Inner Life Book

The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882–1927) was the first teacher to bring Sufism—Islamic mysticism—to the Western world. His teaching was noted for its stirring beauty and power, as well as for its applicability to all people, regardless of religious or philosophical background. This book gathers together three of Inayat Khan's most beloved essays on the spiritual life from among the fourteen volumes of his collected works:

   • "The Inner Life": Inayat Kahn's sublime portrait of the person whose life is a radiant reflection of the Divine

   • "Sufi Mysticism": in which the author identifies and shatters the common misconceptions about mysticism to reveal its true meaning

   • "The Path of Initiation and Discipleship": What it means to set out on the spiritual path and how to find and maintain the right relationship with a teacher

Publishers Weekly

Few writers have been as important to the understanding of Islamic mysticism as Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927). After the deaths of his spiritual teacher, his grandfather and his mother, Inayat Khan left India to teach in Europe and the United States. Inayat Khan founded the Sufi Order of Islamic mysticism and guided it in such a way that Westerners could understand and appreciate its teachings. After his death, Inayat Khan's teachings were published in 14 volumes. The present collection contains three essays from those original volumes, an unpublished essay called "The Path of the Mystic" and collected aphorisms. In these writings, Inayat Khan shows that real religious strength emanates from a cultivation of the inner life. These writings are an eloquent introduction to a spiritual path that encourages seekers to discover their inner spirituality amidst the business of everyday life. (Feb.)