Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study

by Idries Shah

This book, subtitled, ‘On the Nature of Sufi Knowledge’, is based on university lectures at the New School for Social Research in New York, and the University of California, San Francisco.

Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study deals with many of the problems of Sufic study methods, and the factors which thwart its effective progress in the modern world. 

In particular, Shah looks at the unrecognised assumptions which we make about ourselves, and about learning and its processes. The author examines the psychology of his readership, including our demand for cults, the disabling effects of emotion, the consumer society, and the prevailing cultural responses to higher knowledge in both East and West. 

This book provides a succinct and informative overview of Sufi practice, and is an essential companion to the dozens of books on Sufism produced by Shah.

118 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1977

About the author

Idries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.

Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.

In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.

Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.

Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."

Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim

Reviews

[Aubrey Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idries Shah’s Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study presents an age old tradition in a fresh, lively and modern way. It uses scientific research, anecdote, Sufi experience and tough-minded common sense to reveal what Sufism is and is not; what’s required to study it; and what interferes with that study. It reveals the unrecognized assumptions we make about ourselves and how we learn. Only ninety-two pages long, this brilliant little book provides a preparation and framework for further understanding Sufi thought and action. It is an illuminating guide and companion to Shah’s 30 other books. Neither airy-fairy spirituality nor dry scholarship, these transcribed lectures have a flavour all their own, recreating something of the atmosphere of a Sufi school. This excerpt may give you a feel for it:
“..the student generally comes to the Sufi in order to have his assumptions reinforced and to join the kind of community or school which, often unknowingly, exists in blueprint in his mind. He may be completely unaware of this. It does not take long to elicit the pattern. I often use a tape-recorder for this purpose. What happens is this. Instead of asking what he should do and what he should not do, or whether he should do anything at all, the applicant in the course of a conversation wants to know what it will cost him, how much time he will have to spend on it, when the meetings are, where he should live, what kind of job if any he should have, and so on. If he is told ‘It will take you twenty years’, he compares this with the model, and may well ask whether he cannot manage to do it in a shorter time. Finally, by questioning, we find out how much time he will be prepared to give. Similarly, without giving away the reason for the questioning, we find out that he will pay, say, ten dollars a week, but not twenty; he will give three hours a day but not more; he will not read books but will listen to tapes; he will join a group but not study alone; and so on. When this kind of thing happens, I may summarize it all and tell him: ‘We have determined that you want a community within 35 miles of your place of residence, which will give you solace from your present problems, which has exercises but not prayers, gives you constant encouragement and a great deal of criticism, and which promises power, fulfilment or happiness. You do not need Sufi study, you need such-and-such a cult.’ There is always a suitable cult, since cults, social groupings, have almost always come into being as a response to needs of this kind. The foregoing, it will be noted, is a psychological method of determining what someone wants. Its main value is to show when we are not dealing with a would-be student, but a would-be customer or client: someone who has a framework and is seeking something to fit it.”

[Kevan Bowkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book by Afghan author Idries Shah addresses points that learners in Sufi study may find difficult, because of assumptions about learning. It helps elucidate the roughly 30 books of Sufi study materials published by Shah. "Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study" consists of lectures originally delivered at the University of California and the New School for Social Research. Highly recommended.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study.
If you don’t want to be a knitter of string shopping bags, read this. Where knitting shopping bags is proceeded by ‘unpicking’ a carpet and using the materials to knit the shopping bag. Here is a quote:
‘Were it otherwise than that Sufi development is experience you would be able to get all your knowledge from books as with other aspects of human study where exemplars demonstrators, practitioners and living teachers are not needed. There would be very little need for ‘live’ lectures, and people could read papers or hear talks through recordings or the printed word alone. 'Another quote: ‘The repertoire of Sufi tales and their content and versatility are almost infinite: Sufi knowledge can be furthered and traditionally as at present is furthered by the application of impacts. Here tales and encounters merge. Sometimes this takes the form of introducing incongruities which make the individual think or make his mind work in another sharper clearer fashion. Sometimes it is necessary to redeem the jaded awareness first.'
A Treasure House of a book.

[Ita · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study' contains the substance of a lecture, and more. All I can say is that this is a very unusual book. If you decide to read it, be sure and read it all.

[Robs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct explanation of what is and what is not Sufism, how it can be approached, studied and absorbed, with numerous examples on how a fruitful attitude toward it may be created.

