The Sufi Orders in Islam Book

Review
Praise for the previous edition: "A pioneer effort to present the history of the Sufi orders."--The Times Literary Supplement

"An extremely useful general history of the Sufi orders...it fills a notable gap."--American Anthropologist

"It's good to have this work kept in print, as it is still the best available on the subject. John Voll has written an updating foreword which sets the material in a fresh and challenging perspective."--Herbert Mason, Boston University

"...[Trimingham's]Sufi Orders remains a classic. He provides a readable account of Sufi praxis, the diffusion of mystical ideas and the impact of the orders on the Muslim Ummah."--Abdin Chande, St. Mary's State College of Maryland

"This highly informative and well researched work is indispensable to the study of contemporary Islamic mysticism. This new edition is more than welcome."--Tamara Albertini, University of Hawaii

"An indispensable reference book for the organizational, sociopolitical side of Sufism. It's good to have it in print again."--John Perry, University of Chicago

Book Description
Sufism, the name given to Islamic mysticism, has been the subject of many studies, but the orders through which the organizational aspect of the Sufi spirit was expressed has been neglected. The Sufi Orders in Islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of Sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous sources of Islamic studies today. Here, author J. Spencer Trimingham offers a clear and detailed account of the formation and development of the Sufi schools and orders (tariqahs) from the second century of Islam until modern times. Trimingham focuses on the practical disciplines behind the mystical aspects of Sufism which initially attracted a Western audience. He shows how Sufism developed and changed, traces its relationship to the unfolding and spread of mystical ideas, and describes in sharp detail its rituals and ceremonial practices. Finally, he assesses the influence of these Sufi orders upon Islamic society in general. John O. Voll has added a new introduction to this classic text and provides readers with an updated list of further reading. The Sufi Orders in Islam will appeal not only to those already familiar with Triminghams groundbreaking research, but also to the growing reading public of Islamic studies and mysticism.