47995328 fons vitae book catalog

Further details at www.fonsvitae.com 1

su f i s m – art – sym b o l i s m

Guardians of the Sun-DoorThe Late Iconographic Essays and Drawings of A.K. Coomaraswamyby A.K. Coomaraswamy

Coomaraswamy’s finalun-published essaysincluding: The Iconographyof Sagittarius, Philo’sDoctrine of the Cherubim,Concerning Sphinxes, andThe Concept of Ether inGreek and Indian Cosmologycomplimented by theauthor’s own drawings andother illustrations fromhis personal archives.

“Coomaraswamy’s essays [give] us a view of his scholarshipand brilliant insight.”–Joseph Campbell

“Don’t make any mistake about Coomaraswamy. He is aneminently practical man. I love him.” –Wendell Berry

Thomas Merton felt he owed a great deal to Ananda K.Coomaraswamy. His writing influenced Merton from hisstudent days at Columbia University where he said TheTransformation of Nature in Art was decisive in his conversion,his road to the monastery and the contemplative life, upuntil his final years...” –Director and Archivist Thomas MertonCenter, Paul Pearson

“I believe that the only really valid thing that can beaccomplished in the direction of world peace and unity atthe moment is the preparation of the way by the formation

of men who…are able to unite in themselves and experi-ence in their own lives all that is best and most true in thevarious great spiritual traditions. Such men can become as itwere ‘sacraments’ or signs of peace, at least…I will meditatelong and happily in silence upon these things, and enrichmy life with the symbols, the ‘mysteries and sacraments’ inwhich he has shown us so many manifestations of God inHis world. It is not that I want to write about AKC butrather that I want to enter contemplatively into the worldof thought which…is for all of us…but which neverthelesshad to be opened up to us by him.” –from a letter to AKC’swife, Dona Luisa Thomas Merton

“He [AKC] has written truth… with such wisdom andunderstanding…he illuminates the soul {baja} of the subjecthe treats and shares with the reader the treasure before him.”–Eric Gill

“Coomaraswamy’s works possess a timeliness which flowsfrom their being rooted in the eternal present…It is withjoy that we can welcome Fons Vitae’s publication of thefinal essays and drawings of this formidable metaphysicianand peerless interpreter of art and symbolism which con-tain the saving truths embedded in the millennial traditionsof mankind.”–Seyyed Hossein NasrArt History, Symbolism / Spirituality • 1-887752-59-5 • 175 pages • 6.00 x9.00 in. • $24.95 • PB • NEW

For more by A.K.Coomaraswamy, see p. 27.

Me and RumiThe Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi

Translated, Introduced and Annotated by William C. ChittickPreface by Annemarie Schimmel

William Chittick is aProfessor of ReligiousStudies at StateUniversity of New York,Stony Brook. He is theauthor of The Sufi Path ofLove:The SpiritualTeachings of Rumi andnine other books, includ-ing The Sufi Path ofKnowledge, Ibn ‘Arabi’s

Metaphysics of Imagination and The Self Disclosure of God.

The astounding biography of the man who transformedRumi from a learned religious teacher into the world’sgreatest poet of mystical love.

“Imagine that you could go somewhere each morning, say toa corner of the sugar merchants’ caravanserai, and hear Shams

Tabriz talk about the veiling of the heart, the nature of exer-tion, or how to move beyond the agitated state of questionand answer.This book gives entry into that astonishing pres-ence. Go there for an hour a day, however long it takes.Thenread Rumi’s poetry and feel their opening Friendship in you.Bless William Chittick.” –Coleman Barks

“William Chittick’s masterful translation of the Maqalat ofShamsi Tabrizi moves Rumi’s beloved mentor from theshadows into the light, and restores Shams to the centralposition of prominence that he so richly deserves.Thiswork immediately joins the indispensable short list of schol-arly works on Rumi and his community. Highly recom-mended for all scholars and students of Sufism, IslamicPhilosophy, Persian literature, and of course for all thelegions of Rumi fans.” –Annemarie SchimmelReligions/Islam/Sufism/Eastern Philosophy • June 2004 • 1-887752-52-8 • 530pages • 6.00 x 9.00 in. • $27.95 • PB • NEW

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-73732

su f i s m – n e w & f o rt h c o m i n g

Letters of a Sufi Masterby The Shaykh ad-Darqawi/translated by Titus Burckhardt

Spiritual techniques taken from letters of the founder of one of the major branches of the NorthAfrican Shadhiliyyah Sufi order.

Almost all these letters are concerned with the method and the operative aspects of theWay and are considered among the most direct instructions given on Sufic method to be found in allSufi literature.

“The sickness that is afflicting your heart is one of those things which strike men whomGod loves, for ‘of all men the most sorely tried are the Prophets, after them the saints,then those who resemble them, closely or remotely.’ So do not be downcast, since thishappens most often to men full of sincerity and love, to cause them to go forward towardstheir Lord. By this suffering their hearts are purified and transformed into pure substance.Lacking such encounters with reality, nobody would reach the knowledge of God, farfrom it, for ‘if there were no arenas for souls, the runners would not be able to run theircourse’ as it is said in Ibn ‘Ata-Allah’s Hikam.”

Religion/Islam/Sufism • 1-887752-16-1 • 78 pages • 6.00 x 8.88 in. • $11.95 • PB

Autobiography of a Moroccan Sufi:Ahmad Ibn‘Ajiba [1747-1809]Translated from Arabic by Jean-Louis Michon/Translated from French by David Streight

Ibn Ajiba, an 18th-century Moroccan saint in the Darqawi Sufi liniage, wrote his‘fahrasa’, or autobiography, not for the pleasure of talking about himself but “to celebrateGod’s kindness.” It details his travels in search of both secular and spiritual knowledgeand his entrance on a Sufi path. It deals with everything from the little details of every-day life to the mystical states experienced on the path to God. It will be welcomed byeveryone interested in the day-to-day workings of Islamic society, the interplay between“exoteric” and “esoteric” and the place of the Sufi path in the personal and social life ofthe community.

Religion/Islam/Sufism • 1-887752-20-X • 193 pages • 6.00 x 9.00 in. • $19.95 • PB

Stations of the WayfarerManazil As-Sa’irinBy Abu Abdullah al Ansari al Harawi/Translated by Maryam al-Khalifa Sharief

In the prologue to his most celebrated Sufi classic,Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Ansari(1006-1089 C.E./ 396-481 A.H.), of Herat in modern day Afghanistan, declares that hewrote this precious spiritual gem for the benefit of a “group of mendicant fuqara, readers andexiles, who were eager to acquaint themselves with the various Stations or Milestones thatthe [spiritual] wayfarer must traverse [in his journey] to the Real (al-Haqq).” This is onespiritual manual that wishes not to digress from that declared aim.

Stations, like the Sufi Aphorisms of Ibn ‘Ata’Allah, for instance, is one of the most widely readSufi classics.What distinguishes the content of this particular treatise, in Ansaris’ own view, isthat it sets out to be a clear exposition of the levels of spiritul attainment, highlighting thesalient features thereof and mentioning how each already refers to a definitive level of per-fection, while indicating at the same time the relative position that such a perfection occupieswithin the total hierarchy of the spiritual stations.Fons Vitae Forthcoming


su f i s m – n e w & f o rt h c o m i n g

Three Early Sufi TextsA Treatise on the Heart/Stations of the Righteous/The Stumblings ofThose Aspiringby Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d.912) & Abu ‘abd al-Rahman al-Sulami al-Naysaburi(d.1021) two of the most eminent figures of the Khorasanian tradition who representsome of the rare earliest formative and most concise examples of Sufi methodology toappear in translation.Translated by Nicholas Heer and Kenneth L. Honerkamp.

“What is the heart of which I hear only the name?” asked the ninth-century Sufi ‘Ali al-Isfahni in a famous lament.The answer can only be found in these three texts, which giveflesh to the ‘heart’ of authentic Sufism. Carefully and lucidly translated by noted scholars ofIslam, these works by the seminal Sufi thinkers al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi and al-Sulami providecrucial insights into the psychology and discipline of the Sufi way and are important cor-rectives to misinformed notions of Islamic mysticism, whether by anti-Sufi fundamentalistsor New Age idealists.These long awaited translations are a must for the library of everyserious student of Sufism and provide excellent texts for use in the university classroom.”

