from perception, are an intriguing interpretation of metaphysics. Much of the book involves parables and stories that are used to provide fascinating, deeper meaning. Despite being rooted in the Islamic world, the book is highly accessible for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. I highly enjoyed this book. It offers wise teachings from a non-Western perspective and allows the reader to become enlightened by the Sufi way. The book offers a unique glimpse into the teachings of Sufism. Sufism is depicted in this book as a highly enlightened philosophy and one that offers a contrasting perspective to the usual understanding of Middle-Eastern viewpoints. Worth a read.

[Stuart Bathgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This key work by Idries Shah is an excellent introduction to his work and to the Sufi tradition, perhaps second only to his 'The Sufis' itself in the wide scope of its approach. The book begins with a university lecture, complete with footnotes, and includes sections on some of the great Sufi teachers such as Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Ibn El Arabi and four of the major historic orders. There are also teaching stories, anecdotes, letters and lectures, and the variety of formats in which the work is presented makes for entertaining as well as informative reading.
It's fascinating to read about how much scientific knowledge there was in the Arab world a millennium and more ago, and also to be reminded that - contrary to what we often presume about those times - there was a great deal of understanding and co-operation between people of different religions. This is just one aspect of the book which remains vitally relevant today.

[Klin กลินท์]

“ชายคนหนึ่งถามอูฐว่ามันชอบเดินขึ้นภูเขาหรือเดินลงจากภูเขา
อูฐตอบว่า ‘สิ่งสำคัญต่อข้าพเจ้านั้นไม่ใช่การเดินขึ้นหรือลงจากอะไร
มันคือน้ำหนักที่บรรทุกอยู่บนหลังต่างหาก!” -ประเด็นหลัก, น.92

อ่านหมายเลข ๒/ ๒๕๖๑ : วิถีแห่งซูฟี THE WAY OF SUFI
เขียนและเรียบเรียงโดย ฮิดริส ชาร์
ปรีชา ช่อปทุมมา คัดสรรและแปล

“ภูมิปัญญาทั้งสิ้น สรุปลงได้เพียงสองวรรค
อะไรจะเกิดขึ้น - ปล่อยให้มันเกิด
อะไรต้องทำ - ทบทวนดูว่าท่านทำเสร็จแล้ว” ,น.250

เรื่องเล่าสั้น ๆ หลากเรื่องราวแห่งสัจธรรมจากดินแดนแห่งทะเลทรายเปอร์เซีย ซึ่งไม่ว่าเราจะเป็นใคร อยู่ ณ ความเชื่อ ความศรัทธาใด ๆ ก็สามารถที่จะสัมผัส เรียนรู้ ใคร่ครวญในตนเองได้ทั้งสิ้น

“จงหลับพร้อมกับรำลึกถึงความตาย
เมื่อตื่นขึ้นก็ขอให้ตระหนักว่าตนจะอยู่ไม่นาน” ,น.255

อ่านไปเรื่อยๆ :ลองหาอ่านดูครับ :) #วิถีแห่งซูฟี #TheWayOfSufi #ฮิดริสชาร์ #ปรีชาช่อปทุมมา #อ่านไปเรื่อยๆ #อ่านไปฟังไป #IntoTheBook #อ่านแล้วอ่านเล่า #BooksBAR #AtTheReader #กลินท์แลนด์ #KlinLand #กลินท์และหนังสือ #KlinAndBooks #อ่านในใจ #อ่านเพลิน #ณอ่านTheReaderTheKlinLibrary

[Toni]

Knowledge Direction Profit.
An absolute favourite. Pays to read it and read it and read it. Answers questions you've forgotten you asked.
'Jalaludin Rumi...
A Book.
The aim of a book may be to instruct,
Yet you can also use it as a pillow;
Though its object is to give knowledge, direction, profit.'
A quote from the heading THE SUHRAWARDI ORDER.
' Instructional materials of the Order are often, to all appearances, merely legends or works of fiction. To the devotees, however they contain materials which are essential to prepare the ground for experiences which the disciple must undergo. Without them, it is believed, there is a possibility that the student may simply develop altered states of mind which render him unfit for ordinary life.'