The Doctrine of Sufis
Translated from the Arabic of Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi

A 1935 English translation of a classic Arabic text in S?f?sm, the earliest extant text to reconcile S?f?sm and orthodox Islam.

Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi (Author), A. J. Arberry (Translated by)

9780521292184, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 August 1977

192 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.1 cm, 0.25 kg

This 1935 English translation of a classic Arabic text in S?f?sm, the mystical aspect of Islam, by A. J. Arberry preserves the beauty and simplicity of the original without departing from a literal translation. Little is known of the author of this treatise Ab? Bakr al-Kal?b?dh?, except that he was a lawyer and died in Bukh?r? in about AD 990. This book is the work on which his fame rests, and is important because it is the earliest extant text to reconcile the position of S?f?sm and orthodox Islam. The book consists of five parts: a general introduction to the term S?f? and an enumeration of the names of the great S?f?s; a statements of the tenets of Islam, as accepted by the S?f?s; a discussion of the various 'stations' of the S?f?s; and a discussion of the various phenomena of S?f?sm. This is a superb English introduction to S?f?sm.

Introduction
Prooemium
1. How the S?f?s account for their being called S?f?s
2. A list of the famous men among the S?f?s
3. A list of the S?f?s who published the sciences of allusion in books and treatises
4. A list of the S?f?s who have written on conduce
5. Their doctrine of unity
6. Their doctrine of the attributes
7. Their variance as to whether God has ceased creating
8. Their variance concerning names
9. Their doctrine of the Qur'?n
10. Their variance concerning the nature of speech
11. Their doctrine of vision
12. Their variance as to the Prophet's vision
13. Their doctrine of predestination and the creation of acts
14. Their doctrine of capacity
15. Their doctrine of compulsion
16. Their doctrine of advantageousness
17. Their doctrine of promise and threat
18. Their doctrine of intercession
19. Their doctrine of children
20. Their doctrine of the duties imposed by God on adults
21. Their doctrine of the gnosis of god
22. Their variance as to the nature of gnosis
23. Their doctrine of spirit
24. Their doctrine of angels and messengers
25. Their doctrine of the faults ascribed to the prophets
26. Their doctrine of the miracles of saints
27. Their doctrine of faith
28. Their doctrine of the realities of faith
29. Their doctrine of the legal schools
30. Their doctrine of earning
31. Of the S?f? sciences of the states
32. Of the nature and meaning of S?f?sm
33. Of the revelation of the thoughts
34. Of S?f?sm and being at ease with God
35. Their doctrine of repentance
36. Their doctrine of abstinence
37. Their doctrine of patience
38. Their doctrine of poverty
39. Their doctrine of humility
40. Their doctrine of fear
41. Their doctrine of piety
42. Their doctrine of sincerity
43. Their doctrine of gratitude
44. Their doctrine of trust
45. Their doctrine of satisfaction
46. Their doctrine of certainty
47. Their doctrine of recollection
48. Their doctrine of intimacy
49. Their doctrine of nearness
50. Their doctrine of union
51. Their doctrine of love
52. Their doctrine of detachment and separation
53. Their doctrine of ecstasy
54. Their doctrine of overmastery
55. Their doctrine of intoxication
56. Their doctrine of absence and presence
57. Their doctrine of concentration and separation
58. Their doctrine of revelation and veiling
59. Their doctrine of passing-away and persistence
60. Their doctrine of the realities of gnosis
61. Their doctrine of unification
62. Their doctrine of the description of the gnostic
63. Their doctrine of the seeker and the sought
64. Their doctrine of toiling and divine practice
65. Their doctrine of discoursing to men
66. Of their piety and pious endeavours
67. Of God's favours to the S?f?s and His warning them by means of supernatural voices
68. Of God's warning them by gifts of insight
69. Of God's warning them by means of thoughts
70. Of God's warning them through visions and rare favours
71. God's favours to them which spring of His jealousy
72. God's bounties in laying hardships upon them to bear
73. God's grace to them at death and after
74. Of other graces accorded them
75. Of audition
Index.

Subject Areas: Educational: English language & literacy [YQC]