-Vincent J. Cornell, Ph. D., Professor of History and Director, King Fahd Center for Middle Eastand Islamic Studies, University of Arkansas

Religion, Islam/Sufism • 1-887752-51-X • 192 pages • 6.75 x 9.75 in. • $16.95 • PB • Pages of Arabic manuscriptincluded

The Book of Illumination

Kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir,including Sign of Success on theSpiritula Path (Unwan al-Tawfiqfi Adab al Tariq)Translated from the Arabic by ScottKugle (Swarthmore College)

This Book of Illumination urges readers to simplify theirreliance on material means and question the obsessionwith possessing and craving. It argues for a spirituality ofliving in the world without relying on the world.Thetext weaves together Qur’anic interpretation and expla-nation of rare teachings from the Prophet Muhammad’straditions with the Sufi Master’s own poetry, parables, andstories of past Shadhili masters.1-887752-62-5 Forthcoming Fall 2004

The Key to Salvation

Ibn ‘Ata’Allah Al-IskandariTranslated by Mary Ann KouryDanner

Considered to be one of his mostimportant works because it sets out theprinciples behind Sufi practices, shed-ding light on the sacred invocations,and the spiritual retreat. It offers a

glimpse into the Sufi world of the 7th Islamic centuryand allows us to see almost at first hand how the novicewas guided by the Sufi shaykh.The Islamic Texts Society (1996) 0-946621-27-6 • Paperback • Index •Bibliography • 270 pp • $34.99

The Subtle Blessings in theSaintly Lives of Abul-Abbasal-Mursi and His MasterAbul-Hasan

The Founders of the ShadhiliOrderKitab al-Lata’if fi manaqib Abil-Abbas al-

Mursi was shaykhihi Abi L-Hasan

Ibn Ata’Allah Al-Iskandari (d. 1309 CE)Translated by Nancy Roberts

Filled with anecdotes illustrating these shaykhs’ spiritualgifts and insights, this volume conveys to readers not onlythe beauty and inspiration of these exemplary lives andutter devotion to God, but helps readers themselves enterinto this same life of devotion and to experience itsinimitable blessings. 1-887752-61-7 Forthcoming • Fons Vitae

The Pure Goal ConcerningKnowledge Of The UniqueName

Al-Qasd al-mujarrad fi ma‘rifatal-Ism al-MufradTranslated by Vincent Cornell1-887752-63-3 Forthcoming

The Ibn ‘Ata’Allah Al-Iskandari SeriesOne of the greatest spiritual Masters of the thirteenth century (d. 1309), this Sufi imam was both a Muhaddith and a Malikijurist whose works became basic training manuals for aspirants across North Africa. He was a student of al-Mursi and wasthe second to succeed Imam Abul-Hasan, the founder of the Shadhili Order which continues to this day.

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ru m i & su f i s m

RumiThe Hidden Treasureby Shems Friedlander

This groundbreaking classic from the author of The Whirling Dervishes includes previ-ously unpublished material on Rumi’s sacred music and the symbolism of the dress andmovement of the dance performed in the ‘semahane’ – the Hall of Celestial Soundswhile elucidating what Rumi means by “Feel joy in the heart at the coming of sorrow.”

“Come back, come back, even though you have broken your vows a thousand times,ours is not a house of despair, ours is a house of hope.” –Rumi

A succint and powerful biography of Rumi is included.As Friedlanderpresents the “Roots of His Thought,” the story of Rumi’s life unfoldsin an entirely fresh and accessible manner, sprinkled with the master’spoetic insights.Religion / Islam/Sufism/Mysticism/Rumi • 1-887752-39-0 • 104 pages • 5.00 x 8.50 in. •$10.95 • PB • With stunning photography

Also available on video:Rumi:The Wings of Love, 34 minutes for $24.95. Produced byShems Friedlander.

Come to Life Traditional Sufi Retreat

Turning Towards the HeartAwakening to the Sufi Way: Forty Questions and Answersby Shaykh al-Tariqat Hazrat Azad Rasool

“This new book is useful both as a university classroom text and as an intimate introduc-tion to a present-day authentic Sufi master whose spiritual lineage is directly traced backalong the great silsilahs (or chains) of saints belonging to five prominent Sufi orders. Inhis introduction, Dr. Honerkamp makes accessible to the modern reader, wisdom whichis a magnificent contribution by a great contemporary spiritual master.”–from Dr.Alan Godlas,Associate Professor of Religion and Islamic Studies, University of Georgia

It also includes diagrams, or shajarahs, of the Naqshbandi, Shadhili, Chishti, Qadiri andMujaddidi Orders as well as a chart listing the sufi masters of these brotherhoods withtheir dates and the places where they lived and taught going back to the seventh century.Religion / Islam / Sufism, Eastern Philosophy 1-887752-46-3 • 146 pages • $15.95 • PB • Includes photography

Reading Rumi’s LifeWondrous narratives, Sufi teachings and saintly livesOmid Safi, a scholar of Sufism at Colgate, presents a persuasive case that the way Rumi’scommunity learned about him was not only through reading his exalted poetry, but alsoby telling and retelling wondrous accounts of the great saint’s life.These fantastic accounts(hagiography) are not entirely transparent, as they deploy many layers of technical termsand allusion to Sufi practices. Safi seeks to unlock these mysteries by identifying thebackground material, symbols, and images that Rumi’s own community was so intimatelyfamiliar with. In understanding that Sufi context, we are also better situated to internalizethe beauty and subtleties of these profound teachings.

The image of Rumi that emerges from these accounts is not one of an otherworldlymystic detached from life, but rather that of a warm and compassionate, even humorousteacher who is intimately connected to a wider community of faith.Forthcoming, 1887752641


wo r l d r e l i g i o n : i s lam & su f i s m

The Book ofAssistanceby Imam Abdallah al-Haddad

There are many books inEnglish which present Sufidoctrine, but few that can beused as practical travel guidesalong the Path. Originallywritten in Classical Arabic,this volume is today in wide-spread use among Sufi teachersin Arabia, Indonesia, and EastAfrica.

Religions / Spirituality 8 1-872038-01-8 • 152 pages • 5.50 x 8.50 in. •$14.95 • PB

The Lives of ManA Guide to the HumanStates: Before Life, In theWorld, and After Deathby Imam al HaddadIntroduction by Abdal HakimMurad

A dramatic exposition of theclassical Muslim division ofhuman life into five stages:before conception, life in theworld, life in the grave, the

Resurrection, and Heaven or Hell. Extensive Qur’anic andHadith references explain the condition of the soul ateach stage.Religion / Islam/Sufism • 1-887752-14-5 • 97 pages • 5.50 x 8.50 in. • $11.95 • PB

Key to the Gardenby H.A. Mushar al-Haddad

A best-selling title in which thecore Islamic concept of tawheed,or dinive unity, is explored.216 pp., 1-929694-02-4, $12.95

Also available:

Knowledge and Wisdom $8.95

Mutual Reminding andGood Manners $8.95

Imam ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad (d. 1720) lived at Tarimin the Hadramaut Valley between Yemen and Oman, and is widely held tohave been the spiritual ‘renewer’ of the twelfth Muslim century. His writ-ings include a volume of mystical poetry and several books, some of whichare especially popular in Swahili, Indonesian and Malay translations.

