SUFISM, THE HEART OF ISLAM - Softcover

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Softcover

ISBN 10: 1890772267 ISBN 13: 9781890772260

Publisher: Hohm Press, 2015

Synopsis

Algerian-born BentounF is the 46th spiritual master of Sufism in an uninterrupted chain of initiation from the Prophet and his son-in-law Ali. Rather than an academic account, he offers a testimony and sharing of his spiritual experience in the mystical tradition. It is not indexed. The original Le Soufisme, Coeur de L'Islam was published by La Table Ronde Editions, Paris, in 1996. Elabdi, a Moroccan native, has translated other books on Sufism. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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Reviews

Translated from the 1996 French edition by Khaled Elabdi, this balanced book shows Sheikh Khaled BentounŠs reflecting on Sufism (Tassawwuf), its relation to Islam and other religions and its relevance to world affairs. In addition to the usual fare of Sufic poetry and customs, contents include testimonials of personal spiritual development, expositions on Tassawwuf as the non-dualistic inner core of Islam and Qur'anic references in support of Tassawwuf's position within an unbroken line of transmission extending from the Prophet Muhammad through the generations (often designated, not necessarily blood line) to the author's own succession. Readers may find this richly developed material challenging as an introduction to either Islam or Sufism, but crisp and occasionally entertaining prose eases the endeavor . ("To have a totally naked master in the Himalayas is more original than a Rolls Royce," writes the sheikh.) Throughout, Sheikh Khaled presents a compelling case for the necessity of tolerance among world religions, which he says present "no contradiction." Tassawwuf, for example, recognizes both Moses and Jesus as Prophets who revealed a divine message appropriate to the age in which they lived. Despite a warm foreword by Father Christian Delorme, Sheikh Khaled is no advocate of syncretism, whatever universalistic claims are made for Tassawwuf. God's message can only be Allah's message. However, Sheikh Khaled's testimonial of a life lived peacefully and prosperously at the heart of Islam will appeal to readers of all faiths.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This collection of writings and comments by Bentounes, a Sufi pir (spiritual leader), isn't a history of the Sufi movement within Islam so much as a guide to its beliefs and practices. Sufi, the mystical sect of Islam, with its stated goal of union with the divine and experience of God's consuming love, has long enchanted Westerners but has been frequently misunderstood and misrepresented. Bentounes writes of an Islam in which jihad means the struggle against one's self and material wants, and women are glorified as the incubators of sacred life. The mystical aspects of the tradition, including meditating on the names of God and individual letters of the Arabic alphabet, may seem foreign to Americans, but talk of walking the middle ground and living in the instant connects mystical Islam to mystical traditions in Christianity and Buddhism. The book closes with several poems by nineteenth-century Sheikh Al Alawee that nicely suggest the Sufi path of sacrificing the self in search of ecstatic unity with the divine. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Hohm Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1890772267
• ISBN 13: 9781890772260
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 100