Sufism has been defined in different ways by scholars and religionist: some call it the mystical tradition of Islam, others the universal heart of all spirituality. The readings in this book, ranging from the tenth to the twentieth century and mostly deriving from the Middle East and India, offer a glimpse into the living world of the Sufis.
Carl W. Ernst, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A specialist in Islamic mysticism, he has spent research tours in Pakistan, India, and Turkey. He is also the author of Words and Ecstasy in Sufism and the translator of The Unveiling of Secrets: Diary of a Sufi Master by Ruzbihan Baqli.
Sufism has been defined in different ways by scholars and religionist: some call it the mystical tradition of Islam, others the universal heart of all spirituality. The readings in this book, ranging from the tenth to the twentieth century and mostly deriving from the Middle East and India, offer a glimpse into the living world of the Sufis.
Author
Carl W. Ernst, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A specialist in Islamic mysticism, he has spent research tours in Pakistan, India, and Turkey. He is also the author of Words and Ecstasy in Sufism and the translator of The Unveiling of Secrets: Diary of a Sufi Master by Ruzbihan Baqli.