Sufi Sage of ArabiaImam al Haddad (d. 1720)“Over the centuries the Muslim community has produced scoresof great scholars as well as great saints in every generation.Toreach the very pinnacle of both exoteric and esoteric knowledge,however, has always been rare. Imam al-Haddad, independentscholar, Gnostic saint, Sufi guide, and promised Renewer ofreligion, was such a master.” –Mostafa Badawi53pp, 1-887752-65-X Forthcoming Fall 2004

Gifts for theSeekerby Imam ‘Abdallah Ibn ‘AlawiAl-Haddad

This volume answers many ofthe questions often asked byseekers of inward illumination.What are the real implicationsof the doctrine of divineunity? How can proper con-centration be achieved duringspiritual exercises? When

should one avoid participating in Sufi gatherings? What isthe relationship between the tongue, the mind, and theheart? How is one to understand visions received in sleep?The work goes on to explain a number of paradoxes ofthe Way, such as the reason why the saints usually refuse todeploy their miraculous powers, preferring to concentrateon self-scrutiny and the compassionate guidance of others.These points are illustrated with references to the famousmystical poems of Ibn al-Farid and Abu Madyan.Religion / Islam/Sufism • 1-887752-57-9 • 75 pages • $14.95 PB

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su f i s m - i b n ‘ arab i

Divine Governance ofthe Human KingdomIncluding two shorter texts,“What the Seeker Needs” and“The One Alone” as well as anepilogue on the relationship ofmaster and DiscipleA powerful but little known work by

Ibn ‘Arabi, a twelfth-century Spanish mystic, considered bymany to be the greatest master of Sufism. Of this book, Ibn‘Arabi himself wrote:“This little book contains vast knowl-edge of great benefit to all. It is gathered from the gardens ofEden and from Divine Providence.” Of the three mysticaltexts, ‘al-tadbirat’, is a fascinating treatise on the divine designand management of the world, and the central role thehuman model plays in the creative and governing process.Religion / Islam/Sufism 1-887752-05-6, 300 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $19.95, PB

The Reflective Heart:Discovering Spiritual Intelligencein Ibn ‘Arabi’s ‘MeccanIlluminations’James Morris

For centuries Ibn ‘Arabi has beenknown as the ‘Greatest Master’ ofIslamic spiritual teaching, but onlyrecently have the treasures of his

immense masterwork, the ‘Meccan Illuminations,’ begun tobe accessible to Western audiences.This introductory vol-ume, intended for readers interested in the issues of practicalspiritual life and realisation (without any specialist back-ground), follows Ibn ‘Arabi’s development of several keypractical themes in his spiritual teaching presented in a waythat is intended to recreate a sense of the gradually unfold-ing ‘openings’ of his meanings and spiritual understanding inthe course of that great work. 1887752676, Fons Vitae Forthcoming

Mystical AstrologyAccording to Ibn‘ArabiTwelve color plates of a 16thcentury Persian MSS as well ascharts and diagrams enhance thisvolumeTranslated by Titus Burckhardt

A unique work, providing the underlying spiritual princi-ples (from the point of view of one of the greatest Sufimasters who ever lived) lacking in most modern books ofastrology. It will compliment and deepen anyone’s personallibrary or collection of works on astrology. Astrology, Sufism /

New Age 1-887752-43-9, 64 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $11.95, PB

Sufi Metaphysics andQur’anic ProphetsIbn ‘Arabi’s Thought andMethod in the Fusus al-Hikam Ronald L Nettler

The Fusus al-Hikam is acknowledgedto be a summary statement of the Sufimetaphysics of the ‘Greatest Master’,

Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240AD). Ronald Nettler examines tenchapters from the Fusus which exemplify the ideas, methodand perspective of the entire work.This volume serves notonly as an explication of Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought in the Fusus,but is also a great aid in the overall understanding of histhought. 160PP., 109382061, $34.99

Also Available:Quest for the Red Sulphur – the Life of Ibn ‘ArabiClaude Addas, 0-946621-45-4, $35.99

Ibn ‘Arabi:The Voyage of No ReturnClaude Addas, 0-946621-74-8, $22.99

The Tree of BeingAn Ode to the Perfect Man(“Shajarat al-Kawn” in Arabic)

by Ibn ‘Arabi (d.1240) translated byTosun Bayrak

Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240) knew andinfluenced the great men of his time,including Ibn Rushd (Averroes),

Jalaluddin Rumi and Suhrawardi, and his influence spreadbeyond the Islamic world to medieval Europe. Dante showsthe influence of Ibn ‘Arabi in the Divine Comedy forexample. Religion / Sufism • PB • Fall 2004

The Seal of the Saints– Prophethood andSainthood in the doc-trine of Ibn ‘ArabiMichel Chodkiewicz;Translated byLiadain Sherrard

Ibn ‘Arabi’s hagiology defines the natureand function of sainthood, while alsospecifying the criteria for a typology

of saints based on the notion of porphetic inheritance.

“This is by far the best available explanation of the centralimportance of sanctity for understanding both the practicaland the theoretical teachings of Sufism.”William Chittick0-946621-40-3 Paperback Index 192 pp. $34.99


su f i s m – su h rawar d i

Knowledge For Encountering God:Al-Suhrawardi’s ‘Awarif al-Ma’arifTranslated by Qamar-Ul Huda

A manual for daily study and practice by the the renowned thirteenth-century Sufi,Shaykh ‘Abu Hafs al-Suhrawardi. Still popular and widely used in Middle Eastern andSouth Asian Sufism.The use of hadith is a significant element in the treatise, enablingreaders to remember and re-enact the Prophet’s way so that they can move frommerely imagining to actually embodying prophetic spirituality and maintaining hissacred presence at every moment.

1887752684 Fons Vitae Forthcoming

The Shape of LightHayakal AL-Nur Suhrawardiby Suhrawardi, translation Tosun Bayrak. Preface drawn from the 12th-century saintand master Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani.Ten pieces of calligraphy from the Grand Mosque(Ulu Cami) in Bursa,Turkey included.

“How do souls differ from one another in the eternal realm?”This and other relatedmatters are addressed in Suhrawardi’s treatise, which is arranged in seven categoriescalled “Forms of Light.” Points considered in this volume include the limitations ofman’s senses and his true or theomorphic essence; the nature and levels of the humansoul and the various realms or Centers (including ‘Nur al Muhammadi’ or AbsoluteMind as well as Ordinary Mind and Divine Mind); the nature of firmaments; and themeaning of pleasure and pain.Religion / Islam/Sufism 1-887752-15-3, 121 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $15.95, PB

Two Twentieth-Century Muslim SaintsSayyida Fatima al-Yashrutiyya & Shaikh Ahmed al-‘Alawi

Translated from the Arabic by Leslie Cadavid

The selections of this book are taken from two Muslimauthors of the twentieth century; both represent Islam in itsesoteric dimension of Sufism, and both are regarded as saintsby the Muslims of today.The Shaykh al-Alawi and SayyidaFatima al-Yashrutiyya give a taste of the world of theShadhili tariqas (paths), in different modes and at differentlevels, but with an underlying theme of concentration on the

Oneness of God. Both saints witnessed their traditional world begin to fall apart.Both were beacons of light to those who clung to the Path in spite of the trials ofthe modern world; both proved that the Shadhili tariqa was still very much alive inthe twentieth century.1887752692 Fons Vitae Forthcoming

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-73738

i s lam i c s p i r i tua l i ty - ab u ham i d a l - g haza l i ( 105 8 - 1111 c e )

Al-Ghazali’s Path to Sufismhis Deliverance from Errorby Al-Ghazali

Preface:William Graham, Harvard University

This text has long been recognized as not only an Islamic “classic,” but also as one of the greatspiritual autobiographies of one of the world’s greatest religious thinkers. It is the narrative ofhow one dedicated “seeker” having probed various systems of thought and differing paths oflearning and enlightenment, discovered the peace of the inner life and discipline of mystical spir-ituality–in Ghazali’s case, the spirituality of the Sufis. This compact version of Deliverancefrom Error was requested by Professor William Graham for his Harvard classes and is hence mostaffordable for students without the appendices of the longer work.World Religion /Islam/Sufism/Philosophy 1-887752-30-7 • 115 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $12.95, PB

Deliverance from Error [Freedom and Fulfillment]Five Key Texts Including His Spiritual Autobiography, al-Munqidh min al-DalalAnnotated and translated by R.J. McCarthy

One of the most remarkable documents to have come down from classical Islamic civilization,this spiritual autobiography of the most influential thinker of medieval Islam (1058-1111)describes his intellectual crisis, which led him to achieve direct knowledge of God in the formof the illuminative experience of the Sufis.This volume also contains extensive translations fromother key works of Ghazali. He articulated the Islam of the middle way, in balance between theextremes of the letter and the spirit.As such, his works have become a manifesto for modernMuslims struggling against extremist and hence heterodox readings of the faith.Among includedtexts, is the Definitive Criterion, followed by a tract on conforming the character to the divine,and on the ‘Wonders of the Heart,’ an important Sufi work about the nature and function of thesoul. _T. J.Winter, Professor of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University.Religion / Islam/Sufism/Philosophy 1-887752-27-7, 334 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $29.95, PB

Faith in Divine Unity & Trust in Divine ProvidenceBook XXXV of The Revival of the Religious Sciencesby Al-Ghazali

Translated by David Burrell, Notre Dame University

Spiritual guidance revealed through stories of Sufi masters instructing disciples on how to bealigned with Reality rather than the Illusory.

