DIVINE NAMES

The path to self-discovery and inner and outer peace... Divine Names is a unique contribution to understanding life and oneself on a deeper level: by learning to open to the Divine. It draws on original Arabic literature—often not available in European languages—and on the author’s many years of personal practice, teaching, and guiding others on their spiritual paths to healing, to becoming whole. It focuses on the use of the Divine Names in dhikr, individual meditations and healing practices. Whether we admit it or not, human beings are searchers: we want to understand; we want to know; we want to be known. Our quest may take many forms, yet ultimately it ends in nothing but pure praising of the Divine, even if this comes after our last breath. The outside always furthers the inside because the task and the meaning of life is always about reuniting—about connecting everything on the outside to its inner truth. It is the knowledge of the heart which is always capable of uniting. Such is the path of the Sufis. The Sufi tradition centers on the opening of the heart and nothing touches the heart as much as beauty. In this book, the author’s unique style of writing, which combines clarity and poetic inspiration, is coupled with distinctive and ornamental Arabic calligraphy of each of the 99 Divine Names to make it a visually stunning tribute to this tradition. It will be enjoyed regardless of a person’s religious beliefs.

Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi is a much-admired teacher of Middle Eastern dance and Sufism. She grew up in Iraq and Lebanon and was educated at the Universities of Cairo and Vienna. She is an expert in Arabic studies and is the author several books, including Divine Names: The 99 Healing Names of the One Love, Midnight Tales: A Woman’s Journey through the Middle East, and Golden Sky, Red Earth: Womens Lives in Palestine. She lives in Vienna.

Majed Seif is a New York-based visual artist specializing in Arabic calligraphy, Arabesque and other Islamic arts. He currently teaches Arabic calligraphy at the United Nations and at New York University (NYU). Majed was born in Jerusalem and obtained a Bachelor's degree in archaeology and history from Birzeit University and a degree in Arabic calligraphy from the Institute of Fine Arts in Ramallah, Palestine. He is also a graduate student in archaeology and anthropology at Hunter College in New York City. He has participated in numerous art exhibitions and workshops in Palestine and the United States.

Monique Arav MA, Dip. Int. has worked with Fawzia Al-Rawi on many projects that have required cross-cultural sensitivity to achieve their vital communicative aims. Her own multi-cultural origins and background together with her generosity of spirit and love for inner beauty serve to make her more than a fitting communicator for this particular book.