[Ita Marquess · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you start this book with the Contents, you may notice something unusual. Have the Idries Shah Foundation, who published it, made a slip? Considering the impeccable editing of the other new editions of Shah’s work, I find this unlikely. Is the list of contents then a practical joke by an enthusiastic collector of Nasrudin stories, or a Sufi impact designed to make you think, or both?

After the Contents comes a list of all the subjects included in the book. It’s an extremely long list, but it’s true. Shah does deal with each of the subjects mentioned, including the effect obsessions, like an obsession with politics, has on a person’s ability to study in the Sufi way, and how being a child of the consumer society can influence the way in which we approach the teaching.

If you are unfamiliar with his work, ‘Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study’ is probably not the best place to start. It is a relatively short book, but requires intensive reading. How does Idries Shah manage to convey so much and with such clarity through the use of so few words? It is probably not an exaggeration to say that no word is wasted. His control of English is masterful. I suspect his freedom from the urge to impress people, or to evangelise, also helps. ‘Sufis hold that there is all the difference in the world between ambition commanding you and you commanding it.’

There is something else which Shah achieves in this book, which is unexpected because (as far as I am aware) it is found nowhere else in Western literature. The book illustrates contentions made in it. An example involves discontinuities. ‘The Sufi use of discontinuities makes it possible for people to derive as much enjoyment from something which they have seen or heard before, as from something completely new to them’.

Information and illustration are found in ‘Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study’, but both of these are secondary according to Shah. ‘Sufi literature, exercises, contentions and so on are not ever to be regarded primarily as informational or illustrative. They are instructional and that is that’.

[Stuart Bathgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

As its subtitle says, Neglected Aspects Of Sufi Study is "a book that provides a succinct and informative overview of Sufi practice". Based on lectures given by Shah in 1976, it has a calm and conversational style that gently explains some of the common mistakes we make when trying to approach Sufism. It's one of more than 30 books written by Shah, and, while a complete text in itself, is perhaps best read along with at least some of his other works.

Contrary to what some people in the West regard as the obscurantism of esoteric studies, Neglected Aspects is a down-to-earth and very commonsensical work. It's short - under 100 pages - but covers a pretty wide range of subjects. Among the many listed on the (unnumbered) contents page at the start: The difference between studying ABOUT Sufism and IN Sufism; the Immature Self; Eastern ideas in Western settings; conditioning, anxiety, impatience. Read it patiently and some of its insights will steadily seep into you.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study.
If you don’t want to be a knitter of string shopping bags, read this. Where knitting shopping bags is proceeded by ‘unpicking’ a carpet and using the materials to knit the shopping bag. Here is a quote:
‘Were it otherwise than that Sufi development is experience you would be able to get all your knowledge from books as with other aspects of human study where exemplars demonstrators, practitioners and living teachers are not needed. There would be very little need for ‘live’ lectures, and people could read papers or hear talks through recordings or the printed word alone .'Another quote: ‘The repertoire of Sufi tales and their content and versatility are almost infinite: Sufi knowledge can be furthered and traditionally as at present is furthered by the application of impacts. Here tales and encounters merge. Sometimes this takes the form of introducing incongruities which make the individual think or make his mind work in another sharper clearer fashion. Sometimes it is necessary to redeem the jaded awareness first.'
A Treasure House of a book.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short book, based on University lectures that Shah gave. Sufi knowledge is not an academic subject that can be pursued purely through books, yet Shah has published more than 20 books on Sufism. So what are these books for? This book helps us understand the answer. One way is by taking verses from some of the classical Persian poets (who were all Sufis) and showing how their meaning goes beyond a verbal assent into an actual interaction in the world.

[Leonard Robichaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a small book, but it is very densely packed. It covers quite a lot of ground, like the essential distinction between studying about Sufism versus studying in Sufism, the interpretation of poetry, the reason why there are so many different Sufi schools and practices, and so on. All these seemingly varied topics provide a necessary orientation for the student.

The book concludes with encouraging words for all would-be Sufis:

"Long studies are sometimes needed before the seeker becomes a Sufi. But if Sufi teaching systems are generous in supplying materials, they are parsimonious in one sense. At the end of the day the development of Sufic understanding makes real the effect of all that has gone before...everything fits into place. So finely is the economy of this teaching balanced that people are sure to benefit from what efforts have been expended. But if these efforts are not properly carried out, others, not the person who makes them, will be the beneficiaries."