In an axial volume from his celebrated compendium, the ‘Ihya ulum al din,’ one of the greatestSufi thinkers of all time shares his startling and original exploration of the meaning of trust inDivine Providence and recommends specific spiritual skills to help the seeker develop a statewhereby he may rightly respond to events as they happen.This trust entails aligning oneself withthings as they really are.Religion / Islam/Sufism 1-887752-35-8 • 175 pages • 6.00 x 9.25 in. • $18.95 • PB

Other Al-Ghazali Works:Invocations and SupplicationsTranslated by K. Nakamura, 0-946621-14-4, 174 pp., $29.99On Disciplining the Soul and On Breaking the Two DesiresTranslated by T. J.Winter, 0-94662163-2, 370pp., $35.99Letter to a DiscipleTranslated by Tobias Mayer96 pp., 0-946621-63-2, $24.99 Forthcoming

Al-Ghazali is generally acclaimed as the most influential thinker of medieval Islam. His writings have been widely regarded as the great-est in spirituality, and have for centuries been the most read works after the Qur’an in the Muslim world.


a l - g haza l i – f o rt h c o m i n g an d ava i lab l e t h r ou g h f o n s v i ta e

The Marvels of the Heart Science of the SpiritBook XXI of the Revival of Religious ScienceIntroduction by Timothy J.Winter

For the Sufis, the heart is more than just a piece of flesh, it is the seat of the soul andholds the key to the intimate relationship which exists between soul and body.Ghazali, the best-known jurist, theologian, and mystic of medieval Islam, uses a seriesof traditional teaching stories to illustrate the theme of the heart as mirror: polishingit is remembrance of God; bad character traits, like smoke, cloud and rust it; lightreflecting from it is the quality of sainthood.Religions / Islam/Sufism/Philosophy 1-887752-31-5 • 150 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in., $24.95, PB • Forthcoming

No god But God is my fortress…Ahmad Al-Ghazali on Dhikr

Translated by Joseph Lumbard

Ahmad B. Muhammad Al-Ghazali, the brother of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, was animportant link in the spiritual lineages of many Sufi orders and is considered by manyto be the originator of the tradition of Persian Sufi poetry which came to full fruitionwith such luminaries as Rumi and Hafiz. Reading al-Ghazali, one is inclined to putaside the life of the mind in pursuit of the heart. He does not offer metaphysical les-sons or doctrinal explanations. Rather, his every word is an exortation to seek Godhere and now: for life is short and the path is long.This, his most extensive Arabictreatise, is still used as a Sufi manual to this day.Fons Vitae Forthcoming

On the Duties ofBrotherhoodTranslated by MuhtarHolland, University ofLondon0-879510-83-8 • $8.95

The Remembrance ofDeath and the AfterlifeTranslated by T. J.Winter378 pp., 0-946621-13-6, $35.95

Ninety-Nine BeautifulNames of GodTranslated by David Burrelland Nazih Daher216 pp., 0-946621-31-4, $31.99

On the MannersRelating to EatingTranslated by D. Johnson-Davies0-946621-73-X, 96pp., $24.99

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737310

su f i s m – i s lam i c s p i r i tua l i ty

Subtleties of theAscensionEarly Mystical sayings onMuhammad’s HeavenlyJourney Bi-lingual textAs compiled by Abu ’Abd al-Rahman SulamiTranslated and annotated byFrederick S. Colby

Entitled Subtleties of the Ascension, Sulami exclusively dedi-cates this short Arabic work to recounting how the earlySufi mystics interpreted the Prophet’s journey.A recentlydiscovered manuscript represents the most extensive collec-tion of early Sufi ascension sayings known to date. In thisfascinating and sightfull text, Sulami attributes fifty-sixteachings on a variety of ascension-related issues to earlySufi masters such as Hallaj, Junayd and Bistami.

Fons Vitae Forthcoming 164 pp

Purification of theHeartby Hamza Yusuf

This present text is based on thepoem known as “Matharat al-Qulub,” which offers a means bywhich spiritual purification can beachieved.Written by a great schol-ar, Shaykh Muhammad Mawlud,the spiritual diseases of the heartaddressed in this volume include:

miserliness, wantonness, hatred, iniquity, envy, ostentation,vanity, fraud, and more. Imam Mawlud directs his attentionto each of these, discusses their causes, offers cures, andgives important commentary that is relevant to our day andto people of a variety of religious experiences.106 pp,1-929694-15-6, $16.95 NEW

The Way of AbuMadyanTranslated by Vincent Cornell

This is the first English translationof works attributed to AbuMadyan, a seminal figure of Sufismin Muslim Spain and North Africa.Arabic-English parallel text.

Included are doctrinal treatises,aphorisms, and poetical works inthe ode, or qasida, style providing aunique opportunity to experience

a variety of the most important genres of religious writingfrom the 12th century C.E.

0946621357, 190 pp., $42.99

The Degrees of theSoul Spiritual Stations on the SufiPathShaykh Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Shabrawi;Translated from theArabic by Mostafa al-Badawi

Unlocks the secrets of the sevendegrees through which the soulprogresses as it travels the Sufi Path,special Sufi practices, litanies and

attitudes of mind are recommended. Both practical andprofound, this book offers a concise manual of Sufi teachingon spiritual liberation.

The author, Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi (1887-1947),a professor at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, was best knownas a realized master of the great Khalwati Order of Sufis. Hewas also initiated into the Shadhili and Naqshbandi Orders.1872038131 Index 76 pp. $9.95

The Secret ofSecretsAn Interpretative Translationby Sheikh Tosun Bayrak ofAbd al-Qadir al-Jilani’sMasterwork,“Sir al-Asrar”An explanation by one of thegreatest Sufi masters (1077-1166C.E.) of how the outward practicesof Islam – prayer, fasting, almsgiv-ing and pilgrimage – contain a

wealth of inner dimensions. He was the son of the greatsaint Fatima bint Abdullah al Sawmai who lived near theCaspian Sea.A longstanding bestseller.09466212, 172 pp., $24.99

The Conference ofthe Birds By Farid Ud-din Attar

Translated by C.S. Nott

Considered to be the finest andmost delightful of all the manytranslations, this masterpiece of12th century Persian literature is atimeless allegory about the excuseswe give for not taking up theQuest for God.Attar’s successor,

Jalalludin Rumi, found profound inspiration in the wordsof his elder, and like him remains one of the great lights inSufi literature and the spiritual writings of humanity.160 pp., 1-8879708-13-2, $12.00


f o n s v i ta e wo m e n ’s s p i r i tua l i ty

Early Sufi WomenDhikr an-Niswa al-Muta’abbidat as-Sufiyyatby A.R.As-Sulami, (d.1021)Bilingual edition translated by Rkia Cornell

An addition to the growing body of literature examining the historicalpresence of women in Islam, this is the earliest known work in Islamdevoted entirely to women’s spirituality.Written by the Persian Sufi as-Sulami , this long-lost work provides portraits of eighty Sufi women wholived in the central Islamic lands between the eighth and eleventh cen-turies C. E.As spiritual masters and exemplars of Islamic piety, theyserved as respected teachers and guides in the same way as did Muslimmen, often surpassing men in their understanding of Sufi doctrine, theQur’an and Islamic spirituality.Whether they were scholars, poets,founders of Sufi schools, or individual mystics and ascetics, they embod-ied a wisdom that could not be hidden.Sufism/Religion / Islam/Sufism Women’s Spirituality 1-887752-06-4, 334 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in.,$24.95, PB Includes pages from origianl manuscript.

