Deepening Sufism

Here you can follow Sufism beyond introductory accounts. The collection brings together source texts, doctrinal ideas, prophetic lives and the teaching of spiritual masters. It reflects a tradition carried through books, commentaries and practice, and invites readers to place concepts in their historical and religious setting. Some arrive with a question; others want to meet the figures and writings that have shaped Sufi thought.

The series on the life of the Prophet Muhammad offers a historical and spiritual reading. In the wisdoms you will find the Hikam of Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah and commentaries on them. The pages on East and West examine books, encounters and debates that have influenced how Sufism has been understood beyond the Muslim world.

There are also poems, book reviews and studies of ideas such as barzakh and adab. Each article follows its own line of inquiry, while the links help you move from a source to its commentary or from a historical figure to their teaching. Browse the themes below, or begin with an author or question that has caught your attention.

Browse by theme

All62Initiation and realisation11Prophets and saints19East and West20Arts and poetry4Wisdom5Book reviews3

62 texts

Initiation and realisation

11 textsSee all →

"I thought the Sufi saints had only lived in ancient times""Spirituality as a reminder of the essential, in forms proper to each epoch""Wisdom, or the recognition of Love as the ultimate goal to be attained"À propos du barzakhOn the barzakh (1/3): the isthmus between the two seasÀ propos du barzakhOn the barzakh (2/3): the shahada, the doctrinal barzakhÀ propos du barzakhOn the barzakh (3/3): fear and hope according to QushayriSufism in daily life: living the universal in the ordinary worldThe allusive science (ishara), by KalabadhiL'autorisation divine (idhn)The divine authorisation (idhn): transmission and degrees (1/2)L'autorisation divine (idhn)The divine authorisation (idhn): transmission and Qur'anic sources (2/2)The heart of the path: the spiritual guide and the transmission of the secret… 5 moreInitiation and realisation

Prophets and saints

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On the Seal of the Saints (Khatm al-awliya')Royal offerings at the sanctuary of Moulay 'Abd al-Salam ibn MashishSalman the Persian, or the quest for the perfect masterLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (1/11): the Hashemite lineageLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (10/11): the expeditions (maghazi)La vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (11/11): the conquest of Mecca and the death of the ProphetLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (2/11): early childhoodLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (3/11): marriage and maturityLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (4/11): the RevelationLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (5/11): the Night JourneyLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (6/11): the emigration (Hegira)La vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (7/11): the settling at MedinaLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (8/11): the Prophet's HouseLa vie du ProphèteThe life of the Prophet Muhammad (9/11): the jihad of the ProphetLes épreuves prophétiquesThe prophetic trials (2/2): the maturing of soulsThe saints of Islam, sons of the Prophet: Muhammadan holinessLes épreuves prophétiquesThe trials of the prophets (1/2): the crucible of the chosen oneThe veils of separation are lifted, a poem by 'Abd al-Rahman al-ShaghuriThe zawiyas of Fes in the topography of the sacred… 13 moreProphets and saints

East and West

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Approche symbolique du CoranA symbolic approach to the Qur'an (1/3): parables and hidden meaningApproche symbolique du CoranA symbolic approach to the Qur'an (2/3): the inner dispositionApproche symbolique du CoranA symbolic approach to the Qur'an (3/3): the Guarded Tablet and the signs of the worldArnaud Desjardins among the Sufis of AfghanistanCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (1): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (2): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (3): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (4): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (5): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (6): unpublished letters of René GuénonCorrespondance Le Caire — Amiens (lettres de René Guénon)Correspondence Cairo-Amiens (7): unpublished letters of René GuénonEast and West: Sufism as a bridgeEva de Vitray-Meyerovitch: the other face of IslamEva in her own words: the dream of the tomb and the sama' of KonyaHagia Sophia: light, memory and the preservation of the sacredIn the company of Shaykh Abd al-Wahid Yahia: three testimonies on René GuénonMartin Lings, or the apology of the religion of the heartNeither East nor West: going beyond the oppositionSufism and the third millennium, by Larbi RahimSufism in contemporary society: an interview with Faouzi Skali (2000)… 14 moreEast and West

Arts and poetry

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Ghani Alani: calligraphy as an initiatic pathO Latif: a poem by 'Abd al-Qadir al-JilaniThe Burda: Imam al-Busiri's qasida in praise of the ProphetThe symbolism of the Arabic letters: the name of Allah as creation

Wisdom

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Les Hikam d'Ibn 'Atâ' Allâh (commentaire d'Ibn 'Ajîba)Hikam no. 1: not counting on one's works (Ibn 'Ata' Allah, commentary by Ibn 'Ajiba)Spiritual courtesy (adab) in the believers' relationship to the Prophet of GodThe Hikam of Ibn 'Ata' Allah, commented by Ibn 'AjibaTraits of Sufi humour: Shibli, Kharaqani and the othersWisdom of Ibn 'Ata' Allah al-Iskandari: invocation without the heart's presence

Book reviews

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Le soufisme en Europe, by Francesco Piraino: a reviewThe Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times, by René Guénon: a presentationWisdom and Jests of Joha, by Faouzi Skali: 70 spiritual tales