Download or read book Divan of Abdullah Ansari written by Abdullah Ansari and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-03-07 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DIVAN OF ABDULLAH ANSARI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith One of the greatest of the early mystical (Sufi) poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari... who passed from this world 1089 in Heart, now in Afghanistan, was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat (much here translated) among many works in Persian and in Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works and he composed three Divans in which his ghazals are in the majority. Here is a fine selection of them all and a qasida. Prayers, Sayings & Adice are also here with the largest selection of his poetry in English ever translated. The correct rhyme-structures have been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems. This is the largest translation of his poems into English. Introduction: The Life and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry; The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i; Ghazal and the Qasida, Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 307 pages COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Bedil, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Iqbal, Ghalib Jigar, Seemab, Baba Farid, Abu Nuwas Ibn 'Arabi and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Download or read book Abdullah Ansari of Herat 1006 1089 Ce written by A. G. Ravan Farhadi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-16 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consisting of a bibliographical account of this early Sufi master's childhood, youth, and years as a teacher and spiritual leader, as well as of translations of a selection from his books and treatises, this work traces the life and teachings of Abdullah Ansari - from poverty and destitution as a boy, by way of furious arguments with scholars advocating a more rationalistic approach to their faith, to his final pronouncements on the path of Love and Union.

Download or read book The Book of Ansari written by Ansari and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-01-21 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE BOOK OF ANSARI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith One of the greatest mystical poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari... who passed from this world 1089 in Herat now in Afghanistan was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat among many works in Persian and Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works and he composed three Divans in which his ghazals are in the majority. Here is a fine selection of them and a qasida. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems. This is the largest translation of his poems into English. Introduction: The Life and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry; The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i; Ghazal and the Qasida, Selected Bibliography... Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 236 pages COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Bedil, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Iqbal, Ghalib and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Download or read book POEMS OF ABDULLAH ANSARI Sufi Pocketbook Series written by Paul Smith and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-18 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: POEMS OF ABDULLAH ANSARI Sufi Pocketbook Series Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. One of the greatest mystical poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari... who passed from this world 1089 in Herat now in Afghanistan was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat among many works in Persian and Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works and he composed three Divans in which his ghazals are in the majority. Here is a fine selection of them and his prayers and sayings & advice. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems. Introduction: The Life, Times and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry; The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i and Ghazal, Selected Bibliography. Pocketbook Paperback Paperback 5" x 8" 264 pages. Comments on Paul Smith's Translation of Hafiz's 'Divan'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Bedil, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Lalla Ded, Iqbal, Ghalib, Rahman Baba, Nazir Akbarabadi, and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

Download or read book Ansari written by Paul Smith and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-05-07 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ANSARI Life & Poems Translation & Introduction Paul SmithOne of the greatest mystical poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari… who passed from this world 1089 in Herat in Afghanistan was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat among many works in Persian and Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works and he composed three Divans in which his ghazals are in the majority. Here is a fine selection of them and a qasida. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems in the form of ruba'is, ghazals and a qasida. Introduction: The Life and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry; The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i; Ghazal and the Qasida, Selected Bibliography… Introduction to Sufi Poets Series. 90 pagesCOMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.“I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. “Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 150 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Bedil, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.

Download or read book Ruba iyat of Ansari written by Ansari and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-11-24 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: **RUBA'IYAT OF ANSARI**Translation & Introduction by Paul SmithOne of the greatest mystical poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari… who passed from this world 1089 in Herat was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat among many works in Persian and Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems. This is the largest translation of his ruba'is into English. Introduction includes: The Life and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the meaning of these beautiful, enlightened poems. 182 pagesCOMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all and I will lay down my head at his feet out of respect.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“I have never seen such a good translation and I would like to write a book in Farsi and introduce his Introduction to Iranians.” B. Khorramshai, Academy of Philosophy, Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages… including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and 12 screenplays.

Download or read book Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum written by Charles Rieu and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ansari written by Paul Smith and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-09-07 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ***ANSARI*** SELECTED POEMSTranslation & Introduction Paul SmithOne of the greatest mystical poets and Perfect Masters of all time, Abdullah Ansari… who passed from this world 1089 in Heart 9f Afghanistan was most famous for his biographical dictionary on saints and Sufi masters and his much loved collection of inspiring prayers, the Munajat among many works in Persian and Arabic. His ruba'is appear throughout his works and he composed three Divans in which his ghazals are in the majority. Here is a fine selection of them and a qasida. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, mystical poems. This is the largest translation of his poems into English. Introduction: The Life and Works of Ansari, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry; The Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i; Ghazal and the Qasida, Selected Bibliography… 156 pagesCOMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.“I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. “Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Bedil, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com