Mary the BlessedVirgin of Islamby Professor Aliah SchleiferIntroduction by T.J.Winter

Why do Muslims revere the VirginMary? This book throws light onthe reasons for the importance ofMary as a spiritual figure in Islam.It provides the background for anunderstanding of her importanceto Muslim men and women, both

as an individual and together with her son Jesus. It posessuch questions as: Is Mary to be regarded not only as thehighest woman in all creation, but is she also to be countedamong the prophets who received revelation? These tradi-tional scholarly discussions about Mary’s life and character-istics which took place over the centuries in regionsstretching from Central Asia to Spain could explain whythe early Sufi women of Islam must have used Mary astheir model for devotion and piety.Religion / Islam, Christianity,Women’s Spirituality 1-887752-02-1, 160 pages,5.50 x 8.50 in., $15.95, PB

Motherhood in Islamby Professor Aliah Schleifer

For this exceptional and thoroughscholarly study on the status ofwomen in Islam, Dr. Schleifer relieson the basic sources of Islam– theQur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, and thecommentaries of Al-Tabari,Al-Qurtubi, and Ibn Kathir, thus pro-viding an overview of classicalexegeses.

Religion / Islam,Women’s Spirituality 1-887752-01-3, 105 pages, 5.25 x 8.5 in.,$12.95, PB

Towards the Heart of Islam:AWoman’s ApproachEva de Vitray-Meyerovitch;Translated by Cathryn Goddard

Professor Vitray-Meyerovitch was author of over fortybooks and the greatest French scholar and translator ofJalaluddin Rumi’s works.What led this brilliant multilingualtwentieth-century French woman, a scholar trained in lawand philosophy, to turn to Islam? This book reaches thecore of all true religion, and the personal internal reflectionaccompanying the spiritual quest.Fons Vitae Forthcoming 1-887752-22-6 paper

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737312

Islam in Tibet and Tibetan CaravansIncluding ‘Islam in the Tibetan Cultural Sphere’ and ‘Buddhistand Islamic Viewpoints of Ultimate Reality’by Abdul Wahid Radhu, Jose I. Cabezon and William Stoddart

Translated by Jane Casewit

Preface by the Dalai Lama who commissined this publication

“On the significant (but little recognized) presence of Islam in Tibet, this isthe best book that has appeared.” –Huston Smith, Berkeley University

A first hand account of life within a totally sacred society prior to theChinese invasion.

This book is the most complete and definitive work on the subject ofIslam in Tibet to date, of interest to both scholars and general readers inter-ested in the Islamic community at large, and those interested in Buddhistand Muslim spirituality. Included in its entirety is the account, ‘TibetanCaravans’, by Abdul Wahid Radhu, describing his family’s centuries-oldtrading business between India, Central Asia and Tibet, focusing especiallyon the fascinating interplay between the traditional cultures of Islam andBuddhism.We see this through the lens of a man of great spiritual depthwho had a direct knowledge of Sufism and come to see where those par-ticipating in the spiritual life of two very different traditions recognize oneanother at a level behind external forms.

The God of Abraham insisted that He,YAHWEH, was inconceivable byhuman minds.Therefore, the proper response of humans before this incon-ceivability is Islam, i.e. surrender in mind as well as body. Buddhism is like-wise based on the transcendence of self-centeredness, on surrender ofself-aggrandizing knowledge in the realization of selflessness.–Professor Robert F.Thurman, Director of Religion, Columbia UniversityIslam, Buddhism / Tibet 1-887752-03-X, 312 pp., 6.00 x 9.00 in., $24.95, PB, Illustrated with photo-graphs of historical importance and a photo essay of today’s 2 muslim communities.

The Ornaments of LhasaIslam in Tibet (video)Footage and photographs taken of the Muslims in Lhasa in 1997 are richlycomplimented by a delightful interview with a Tibetan Muslim whodescribes the history and life of Islam in Tibet, the two Muslim communitiesliving there today and their relationship and social occasions with theBuddhists.The viewer will be intrigued by quite charming descriptions ofTibetan Muslim society and family life, the homes, food and clothing, lan-guage, education, trade and traditional herbal medicine. It is a surprise to usall that Islam has been present for nearly 1,000 years in what we have con-sidered to have always been a monolithically Buddhist culture. Useful forteachers concerned with geography, world religions and multicultural studiesas well as for anyone interested in both Tibetan and/or Islamic culture.Fons Vitae (1997) VHS Format (20 minutes) $24.95

i s lam i n t i b e t


i s lam i c art h i s to ry – t rav e l – s p i r i tua l au to b i o g rap h y

Cairo1001 Years of Islamic Art and Architecture (video series in four parts)

Text by Caroline WilliamsNarrated by Gray Henry

Too often, the Islamic architecture of Cairo which embodiesan unbroken tradition from the early days of Islam, is viewedmerely in slide form.This video series takes the viewer intothe environs and actual space and sound of this great heritage.Previewed at the annual MESA (Middle East Studies Assoc.)Convention in November 1999, this wonderful scholarlyoverview and experience of medieval Cairo is a must for anyvisitor to Cairo and all students of Islamic Culture.

Part 1:The Grandeur of Cairo (16 minutes);

Part 2:The Word, the Vine, and the Star: SpiritualDimensions of Islamic Art in Cairo (20 minutes);

Part 3: Survivors in Stone: 1001 Years of IslamicArchitecture in Cairo (51 minutes);

Part 4: Some Saints of Cairo and counsels of Ibn ‘Ata’Allahal-Iskandari (d. 1309).

Caroline Williams has graduate degrees in Middle East History(Harvard) and Islamic Art and Architecture (AmericanUniversity in Cairo). She wrote the enduring classic ‘IslamicMonuments in Cairo’ (AUC Press, 1993) 4th edition.

“Unlike Baghdad and Damascus, Cairo was spared the dev-astation of the Mongol invasions, and many of its finemedieval structures are still standing-mosques, madrasas,mausoleums, caravanserais, fortifications, aqueducts, privatehouses and Quranic schools. It is an unequaled treasure-house of Islamic architecture.”- from Caroline Williams’ Islamic Monuments in CairoAlso available in PAL format, 1 hr 50 mins, Fons Vitae 1-887752-23-4, $39.95

Road to Meccaby Muhammad Asad

“[This] book is one which has burst with strange and com-pelling authority upon the small fraternity of Westernerswho know Arabia… a book trenchant with adventuremagnificently described, and a commentary upon the innermeaning of Arab and Muslim life, helpful to all who wouldachieve a more accurate understanding of the Arabs andtheir lands.” Christian Science Monitor

Within the first few paragraphs of this extraordinary andbeautifully written autobiography, the reader recognizeshe is immersed in a timeless spiritual classic.The grandsonof a Central European Orthodox rabbi,Asad had “driftedinto a matter of fact rejection of all institutional religions.”He yearned for a life without the “carefully contained,artificial defenses which security-minded people love tobuild up around them.” He wondered if the Europeanway of life, based on the betterment of economic andpolitical conditions,“was in its fundamentals, the onlypossible way.” He had the courage to look elsewhere.Asad found his first “quiet gladness” in Taoism wheretruths were as a window opening onto a long lost homefar from “all narrowness and self-created fears.”Asadregretted this “ivory tower” could not be lived in. Hisfascinating travels took him to Jerusalem,Arabia, andIndia, and finally into service at the United Nations. In1926,Asad embraced Islam. His account of his years inArabia, his desert adventures, friendship with King Saud,and marriage there is truly gripping.Religion / Islam/Spiritual Autobiography 1-887752-37-4, 375 pages, 5.25 x8.50 in., $17.95, PB,With historical photographs.

