Tuhfah-yi Abbasi : The Golden Chain Of Sufism In Shi Ite Islam

Translator’s Introduction

Editor’s Preface

Introduction

On The Meaning Of Sufi And Sufism And The Scarcity Of Sufis Among The People

On The Sufis’ Belief In Divine Unity

On The Sufis’ Belief In Prophethood And Immamate

On The Sufis’ Belief In The Return To God

Explaining How The Sufis Are Connected To The Sinless Imams

On The Excellence Of Knowledge And The Scholars And Their Kinds

On Asceticism And Ascetic Practices

On Silence

On Hunger And Night Vigil

On Remembrance Of God

On The Meaning Of Trust In God

On Contentment And Submission

On [the Excellence Of] Forty Day Worship

On The Permissibility Of Listening To Pleasing Music

On Ecstasy And Swooning

On The Need For A Master And The Explanation Of The Rules And Etiquette For The Master And The Disciple

Conclusion: On The Sayings And Utterances Of The Sufi Masters Concerning The Stations

Supplement: On Divine Justice

Appendix: The Founder And The Masters Of The Blessed Dhahabiyah Order

Bibliography

Index Of Qur’anic Verses

General Index

Additional Info
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.