Download or read book Supplement to the Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum written by British Museum. Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ecotheology and Love written by Bahar Davary and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-06-01 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Ecotheology and Love: The Converging Poetics of Sohrab Sepehri and James Baldwin, Bahar Davary points to the interrelation of religion, poetry, and ecology from a comparative perspective with an emphasis on decoloniality. This work shows how authors Sohrab Seperhi and James Baldwin sought social justice by building their work on love and an authentic way of knowing the world based on an interconnected knowledge of the self. The layers of depth in Sepehri and Baldwin’s works and their immediacy for our time has yet to be fully understood, but through Ecotheology and Love, Davary takes a significant step towards achieving such a fuller understanding.

Download or read book The Winds Of Grace written by and published by SCB Distributors. This book was released on 2020-01-01 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing from the finest and most authentic texts available in the original Persian/Farsi language, Vraje Abramian offers this extensive collection of stories, teachings and poetry from both major and unknown saints and mystics in the Sufi tradition. Winds of Grace is a fresh and extensive collection that will both instruct and encourage individuals on the path of love and transformation. Readers today need such roadmaps of sanity and wisdom, pointing the way through life’s obstacles and detours. Indeed, reading the works of saints and sages serves as a GPS for today’s wayfarer. The reader will find selections from today’s most well recognized and highly acknowledged Masters, like Rumi and Hafiz, as well as hidden saints such as Sheikh Biabanaki and Sheikh Ali Mesri. More uniquely, however, this book also introduces us to teachings and anecdotes of the obscure hermit, the “mad” but unknown dervish, the crazy, naked ascetic. Whether the mainstream punished, tolerated or ignored these crazy-wise people, those who knew something about the pain they spoke of venerated them as saints. Centuries ago, many of these voices offered a shock to his or her contemporaries, jarring them from the complacency that makes automatons of human beings. Other voices contained a paradoxical twist on the religious life or practice of the times, yet were soaked with an age-old wisdom that is still vital to spiritual practitioners today. The translator and editor Vraje Abramian advises readers that these secret sages often had to protect themselves from the powers-that-be in their society, and therefore cloaked their messages in words that only disciples and initiates or those with a vulnerable mind and open heart, could actually decipher. He further reminds us that the language adopted by Sufi teachers was designed to break the habits that normally deaden our sensitivities. Abramian has therefore selected pieces that remind us to wake up, to take stock, to continue carefully observing ourselves. And, by vigilant sequencing of topics, his book gently guides readers toward the essence-truths or core-teachings of these wise ones. The translator is uniquely qualified to make this offering to religious studies today. As an Iranian by birth, a lifelong practitioner of spiritual disciplines and an accomplished teacher of English, his renderings are characterized by academic authority, poetic word-craft, and spiritual wisdom.

Download or read book The Soul and a Loaf of Bread written by and published by SCB Distributors. This book was released on 2014-11-30 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains new translations of over 100 short statements of Sufic wisdom from Sheikh Abol-Hasan of Kharaqhan (died 1034), a "Sufis' Sufi." He is not known as well or as widely as some of the great Muslim saints from Khorasan-Attar, Rumi, or Bahaoddin Naqhshband. But, this near anonymity was deliberate, according to the Sheikh's wish when he lived. Despite being a hidden saint, his spiritual affinity and grace are still very much acknowledged among the living Sufi circles across Iran and in the region. Even today, a steady stream of dervish pilgrims visits his tomb in Iran. His enduring presence is still potent among those whose aim in life is to attain higher knowledge and refinement of the heart. Sheikh Abol-Hasan Kharaqani said: ...whoever knocks on this door feed him and ask not of his faith for if he deserved a Soul from his Creator, he certainly deserves a loaf of bread from Abol-Hasan. In this collection, Sheikh Kharaqani's statements-collected and recorded centuries ago by his companions-have been rendered into English for the international reader. The contemplation of mystics' sayings, be it a thousand years later and in an "alien" language, is one way to cross paths with the truths they present. Time and place have no hold in the domain of the heart, from where these teachings originate. To best appreciate these secrets today, readers need a longing heart, earnestly seeking for the heritage that we humans, enmeshed in the grossness of material existence, so easily forget. ... whoever finds the Beloved, does not remain, those who find the Beloved, do not die... Mystics say that if the fog of mind (ego) lifts but for a split second, one experiences the presence directly and remembers that peace which "surpasseth all understanding." Those who go through this experience may become troubadours of the Divine and sing of the unspeakable glory they witness. Or, they may choose lives of quiet contemplation and service; Sheikh Abol-Hasan Kharaqani was one such character.

