The Throne Carrier of God

 The Throne Carrier of God : The Life & Thought of Ala ad-Dawla Simnani  
Paperback - 255 pages,
by Jamal J. Elias.


Description :

This book constitutes a comprehensive investigation of the life and teachings of one of the most famous Sufis of the Iranian world. Shaykh Ala ad-Dawla Simnani, May Allah be pleased with him, [d.737h] spent his early life as a courtier at the Ilkhanid Mongol court and was a cherished companion of the emperor Arghun. After a mystical experience on the battlefield, he turned his back on a life of luxury and became a Sufi. He advanced rapidly in his spiritual quest and soon became one of the most influential Sufi masters in Iran.




Working primarily from the most reliable Arabic and Persian manuscripts of Simnani's writings, the author has analised  Simnani's thinking to show the overall coherence of his world-view and to demonstrate the importance of his ideas to the development of Islamic mysticism. Along with this analysis, the author provides a detailed account of Simnani's life and times, as well as a systematic description of Simnani's instructions for Sufi practioners of all levels.




 
"It is an investigation of the life and teachings of one of the most famous and influential Sufis of Iran. The most interesting parts for me are the outlines of Simnani's cosmology and psychology, topics that have been only touched upon by earlier writers. The biographical sections are of great interest given the rare detail that is available in the sources." --- William C. Chittick, State University of New York at Stony Brook.

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Shaykh Ala ad-Dawla al-Simnani, May Allah be pleased with him, is believed to have been influential upon his student Makhdoom Sayyad Ashraf Jahangir al-Simnani, May Allah be pleased with him, [d.807h], who is the Founder of the Ashrafiyya Silsila, and whose descendents (Khanwada-e-Ashrafiya) carry the spiritual torch of Ashraf in all corners of the globe today.