If we want to ensure that our efforts are properly carried out, we would be well-advised to read books like this one.

[John Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-knitted series of lectures is another piece of the puzzle in eroding some of our deeper assumptions that stand in the way of real learning. Short and well worth reading.

[artu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only problem one would have with this book is that it's short!
But, as such I've managed to read it twice. Patient and deep reading needed to grasp it fully.
Brilliant little book.

[Neil Ruggles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study is based on some of Idries Shah’s university lectures about the nature of Sufi knowledge and how Sufis communicate that knowledge to others.

The book may appear to be an interesting intellectual discourse on Sufism. It is actually a teaching tool that applies Sufi teaching methods to the topics discussed.

One topic, for example, addresses how hidden assumptions interfere with understanding Sufism. Scholars imagine their standard methods of study apply to Sufism, and fail to realize that they inevitably focus on fragments of knowledge. Potential students imagine they can “buy” Sufi learning as they might buy a car or choose a college. Religious enthusiasts imagine that random tidbits of historical Sufi practice present a full course meal.

If Shah merely pointed out the danger of hidden assumptions, it would be worthwhile, but would not be Sufi teaching. Shah further demonstrates how these assumptions play a broader role in propagating Sufi knowledge.

For example, Shah notes that assumptions lead people away from Sufi knowledge, yet often lead people into activities and groups that they find satisfying. Shah does not criticize people for choosing such activities or groups, noting that such satisfactions are important for the people involved. He points out the surprising truth that such alternate activities actually help advance Sufism by filtering out the people who not yet ready to study Sufism. While discussing these matters, Shah makes no effort to persuade the reader that Sufism is “worth” studying. Instead, he points out that discussions about the “worth” of an activity involve a hidden consumer mentality that blocks learning.

By weaving these multiple perspectives into the discussion about how assumptions limit access to Sufism, this book opens the reader’s mind to new ways of thinking. Shah notes in other books that flexibility of mind is a precondition for studying Sufism.

Another section of the book describes the path that knowledge follows, from its introduction into a community by an “enlightened” individual to it’s eventual stabilization as one or more cults after that person dies. This discussion by itself will surely interest most readers. But a deeper lesson emerges when Shah connects the process of knowledge decay with the more familiar organic processes of growth, decay, and composting. This guides the reader toward the larger understanding that knowledge, like everything else in this world, decays.

The phrase “Neglected Aspects” in this book’s title surely refers to the fact that even serious Sufi students may focus on immediate meanings and overlook the broader contextual implications of their study.

Read this book and discover new ways to think about knowledge and how it interacts with the world.

[Toni]

Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study.
If you don’t want to be a knitter of string shopping bags, read this. Where knitting shopping bags is proceeded by ‘unpicking’ a carpet and using the materials to knit the shopping bag. Here is a quote:
‘Were it otherwise than that Sufi development is experience you would be able to get all your knowledge from books as with other aspects of human study where exemplars demonstrators, practitioners and living teachers are not needed. There would be very little need for ‘live’ lectures, and people could read papers or hear talks through recordings or the printed word alone. 'Another quote :‘The repertoire of Sufi tales and their content and versatility are almost infinite: Sufi knowledge can be furthered and traditionally as at present is furthered by the application of impacts. Here tales and encounters merge. Sometimes this takes the form of introducing incongruities which make the individual think or make his mind work in another sharper clearer fashion. Sometimes it is necessary to redeem the jaded awareness first. 'A Treasure House of a book.

[Ulrika Eriksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baserad på föreläsningar på New School for Social Research i New York 1976. Om böckernas instrumentella, instruktiva funktion. Hur det ofta är en vanemässig oro som för en till Sufism och att samma oro omgående ska arbetas bort. Åsnan som för en fram till porten måste ställas av vid inträde. De basala psyko-sociala behoven måste tillfredställas på annat håll. ”Undervisningen” ställs in och anpassas för sin tid något som Ibn el Arabi behandlat mycket. Om du tror något är sant så vill du inte tänka, vara eller göra något som motsätter sig din sanning. Observera detta hos dig själv, hos andra och i böcker för flexiblare tänkesätt. Det är inte de mest bullersamma och färgstarka sakerna i vår tid, kultur och framtid som är signifikanta vilket är en vanlig föreställning i väst. Att exponera sig för så många verkliga sufier, självinbillade sufier liksom för charlataner rekommenderas