Download or read book The Ideas of Wahdat Al Wuj d in the Poetry of C Abd Al Q dir B dil Persian Ibrahim Hakki Erzurumlu Ottoman Turkish and Hamzah Fansuri Malay written by Haji-Mohamad Bohari Haji-Ahmad and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Anvari s Divan written by Annemarie Schimmel and published by Metropolitan Museum of Art. This book was released on 1983 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifteen jewel-like miniature paintings--with enlarged details--and thirteen pages of exquisitely calligraphed poetry are reproduced here from a diminutive manuscript commissioned by Akbar the Great, the third Mughal emperor of India. The manuscript, which measures on 5 1/2 by 2 7/8 inches, was made in 1588, the thirty-third year of Akbar's reign, when the emperor was at the height of his power. The tiny paintings are the work of Akbar's court artists, many of whom were trained by Persian artists brought to India by Humayun, Akbar's father. A brilliant blend of Persian and Indian influences marks the work of these Mughal painters; the miniatures combine extreme delicacy of line with intense colors and complex compositions--some of which demonstrate the artists' understanding of the European concept of perspective. The various small paintings convey the whimsy, vigor, and lyrical quality of the poems they illustrate. The poems are by Auhaduddin Anvari, the greatest Persian panegyrist of the twelfth century. In her commentary on the poems and in her essay on Anvari's work and life, Annemarie Schimmel, the Museum's special consultant for Islamic art, offers insights into Anvari's complex and sometimes caustic works and gives new translations of many of the poems. Stuart Cary Welch, special consultant in charge of the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan, has written an engaging account of Akbar's life and times that includes a history of the Mughal dynasty and of the court ateliers where this delightful Dīvān was produced. -- Inside jacket flaps.

Download or read book Rumi and Islam written by and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-07-21 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the richness of Rumi’s spiritual tradition—through facing-page commentary that brings his writings to life for you. "This book you are now holding is a selection of what I believe are the best of Rumi’s accounts of the compassionate actions, sayings, and qualities of the Prophet, which include Rumi’s own inspired comments and explanations. It is my hope that you will be surprised and uplifted by the profound wisdom that Jalaluddin Rumi conveys through these stories and sayings." —from the Preface This great Sufi poet and teacher can become a companion for your own spiritual journey. The lyric and wisdom poetry of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi has been an inspiration throughout the Middle East and Asia for over seven hundred years. Recently, it has also become popular in Western countries through translations and interpretive poetic versions in English. But while popular renderings have created the appreciation of Rumi the mystic, there is little understanding today of the religious and spiritual traditions from which the great mystic came. Rumi and Islam—Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses examines not the popularized Rumi of universal love but the Sufi disciple whose works express deep reverence for the Prophet Muhammad. Ibrahim Gamard focuses on Rumi’s place within the Sufi tradition of Islam, as one of the greatest Muslim followers of the Prophet Muhammed, and on the Islamic foundations of his lover-Beloved mystical poetry. By probing verse by verse Rumi’s spiritual teachings, Gamard provides insight into the mystical side of the Qur’an and Islam, a religion that holds a deep love of God at its core. Now you can experience the profound and uplifting wisdom of Rumi even if you have no previous knowledge of Sufism or Islam. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the most important of Rumi’s writings, mainly from the Mathnawi, with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that conveys how his teachings about the nature of love for God and God’s love for us can increase our understanding of Islamic wisdom in the West.

Download or read book Tu fah Yi Abb s written by Muḥammad ʻAlī Sabzvārī and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 2008 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is one of the oldest and most important sources written on the esoteric teachings of Islam from a Shi'ite perspective. It demonstrates the Qur'anic origins of Sufism and its close relationship with Shi'ism. The book is based mainly on the teachings of the Qur'an, Hadith narrations of Shi'ite Imams, and the teachings of earlier Sufi masters. In this lies the uniqueness, authenticity, and strength of the book. Tuhfah yi-' Abbasi is written in a typical prose style of the Safavid period and is replete with Arabic words and phrases. The difficulty and dryness of the style, however, is properly compensated by timely quotation of Prophetic traditions, narrations of the Shi'ite Imams, and Sufi poetry composed by 'Attar, Rumi, Hafiz, Mansur Hallaj, as well as the author. This work conveys a universal message for all human beings, particularly at a time when Sufism and Shi'ism are misrepresented by pseudo-Sufis and extremist Shi'ite, and misunderstood by many readers in the Muslim world and in the West.