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737314

u n d e r s tan d i n g i s lam an d t h e m u s l i m s

Understanding Islam and the MuslimsThe Muslim FamilyIslam and World PeaceMyths and misunderstandings continue to proliferate about Islam and its millions of followersworldwide.This newly-expanded version of America’s most popular short introduction to thekey precepts of Islam offers succinct, and sometimes surprising, answers to frequent questionsabout the Muslim faith.

Written by eminent scholars T.J.Winter, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Cambridge University,and John A.Williams of the College of William and Mary’s Department of Religion, this newversion of a classic work features 190 full-color photographs.

“This book seeks to replace inaccurate images of Islam with recognition of the multi-facetedcharacter of this global religion and its widely diverse adherents. It cannot be reduced to stereo-types. Islam is not inherently violent, nor are Muslims intrinsically prone to violence.”

– Bruce B. Lawrence, Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University

“A much welcome contribution – an accurate and scholarly presentation of the Islamic faith.Having carefully reviewed the contents, I find there is nothing to add.The Ministry of IslamicEndowments intends to make this reliable resource available on its website.”– Dr. Ali Jum’a, Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence, University of Al Azhar, Cairo; Director of the Azhar

Mosque and Imam at the Sultan Hasan Mosque; advisor to the Minister of Islamic Endowments, CairoReligion, Islam / Social Studies 1-887752-47-1 • 96 pages • $7.95 • PB • 190 full-color photographs, many courtesy of AramcoWorld

The Name and theNamedIncluding Ghazali’s “TheNoblest of Aims in theExplanation of God’sFairest names”by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-HalvetiIntroduction by William Chittick

Explains how to use the namesfor the transformation of the

soul into its original and primordial nature.

A contemporary presentation of the ninety-nine divineattributes or names of God according to the Islamic Sufitradition, in which it is said,“Qualify yourself with thequalities of God.” In this volume,Tosun Bayrak, a sheikh ofthe Jerrahi order based in Istanbul, explains how to usethese Names for the transformation of the soul– “to seethat the human being is the microcosm of the macrocosmwhere God’s attributes are reflected.” How can one cometo love God – without knowing Him? The Sheikh answersthat we do so through knowing His Divine Qualities inour own selves.“To assume the angelic character which isinnate but hidden in the human being, we have to choosefrom Divine Attributes as we can, and try to live our dailylives according to them.Then God willing, this effort willhelp our imitation become real.”World Religions / Islam/Sufism 1-887752-29-3, 293 pages, 5.75 x 8.75 in.,$15.95, PB, 10 Black & White Illustrations

The Life of theProphetMuhammadA Simplified Version ofMartin Lings’ classic“Muhammad: His LifeBased on Earliest Sources”by Leila Azzam & AishaGouverneur

In today’s post-September 11 political climate, where fearof Muslims has understandably arisen, there is a real needfor pertinent and accurate information to diffuse baselessanxiety. In all the major faiths, the life and example of thefounder or prophet becomes the role model for the believ-er. It is always important to read what people of a faith saythey believe (rather than what some outsider might write),because this is what actually drives their lives.Althoughwritten for a younger audience, this beautifully illustratedbook along with its glossary and other useful appendiceshas been used as a classroom text for university world reli-gion courses in the U.S., giving students a quick and accu-rate account of a key aspect of the Islamic faith.Religion, Islam,World Religions / Juvenile Nonfiction • 1-887752-53-6 • 135pages • 7.72 x 9.62 in. • $17.95 • PB • Color illustrations

Islam:A PictorialEssay in Four Parts(video)90 minutes, 0-946621-00-4,$24.95

Part I:The Doctrine

Part II:The Life of the Prophetand the Faith

Part III:The History and theCulture

IV:The Arts and the Sciences

This classic work is appropriate for use in secondary schooland university level courses, and beneficial for anyoneinterested in gaining a better understanding of the Muslimworld, Islamic art and culture. Some of the most eminentscholars of contemporary Islam are responsible for thescript including the late Dr.Abdul-Haleem Mahmoud,Rector of Al-Azhar University; Dr. Martin Lings; Dr.Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and the late Dr.Victor Danner,Arabist and Chairman of the Department of Arabic andIslamic Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington.Thetext is illustrated with masterpieces in Islamic art and archi-tecture, including illuminated Qur’ans, calligraphy, the greatmosques and details from Persian,Turkish and Mughalmanuscripts from the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin.Other photographs include important sites and subjectsfrom all over the world, from the Philippines to Nigeria.The musical accompaniment was composed and performedespecially for the video by Salman Shakur, the worldfamous Iraqi lute (oud) player.

The Path of Muhammedby Imam Birgivi, ForthcomingTranslated by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak

“This long-awaited classic of Islamic spirituality fulfillsimportant needs in scholarship on the history of Sufismand in the contemporary search for spiritual direction.Imam Birgivi’s manual of ethical conduct and spiritualpractice details the “Way of Muhammad (al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya),” a Sufi path created in late fifteenth-centuryMorocco and disseminated as far as India and beyondthrough the mediation of Ottoman Sufi masters.This pathseeks to instill the Sunna of Muhammad not only throughimitation of the Prophet’s outward behavior, but moreimportantly, by teaching one to assimilate the Prophet’sinner spiritual consciousness. In this way, the seekerbecomes empowered to find his own solutions to the chal-lenges of the times without merely repeating the answers ofthe past. In an era of rampant fundamentalism and simplis-tic and politicized responses to the world’s problems, thissixteenth-century work reminds us that the greater strugglelies within ourselves, and the life of the body cannot beimproved without the transformation of the soul.”

–Vincent Cornell, University of Arkansas


i s lam

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737316

t h e h o ly qu r ’ an an d had i t h e n c yc lo p e d i a

The Holy Qur’anThesaurus Islamicus Foundation Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation (2001)Hardcover, three colours (gold, black and blue),bound in high quality blue linen, blind and goldembossed cover. 848 pp

Large Format: US$ 75.00Small Format: US$ 50.00

Islamic authorities agree that this Arabic editionof the Holy Qur’an is of the highest quality inevery respect.The text was prepared under thesupervision of Al-Azhar University in Cairo.TheArabic type was handset at the beginning of thiscentury and reproduces the text in an extraordi-narily legible manner.The printing was carriedout in leading houses of West Germany.

The Encyclopaedia of HadithThesaurus Islamicus Foundation Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation (2001) 19 Volumes and a CD-ROM.Hardcover, two colours (black and red) in A4 (21cm x 29.7cm), with gold andblind embossed cover.

Hardback Price: $ 1250.00

Paperback Price (incl. CD-ROM): $250.00

Standalone Hadith Database CD-ROM Price: $80.00

This first collection of hadith, consisting of 19 volumes, includes the Seven Greatcollections of Hadith in Arabic (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Daud,Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Maja and the Muwatta’ Malik). Inaddition the collection includes a reprint of the one-hundred-year old Sultaniyyaedition of Sahih al-Bukhari, in three volumes published by Bulaq Press with itsvaluable marginal commentary.Also included within this first collection is a two-volume analytical indices to all the printed texts, entitled Maknaz al-Mustarshidinwhich includes amongst its references (tying all the source books together) therelevant hadith number in al-Mizzi’s Tuhfat al-Ashraf.

