Sufism and Islam

by Nuh Ha Mim Keller

Many Muslims look into their hearts today and find a spiritual emptiness. Speeches abound, but when the chairs are folded up and people go home, they find their prayers and inner life as dry as ever. Something is clearly missing. This essay shows that at the centre of the Islamic revelation, there is a brilliant light that has never been put out, but in our time has been covered over by the bushel-basket of modernist and Muslim-reform literature. It proves from the Qur'an and sunna that from the very beginning of Islam, there has been a fully orthodox and operational science for increasing the impetus and intensity of one's relationship with the Divine, a traditional spirituality that is today called 'Sufism', in all previous Islamic eras was simple known and practised as 'the way to Allah'. It discusses critics of Sufism, ancient and modern, and shows that if the false coin has sometimes circulated among Muslims, the real thing is the brightest hope Islam has to offer a world benighted by nihilism and materialism.

Genres: Islam, Religion

Paperback

First published October 11, 2002

About the author

Nuh Ha Mim Keller (born 1954) is an American Muslim translator of Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic law, as well as being authorised by Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri as a sheikh in sufism in the Shadhili Order. He is one of the foremost Muslim theologians and experts on Sufism in the West. Keller was born in 1954 in the Northwestern United States. He studied philosophy and Arabic at the University of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, and the University of California, Los Angeles, located in Los Angeles, California. Keller converted to Islam from Christianity in 1977.

His English translation of Umdat al-Salik (Reliance of the Traveller) was the first Islamic legal work in a European language to receive the certification of Al-Azhar University. This translation has led to this work becoming influential among Western Muslims. In addition to his authorization to be a spiritual guide, Nuh Ha Mim Keller possesses ijazas, or "certificates of authorisation", in Islamic jurisprudence from scholars in Syria and Jordan.

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since my conversion, I’ve been wary of Sufism. It receives much negative press on social media & I always felt it was maybe a little too close to the Catholic ways that I had left behind me.

Despite my partial athari/salafi leanings, I still feel the need to let every side speak for themselves, I have to be true to myself & stick to my process, as this is what led me to Islam in the first place. My brother recommended this book (and indeed it was his book I borrowed, with the book now apparently out of print.)

I must admit, I found the book extremely balanced & a fantastic, educational read (especially considering that the book was only 30 pages or so.) As the author says, most scholars of the past who have had negative things to say about Sufism have usually not had an issue with actual Sufism, but rather certain practitioners of Sufism.

I would recommend this book to those who are athari/salafi leaning like myself. This book has not moved my position, rather it has shown me that much of what Sufism teaches most definitely falls within the athari/salafi areas as well.

[Sanaa Mehboob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly everything you need to know about basic of sufism...loved reading it.