Studies in Islamic Mysticism (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt From Studies In Islamic Mysticism As Was Explained In The Preface To My Studies In Islamic Poetry, The Following Essays Conclude A Series Of Five, Which Fall Into Two Groups And Are Therefore Published In Separate Volumes. While Mysticism, Save For A Few Casual References, Found No Place In The Studieson The LubaBa LA LbaB Of Awfi And The LuzzimzYyaT Of Abu LAla AlMaArri, In These Now Brought Together It Has Taken Entire Possession Of The Field. Ibnu L F Arid, Indeed, Is An Exquisite Poet; And The Picture Of Abu SaId Ibn Abi LKhayr, Drawn By Pious Faith And Coloured With Legendary Romance, May Be Looked Upon As A Work Of Art In Its Way. But On The Whole The Literary Interest Of The Present Volume Is Subordinate To The Religious And Philosophical. I Have Tried To Make The Reader Acquainted With Three Sufis Famous In The East And Worthy Of Being Known In Europe. Most Of What Has Hitherto Been Written Concerning Abu SaId Begins And Ends With The Quatrains Passing As His, Though (For The Chief Part, At Any Rate) They Were Neither Composed Nor Recited By Him. As To Jili, The Masterly Sketch In Dr Muhammad IqbalS Development Of Metaphysics In Persia Stands Almost Alone. Ibnu LFarid Had The Misfortune To Be Translated By Von Hammer, And The First Intelligent Or Intelligible Version Of His Great TdZYya Appeared In Italy Four Years Ago. It Will Be Seen That The Subjects Chosen Illustrate, Different Aspects Of SiIfism And Exhibit Racial Contrasts, Of Which Perhaps The Importance Has Not Yet Been Sufficiently Recognised. Ab11 SaId, The FreeThinking FreeLiving Dervish, Is A Persian Through And Through, While Ibnu LFarid In The Form Of His Poetry As Well As In The Individuality Of His Spiritual Enthusiasm Displays The Narrower And Tenser Genius Of The Semite. Nearly A Third Of This Volume Is Concerned With A Type Of Sfifism, Whichas Represented By Ibnu L Arabi And Ji Possesses Great Interest For Students Of Medieval Thought And May