Al-Risala al-Qushayriya : English

Sufi Book of Spiritual Ascent :
Al-Risala al-Qushayriya,
[A5] Paperback - 375 pages, 4th Edition,
by Imam Abu 'l-Qasim al-Qushayri [d.465h],
Abridged translation by Rabia Harris,
Edited by Laleh Bakhtiar, 
Published by Kazi Publications, Chicago.
 

Description :


Imam al-Qushayri's Risala on Sufism has served as a primary textbook for many generations of Sufi novices down to the present. It gives us an illuminating insight into the everyday lives of Sufi devotees of the eighth-eleventh centuries C.E. and the moral and ethical dilemmas they were facing in trying to strike a delicate balance between their ascetic and mystical convictions and the exigencies of life in a society governed by rank, wealth, and military power.


Al-Risala al-Qushayriya : This is a Sufi book of the highest order where the spiritual ascent is opened for the reader through quotations from the Qur'an al-karim, aHadith and sayings of early Sufi's --- a must for all aspirers, of the greatest works of the early Sufi's-- this work teaches ;


                        ' The spiritual warrior (fata) is he who breaks an idol;
                          and the idol of each person is his ego.'  


This particular book is recommended for all background levels of Muslims & non-Muslims. It has been translated into simple language and speaks directly without difficult and couched meanings.

Imam Abu'l Qasim al-Qushayri, may Allah be pleased with him, was the student of the leading sufi scholar of the time; Shaykh Abu `Ali al-Daqqaq, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Qushayri, was a muhaddith [master of aHadith] who transmitted hadith to pupils by the thousands in Naysabur, in which he fought the Mu`tazila until he flew to Makkah to protect his life. He was also a mufassir who wrote a complete commentary of the Qur'an entitled Lata'if al-isharat bi tafsir al-Qur'an (The subtleties and allusions in the commentary of the Qur'an). Al-Qushayri, may Allah be pleased with him, was born in 986 CE in the province of Khurasan, the richest centre of eastern Islamic civilisation.  

Table of Contents :

---Translators Introduction,
------Al-Qushayri's Spiritual Enviroment,
------Al-Qushayri and the Seljuks,
------The Manuals,
------The Social Impact of the Sufis,
---Notes to Translator's Introduction,
 

---[1]. On Repentance (tawba),
---[2]. On Striving (mujahada),
---[3]. On Retreat and Seclusion, (khalwa),
---[4]. On God-Wariness (taqwa),
---[5]. On Abstaining (wara),
---[6]. On Renunciation (zuhd),
---[7]. On Silence (samt),
---[8]. On Fear (khawf),
---[9]. On Hope (raja),
---[10]. On Sorrow (huzn),
---[11]. On Hunger and the Abandonment of Lust (ju and tark al-shahwa),
---[12]. On Humility and Submissiveness (khushu and tawadu),
---[13]. On Opposing the Ego and Remembering Its Faults (mukhalafat al-nafs and dhikr uyubiha),
---[14]. On Envy (hasad),
---[15]. On Backbiting (ghiba),
---[16]. On Contentement (qanaa),
---[17]. On Trust in God (tawakkul),
---[18]. On Thankfulness (shukr),
---[19]. On Certainty (yaqin),
---[20]. On Patience (sabr),
---[21]. On Vigilance (muraqaba),
---[22]. On Satisfaction (rida),
---[23]. On Servanthood (ubudiyya),
---[24]. On Will Power (irada),
---[25]. On Steadfastness (istiqma),
---[26]. On Sincerity (ikhlas),
---[27]. On Truthfulness (sidq),
---[28]. On Shame (haya),
---[29]. On Freedom (hurriya),
---[30]. On Remembrance (dhikr),
---[31]. On Spiritual Chivalry (futuwwa),
---[32]. On Spiritual Insight (firasa),
---[33]. On Moral Character (khuluq),
---[34]. On Bountifulness and Generousity (jud and sakha),
---[35]. On Jealousy (ghayra),
---[36]. On Sainthood (wilaya),
---[37]. On Supplication (du'a),
---[38]. On Spiritual Poverty (faqr),
---[39]. On Sufism (tasawwuf),
---[40]. On Model Behaviour (adab),
---[41]. On Gnosis (marifa billah),
---[42]. On Love (mahhaba),
---[43]. On Longing (shawq).

---Selected Bibliography,
---Index.

More on Tasawwuf : Sufism.

Dimensions : 21.6 x 14.2cm.