The Pure Intention :
On Knowledge of the Unique Name, New,
"Al-Qasd al-Mujarrad fi Ma‘rifat al-Ism al-Mufrad"
*[A5] Paperback - 96 pages,
by Shaykh ibn AtaAllah al-Sikandri [d.709h],
Translated by Khalid Williams,
Published by the Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge.

Description :


This is the first ever translation into English of a treatise written by one of the most celebrated figures in the history of Sufism, the Egyptian Sufi master Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari, may Allah have mercy upon him. ~


In Pure Intention: on Knowledge of the Unique Name (al-Qasd al-Mujarrad fi Ma‘rifat al-Ism al-Mufrad) the author presents us with a supreme essay on the doctrine of Divine Oneness or tawhid and the Unique Name Allah which is the Name of the Divine Essence.


The treatise itself is divided into two parts. In Part One, Ibn Ata Allah discusses the Name Allah from three perspectives: that of language, that of wisdom and that of gnosis; here, he also explains the differences between the Divine Names, Qualities and the Name Allah.


With Part Two, the author turns to the role of invocation, both in general and of the Name Allah specifically. Ibn Ata Allah gives detailed arguments for how emulating the Qualities of God as expressed in His Names and invoking His Supreme Name with awareness of its meaning, can cleanse the heart and fill it with tawhid until it becomes a worthy abode for God. As the sacred tradition says: ‘Neither My Throne nor My Footstool can contain Me, but the heart of My servant can.’




Abu al-Fadl Ibn 'Ata' allah al-Iskandari (d.709), may Allah be pleased with him.

Ibn Ata' illah al-Iskandari, rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayhi, was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He was one of the great Sufi Imams who was also known as a muhaddith, preacher, and Maliki jurist. He is the author of 'al-Hikam' (Aphorisms), 'Miftah al-falah' (The Key to Success), 'al-Qasd al-mujarrad fi ma'rifat al-ism al-mufrad' (The Pure Goal Concerning Knowledge of the Unique Name), amongst others.


This pious and extraordinary contemplative figure left behind a spiritual legacy no less impressive than those of his own beloved Shaykh, and the eminent founder Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan ash-Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him. All the biographers refer to Ibn 'Ata illah with illustrious titles and reverence and mention how marvellously he spoke and how uplifting his words were. In spite of the fact that he followed the Maliki madhbab, the Shafi'is laid claim to him, most probably because some of his earlier teachers had been Shafi'i scholars, not to mention some of his students.Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari (d. 709/1309) was a renowned Sufi master in the Shadhili order and one of the great authorities on Sufism in the thirteenth century.




The translator Khalid Williams was born in the UK in 1983. He graduated from Leeds University in 2006 with a BA in Arabic Studies, and moved to Morocco to teach and further his studies in the traditional Islamic disciplines. He began working in translation in 2009, with an emphasis on Islamic Studies and Sufism. He is also the author of The Qur’an and the Prophet in the Writings of Shaykh Ahmad Al-Alawi (Islamic Texts Society, 2014).







More Ibn Ata'Allah al-Iskandari Books,
More books on Tawhid,
More Shadhiliyya Books,
More books on Sufism (tasawwuf).

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*Dimensions :  23.4 x 15.6cm.