The Mystics of Islam

The title of this book sufficiently explains why it is included in a Series ‘ exemplifying the adventures and labours of individual seekers or groups of seekers in quest of reality.’ SufisnC-ihe—religions.„.phiLosophy of Islam, is described in thejoldeis_t_extant definlti6hIIa^ZliKeIZappriehensioBr-«f realities,J^_and Mohammedan—mystics—are f onH L of ._calling__thejnsebr£s — dhL^Jl/iqq, ‘ the followers of the Real.’ I n attempting to set forth their central doctrines from this point of view, I shall draw to some extent on materials which I have collected during the last twenty years for a general history of Islamic mysticism — a subject so vast and many-sided that several large volumes would be required to do it anything like justice. Here I can only sketch in broad outline certain principles, methods, and characteristic features of the inner life as it has been lived by Moslems of every class and conditio n f rom -the^eighth century_of—our -.era—to the present day. Difficult are the paths which they threaded, dark and bewildering the pathless heights beyond; but even if we may not hope to accompany the travellers to their journey’s end, any information that we have gathered concerning their religious environment and spiritual history will help us to understand the strange experiences of which they write.