Accompanying the printed work the encyclopaedia includes a revolutionaryCD-ROM database which contains all the hadith collections provided in printedform, which may be accessed by 21 different kinds of searches of varyingdegrees of complexity. $80.00

This publication is the fruit of 15 years of editing, revision and research by a teamof religious scholars who have assembled the most comprehensive collection ofhadith manuscripts from all over the world as well as all previously published edi-tions. Painstakingly compared and revised with every page being approved by theIslamic Research Academy of al-Azhar, the Hadith Encyclopaedia revives the besttraditions of Islamic scholarship.At the same time, one of the Foundation’s proj-ects has been the development of the world’s finest Arabic typeface with the assis-tance of leading experts in Arabic calligraphy.This is based on the font used forthe 1932 King Fu’ad Edition of the Qur’an, generally acclaimed as the summit ofArabic typography, in a yet more elaborated digital form.


t h e qu r ’ an – i s lam i c j u r i s p ru d e n c e

The Qur’an, A NewTranslationThomas Cleary, (Forthcoming May 2004)

A new and complete translation of theQur’an by one of the premier translatorsof religious texts in the world.310 pp, 1-929694-44-X, $18.95

Etiquette with theQur’anImam al-Nawawi

A classic work on the etiquette that aMuslim should have with regard to han-dling, teaching, studying, respecting, andreciting the Qur’an.The topics this volume

raises include: ritual cleanliness, opportune times for recita-tion, and the etiquette between teachers and students.230 pp, 1-929694-0-08, $14.95

Islamic Law Accordingto the Four Schools al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Madhahib al-Arba’ahForeword by Frank Vogel, Harvard IslamicLaw School Translated by Nancy Roberts

Islamic Jurisprudence According to the Four OrthodoxSchools is a translation of volume I of al-Fiqh `ala al-Madhahib al-Arba`ah, by the Azhari scholar Sheikh cAbdal-Rahman al-Jaziri (1882-1941). Dealing with the forms ofworship (‘ibadat), this work offers an in-depth discussion ofritual purity (taharah), ritual prayers (salat), including funeralprayers and the practice of visiting the tomb of the ProphetMuhammad (pbuh), fasting (siyam), spiritual retreats (‘itikaf),charity (zakât), the pilgrimage to Mecca (both ‘al-hajj’ and‘al-cumrah’), and the offering of animal sacrifices.

Unlike previous works on Islamic law, which offer amedieval perspective, Islamic Jurisprudence According to theFour Orthodox Schools is unique in providing the four legalviews of ‘ibadat, according to the interpretations of morerecent traditionalists, trained at al-Azhar University. It is avaluable and detailed reference work for those interested inIslam, Islamic law, or comparative law and contains a glossaryof Islamic terminology.This is a must for academic librariesas well as for private individuals who want to learn moreabout the performance of religious duties.1800pp., Forthcoming

Al Shafi’i’s RisalaTreatise on the Foundations ofIslamic Jurisprudence

Majid Khadduri

Written in the second Islamic century byal-Imam al-Shafi’i, the founder of one of

the four Sunni schools of law, this important work gives thefundamental principles of Islamic jurisprudence and how itsinfluence continues to the present day.Glossary/Bibliography 379 pp., 0-946621-15-2, ITS $46.95 Hardcover $58.99

Islam,A Sacred Law -What Every MuslimShould Know AboutShariahImam Faisal Rauf

“An introduction for the English reader tousul al-fiqh, the general principles of Islamic jurisprudence.The timing of this book could not be better. Just whenAmerican Muslims are seeking a fresh approach to sacredlaw, and just when so many non-Muslims lack any notionof Islam’s intense concern with justice, along comes FeisalAbdul Rauf to clear up a matter for all of us.Anyoneinterested in the governing principles of a sophisticatedlegal system, one that supports the protection of life, reli-gion, wealth, offspring, sanity and reason should read thisaccessible and well-written book.”–Prof.Azziza Y. al-Hibri, Professor of Islamic Law, University ofRichmond

Its objective is twofold: one is to show the modern Muslimthat the underlying dynamics of most of the issues thoughtto be new and contemporary have in fact been discussedand addressed by Islamic thinkers and jurists from the earli-est times in Islamic history.The second objective is to helpmodern Muslims bring this understanding to bear upontheir real life problems and concerns, so they can followand examine legal arguments presented for their worthi-ness, and separate what is essential and central to their faithfrom that which is nonessential and peripheral.ISBN 939660-70-9 Hardback $28.00

Principles of Islamic JurisprudenceMohammad Hashim Kamali

This book offers the only detailed presentation available inEnglish of the theory of Muslim law (usul al-fiqh).ITS 417 pp., 0-946621-24-1, $44.99 Index

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737318

c o m parat i v e r e l i g i o n – i n t e r fa i t h d i a lo g u e

A Treasury ofTraditionalWisdomAn Encyclopedia ofHumankind’s SpiritualTruthIntroduction by Huston SmithForeward by Marco PallisCompiled by Whitall N. Perry

“Anyone who is interested, notjust in reading maps, but in going somewhere with his orher life, will find this the most comprehensive guide that hasbeen compiled.”–Huston Smith, author of the best-seller “The World’sReligions”

This extraordinary compendium gives us access to what thegreatest minds, from all time and the various faith and philo-sophical traditions, have had to say on literally every aspect ofthe spiritual life, point by point.

More like a library than a single book, this volume, now in athird, paperback edition, takes readers on a journey from thecreation of the cosmos and the individual soul to final re-absorption in the Divine Source, presenting the traditionalstages of the soul’s transformation.Whatever aspect is ofimmediate concern, be it faith, patience, suffering or mercy,the reader is treated to relevant passages as are found inEckhart, Philo, Rumi, the Talmud, Shakespeare, RamaKrishna, Black Elk,The Psalms, the Tao Te Ching, andMilarepa, among countless others; he or she will encounterthe heritage shared in common with all humanity, in thatwhich is essentially timeless, enduring and pertinent to one’sfinal end. It is Wisdom which is man’s priceless birthright,and that same Wisdom shines forth in the pages of this book.

This is possibly the most useful volume available for thoseinvolved in interfaith dialogue or whose sermons, lecturesand events require global referencing.Comparative Religion/Philosophy/Multicultural Interfaith studies • 1-887752-33-1 • 1144 pages • 7.00 x 9.50 in. • $39.95 • PB

The SacredUnconscious by Huston Smith

Professor Smith speaks of whatunifies all the worlds’ great faithtraditions and states that theHealing of Mind, Body and Soul“comes down to who we are-the recovery of the originaldivine station.”Through humorand personal anecdotes-withradiance and a twinkle in hiseye-Huston Smith shares with ushis own life transforming expe-rience with the sacred uncon-scious, where, he maintains, our

“imago Dei” resides and is directly linked to God. Beyondhis reassuring and compelling insights, what is most movingabout this precious footage is Huston Smith himself-hishumble, luminous, wise, exemplary state of Being. He iswhat he says.

Huston Smith is internationally known and revered as thepremier teacher of world religions and for his best-sellingbook The World’s Religions. He was the focus of a five-partPBS TV show with Bill Moyers, and has taught atWashington University, MIT, Syracuse and UC Berkeley.50-minute video, 1-887752-44-7 • World Religions/Philosophy • $14.95

Beads of FaithThe Meaning and Use ofPrayer Beads in the World’sReligionGray Henry and SusannahMarriott

“Using beads in prayer is arche-typal as it is common to all the

great faiths from the oldest, Hinduism, to modern Christianity.Here, for the first time, an accessible anthology introduces amainstream readership to the rosary and prayer-bead traditionsof the world’s great religions. Medieval manuscripts, icons,Persian miniatures, sculpture and temple carvings, as well asevocative contemporary photographs, are used to illuminatethe beads in all their glory. Key rituals and practices are pre-sented alongside each rosary, with quotes from great past andpresent religious figures.The book also contains simple medi-tation and mindfulness techniques for everyday life based onspiritual teachings. For readers of all faiths and none, who seekinner peace and an understanding of the Divine, this is theperfect book.” –Anna Amari, Carroll and Brown.

Note:This book is also available in video format. SeeBeads of Faith – The Universal use of the Rosary. p. 25 $24.95120pp., colour illustrations on every page • Hardback,1-903258-47-2 • $29.95

Praying Hands poster18x24” Lenny Foster $25.00


interfaith–judaism–christianity–islam/sufism–children/adults–ecology

The Animals’ Lawsuit Against HumanityA Tenth Century Iraqi Ecological FableTranslated by Rabbi Anson LaytnerIntroduction by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

How current this tenth-century tale is for today. It addresses environ-mental and animal rights issues with a suprising effectivity.A Muslimwork translated by a rabbi into Hebrew for a 14th century Christianking, now translated by a rabbi into English, edited by a Christian andillustrated by a Muslim.This is a true Interfaith title.

