Two Who Attained: Twentieth-Century Sufi Saints: Fatima al-Yashrutiyya & Shaykh Ahmad al-'Alawi

by Leslie Cadavid (Translator)

Rare glimpses of two 20th-century Sufi saints are offered in this the eminent Shaykh al-Alawi and the lesser-known woman saint Fatima al-Yashrutiyya, both of whom continued on the Sufi path even as they watched their world crumble. Shaykh al-Alawi's influence was pivotal to the spiritual development of Thomas Merton, who looked to al-Alawi's writings and teachings in his own practice. Fatima al-Yashrutiyya is a rare example of a literate Muslim woman living a public spiritual life. Readers will see a new side of the Sufi Path from her uncompromising viewpoint, and can catch an uncommon glimpse of life in the early 20th century for a spiritual seeker, writer, and self-educated woman in the Muslim world. These essays represent Islam in its esoteric dimension and raise issues of regional unrest and colonial intervention that are still relevant. Through the words of these two saints the world of the Sufi brotherhood is opened, revealing an underlying theme of the oneness of Allah.

Genres: Islam

287 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2005

Reviews

[Mechthild von Magdeburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lives of saints and sages teach us what it means to be in human state. In these days of spiritual decadence one feels the urgent need to learn from their holiness. This book provides two concrete examples of such wisdom and purity of heart.