Sufi Sage of Arabia,*[A5] Paperback - 238 pages,
by Imam Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad [d.1132h]
Translated from Arabic by : Mostafa al-Badawi.
Foreword by Hamza Yusuf,
Published by Fons Vitae, USA.
Back in Stock November 2020,
Description :
This unique biography of the saint Imam Abdallah al-Haddad,
may Allah be pleased with him, takes readers into the fascinating world and spiritual life of 17th-and early 18th-century Yemen. The life of this great spiritual master—whose teachings and personal example continue to influence lives around the world—is examined, from his early attraction to Sufi poetry and visit to the tomb of the Prophet Hud - to his rise as a Sufi master and his Hajj journey to Makkah.
The biographical facts of Imam al-Haddad's life are interspersed with his spiritual teachings, including his take on the nine stages of certainty, the five investitures of
taqwa, the stages of gnosis, and supernatural events.
Sufi practitioners, historians, and anthropologists will come to a deeper understanding of this timeless and enduring tradition with this fascinating record of a seminal Sufi master’s life and death.
The Translator : Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi is a disciple in the Sufi order of Imam al-Haddad.
He is the author of the 'Fons Vitae' 'Imam al-Haddad Spiritual Masters
series.' Imam Abdallah al-Haddad,
may Allah be pleased with him, was a Sufi master in Yemen (Hadramount) in the 17th
and early 18th centuries.
Table of Contents :
---Foreword by Hamza Yusuf,
---Preface.
---Chapter [1]. Tarim;
------The descendants of the Prophet reach South Yemen,
------Spread of the Sunni
Shafi'i school,
------Civil strife in Hadramawt,
------Tarim becomes the capital of the
Sayyids,
------The
Haddad clan acquire their name - birth of the
Imam.
---Chapter [2]. The Young Seeker;
------Memorising the Quran,
------Beginnings on the Sufi path,
------The
Imam's childhood companions,
------The
Imam's masters,
------The
Khirqa or Sufi investiture,
------Influences from the unseen,
------Relationship with Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani,
radi Allahu anhu.
---Chapter [3]. Stations and States;
------The dense veils, ailments of the heart,
------The nine stations of certainty:
--------1. Repentance,
--------2. Fear,
--------3. Hope,
--------4. Patience,
--------5. Gratitude,
--------6. Detachment,
--------7. Reliance,
--------8. Love,
--------9. Contentment.
---Chapter [4] Structuring Time;
------Imam al-Ghazali on time,
------Invocations and other devotions,
------Teaching sessions,
------Visiting the tomb of Prophet Hud,
alayhi salam,
------Social activities and family affairs.
---Chapter [5] The Sufi;
------What is Sufism?
------Who is the Sufi? Union and separation,
------The five investitures of
taqwa,
------The different aspects of the Sufi.
---Chapter [6]. The Saint;
------What is sanctity? The Imam's behaviour toward his guests,
------Fluctuation of spiritual states between majesty and beauty,
------Divine protection of saints,
------The
baraka of the
Imam,
------Powerlessness before Divine omnipotence,
------The lights of sanctity,
------Dealings with the
jinn.
---Chapter [7]. The Gnostic;
------What is gnosis?
------Stages of gnosis : from perception of created beings, to that of the Divine acts, attributes, and essence,
------Certainty : knowledge, eye, and truth of certainty,
------Unveiling,
------Contemplation,
------Ascension.
---Chapter [8]. The Spiritual Master;
------Who is the spiritual master? Functions of the master,
------The two methods, that of the Drawn Near and that of the People of the Right Hand,
------Spiritual transmission,
------Protection of the disciple by the master,
------Circumspection,
------Reticence to reveal the secrets of the unseen,
------Attitude toward ibn 'Arabi and ibn al-Farid,
------Dangers of the path,
------Influence of the
Imam in other countries.
---Chapter [9]. The Scholar;
------Different kinds of Islamic sciences,
------Breadth of the
Imam's knowledge,
------Jurisprudence, which school?
------Teaching activities,
------The Pole of Guidance,
------Meticulous following of the
sunna,
------Definition of personal teaching role,
------The
Imam's books.
---Chapter [10]. Doctrinal Position;
------Following Imam al-Shafi'i in matters of sacred law and
Ash'ari in matters of
tawhid, ------The creed of Imam al-Haddad,
------The question of predestination,
------Points of divergence with the
Shi'a.
---Chapter [11]. Social Influence;
------Definition of the role of religious and political authorities,
------The
Imam's opinion on the main factors of instability in Muslim society,
------Degeneration of the times,
------The
Imam sets an example for virtuous social behaviour.
---Chapter [12]. The Pole,
------Who is the Pole? The Circle of Sainthood,
------Attributes of the Pole,
------Recognition by the other saints of the
Imam's supremacy.
---Chapter [13]. The
Hajj Journey;
------Predictions concerning the pilgrimage of the
Imam,
------Tyranny of the governor,
------Traveling to the
Hajj,
------Shaykh Husayn's hospitality,
------Rites of the pilgrimage,
------
Karamat in Makkah,
------Visit to Madina,
------Return to Makkah,
------Spiritual openings.
---Chapter [14]. Supernatural Events;
------What is a
karama?
------The
Imam's view on such happenings,
------Examples of supernatural events.
---Chapter [15]. The Last Days;
------The
Imam's prediction of the time of his own death,
------The first signs of illness,
------Receiving visitors during his terminal illness,
------Investiture of his disciple,
------Death of the
Imam,
------The funeral,
------Supernatural events following his death.
---Chapter [16]. The Succession;
------The
Imam's son al-Hasan and grandson Ahmad,
------Habib Tahir ibn 'Umar al-Haddad and his descendants,
------Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad,
------Successors from other
Ba-'Alawi clans.
More
Ba 'Alawiya Books,
More book of
Sufism.
*Dimensions : 22.8 x 15.3cm.