The School of Celestial Fire : New,
'A Sufi Master Teaches'
relation to: Sheikh Abdullah Sirr-Dan al-Jamal Naqshbandi,
*[A5+] Large Paperback - 304 pages,
by John Lindsay,
The Sohbat Series, Beacon.
Now in Stock & Despatching,
Description :
Shaykh Abdullah Sirr-Dan al-Jamal, rahmatullahi ta'ala alayhi, who taught in London in the late 20th century, was almost unique among Sufis in being a Westerner who guided Western followers.
'People who judge by outward appearances are lost in a world of dreams.'
Written from his pupils’ own testimony, 'The School of Celestial Fire' not only presents something of his teaching as it was experienced by those who lived, and hopefully learned in his company. It also incorporates rare material by Sheikh Abdullah himself which indicates the vastness of the Sufi spiritual heritage – the inner jewel of Islam.
'You can ask me a thousand questions, and I can give you a thousand answers.
But you canot penetrate mysticism by learning from books or talking.'
The Sheikh makes plain that the goal of mystical training is not personal power. Rather it is, in his words, ‘a direct experience derived from feeling the love of God in practical terms through the pursuit of the spiritual science imparted by the master as knowledge of his energy and emulation of his actions and mode of life’. Such is the process described in this book.
The Author : John Lindsay was born in London in 1952 and educated in England. For many years he earned his living as an editor and writer in publishing and newspaper journalism in London and Australia. He met Sheikh Abdullah al-Jamal in 1977 and remaine dhis pupil until the sheikhs passing in 2000. He began work on the 'The School of Celestial Fire' in 2013.
Shaykh Abdullah Sirr Dan al Jamal was a Sufi Master of the Naqshbandi Order. Born John Ross, to an aristocratic Scottish family, he was given the best of English educations. A remarkable man by anyone’s definition, he was a successful businessman, war hero, senior civil servant and patron of the arts. Whilst refining his mastery of this world, he combined his natural spirituality with a sincere and concentrated study of Sufism, to become a Shaykh in the distinguished Naqshbandi Sufi Order.
Part of his uniqueness was, that whilst being a Sufi Master, he had a deep understanding of the ‘Western mind’ and Western mysticism. As Sufism was born in the East, this gave him the unique quality of being a master of the East and the West; of this world (the dunya) and the hereafter (the akhira) and of the two Sufi Wings – Islam (sharia) and The Sufi Way (tariqa).
Sheikh Abdullah gave talks and guidance to many students, with the majority of these being Westerners. Consequently, he has made a significant contribution to the emergence of Sufism in the West over the last 30 years. He was capable of leading a student to the centre of his or her being, if the student was ready.
He also loved the tradition of the Mevlevi Sufi order, founded by Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, which resulted in his training pupils in the ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes. Sheikh Abdullah did not write a book, as he said his murids were his book – his teachings live on in their hearts. Sheikh Abdullah was living in Australia when he was reunited with his Creator in 2000.
Table of Contents :
---Editorial Note.
---[1]. Prologue,
---[2]. Raw,
---[3]. Cooked,
---[4]. Burnt.
Nine Discourses :
---[1]. The Inner Jewel,
---[2]. The Journey to Redemption,
---[3]. The Central Knowledge,
---[4]. Three Stages in the Journey of Reality,
---[5]. Making Communication an Internal and External Process for Finding Reality,
---[6]. Our Neglected Pschological Heriatge,
---[7]. Letter of Advice to a Pupil (April 1996),
---[8]. On Dreams,
---[9]. Self Observation.
---To the Seeker.
*Dimensions 23.5 x 15.5cm.