The ancient antecedents of this tale are thought to have originated inIndia, but the first written version of the story was penned in Arabicby members of the Islamic “Brethren of Purity” or Ikhwan al-Safa, aSufi order, in the environs of Basra, Iraq, sometime before the tenthcentury of the Common Era. In their version, the story was thetwenty-fifth of fifty-one treatises, the Rasa’il comprising an encyclo-pedia, in which were described the mysteries and meaning of life.

Much later, this one story,The Epistle of the Animals, was translatedand adapted by Rabbi Kalonymus ben (son of) Kalonymus, knownamong Christians as Maestro Calo, at the request of his master, KingCharles of Anjou (in France), in the year 1316.The story was popularin European Jewish communities into the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. Besides being published in Hebrew, it also was translatedinto Yiddish, German and Spanish.The text used was published inJerusalem under the title Iggeret Baalei Hayyim (The Letter of theAnimals) by Mosad HaRav Kook in 1949.

Kalonymus lived primarily in Arles, in the Provence region of France.The region at that time, along with Spain and Italy, was highly culturedand more tolerant than other parts of Europe because of the influenceof and contact with the Islamic/Arab world through Muslim Spain.Rabbi Kalonymus, like many others, was busy translating into HebrewAristotle and many others important classical thinkers, whose works hadbeen preserved in Arabic and transmitted by the Arabs to the West.1-887752-70-6 Forthcoming.With Beautiful, illuminated illustrations. Spring 2005


j u da i s m – c h r i s t i a n i t y – i s l am – h i n d u i s m – b u d d h i s m

The Universal Meaning of the KabbalahIntroduced by Jacob Needleman Translated by Leo Schaya

The original French edition, first appeared in English as part of Jacob Needleman’sPenguin Metaphysical library in 1971.

The Kabbalah is considered to be the “doctrinal essence of the Torah ... the repository inthe heart of Judaism of the mysteries hidden since the beginning of time.”

“This book fills an urgent need…To rediscover the deepest meaning of the OldTestament is something that could have a most tonic and enlightening effect on thewhole of Christian thought today; no clearer interpreters are to be found than the mas-ters of the Kabbalah.” -Marco Pallis

This book will be extremely useful to anyone who is, in the words of Maimonides,“per-plexed” by the Bible in the sense of having exercised his best thinking about it and whonow stands “broken” before its apparent contradictions and its overwhelming emotionalauthority...The Kabbalah, or esotericism, is the communication to man of what Schayacalls principial ideas, ideas that are to thought and actions what the sun is to itsrays…Standing between metaphysical ideas and the symbolic language of the Zohar andthe Old Testament, he allows each side to penetrate the other. -Jacob NeedlemanReligions / Judaism/Philosophy 1-887752-60-9 • 160 pages • $18.95 • PB • Fons Vitae Quinta Essentia Series •Includes charts and diagramatic illustrations NEW

Spain under the Crescent MoonAngus Macnab

This beautifully illustrated volume is composed of a series of historical sketches so irre-sistibly readable that they might have been lifted straight from the Arabian Nights-exceptthat, unlike Scheherazade, Macnab quotes unimpugnable historical sources for everywonder he recounts.The book is highly relevant to the pressing contemporary problemof how to relate to the Islamic world.The history of Moorish Spain shows that the ques-tion is not a new one, and it seems beyond doubt that the solutions (because they camefrom a deeper level) reached during the many centuries of Christian-Muslim co-exis-tence were more intelligent than the superficial and often ill-informed blundering socommon in this area today.

Macnab writes deftly on art and history, chivalry and religion, Christian and Muslim kings,and Christian and Muslim holy men. His narrative is an open window onto an age of faith.1999 ISBN 1887752218 Paperback - $35.00 • Copiously illustrated 189 pp.

The Golden GooseKing,A Tale Told bythe Buddha0964436205, beautiful color illustrations, $19.95For children.

Outline ofBuddhismWilliam Stoddart

In this book, theauthor surveys thevast and complexfield of Buddhistdoctrine, culturalforms and schools,

and presents with clarity and concisionthe essential features of the Buddhistreligion, with useful illustrations.

120 pp • 0-9629984-4-3• $10.95 • (1997) Paperback

Illustrated

Outline ofHinduismWilliam Stoddart

A concise surveyof the vast andcomplex field ofHindu mythology,metaphysics andspirituality includ-

ing diagrams and a section on modernsages and saints with photos of each.0-9629984-1-9 Paperback • 128 pp. • $10.95

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737322

t h e f o n s v i ta e t h o mas m e rto n s e r i e s

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is one of the most important and most widely read spiritual writers ofthe twentieth century whose writing and personal journals are universally recognized as a seminal and con-tinuing catalyst for inter-religious dialogue in the twenty-first century. Ewert Cousins, distinguished editor ofthe World Spirituality Series published by the Paulist Press, has called Merton an “axial figure.”


t h o mas m e rto n – s p i r i tua l i ty – i n t e r fa i t h d i a lo g u e

“The Fons Vitae Project for the Study ofWorld Religions through the lens of ThomasMerton’s life and writing is a significant pub-lishing event in the inter-religious dialogueand exposure of the contemplative practicesof the world’s major religions. Future volumeswill include Merton and the Vedanta and theNative American Peoples.”

– Jonathan Montaldo, co-editor of this Fons Vitaeseries, is former Director of the ThomasMerton Center at Bellarmine University,Past-President of the International ThomasMerton Society, and editor of The IntimateMerton: His Life from His Journals andDialogues with Silence:Thomas Merton’sPrayers & Drawings)

Merton & Sufism:The Untold Story–A CompleteCompendiumIntroduction by William Chittick

...“Actually the ground of everythingis within me and it is God ... it’s with-in everybody too.There’s one groundfor everybody, and this ground is theDivine Mercy.The people of the‘unveiling’, that is to say the Sufis, askthe Mercy of God to subsist in them...The Mercy of God is not arranged... in good and bad events but it issubsisting in me all of the time.”

– from Thomas Merton’s lectures onSufism to the novices at Gethsemani

“The groundreaking classic on theTrappist monk’s enthusiam for andparticipation in Islamic spirituality.”–Jonathan Montaldo, Director of theMerton Center and InternationalMerton Society

“Of value not only for a better under-standing of Merton himself but alsofor the creation of deeper modes ofcomprehension between the inwardand contemplative dimensions of Islamand Christianity.”–from preface by Seyyed Hossein Nasr,professor of Islamic Studies, GeorgeWashington University

$25.95 • 1-887752-07-2 • Includes photographicessays

Merton &Hesychasm:ThePrayer of the Heart &The Eastern ChurchThomas Merton discovered in thetradition of Hesychasm a form ofprayer ideally suited to his monasticlife and practice, noting in his personaljournal,“There are strong ‘hesychast’tendencies in me.”This long awaited

and profound work introduces theWest to Eastern Christian spiritualitythrough the “lens” of ThomasMerton—to the “Prayer of theHeart”—as practiced from the time ofthe Desert Fathers.

“Merton’s spirituality would not bewhat it is without his devoted andcareful study of Greek patristicthought and the Desert Fathers.” from“One Yet Two”

–Rowan Williams, Archbishop ofCanterbury

Includes essays from major scholars ofEastern Christianity and Merton suchas Bishop Kallistos Ware, FatherDonald Allchin, James Forest, Dom.M. Basil Pennington among others

This volume presents the riches ofChristian contemplative methods andexperience dating back to their origi-nal Christian source.$25.95 • 1-887752-45-5 • 507 pp • FullyIllustrated

Merton & Judaism:Holiness in Words“‘Merton and Judaism’ is an importantand admirable addition to the FonsVitae Thomas Merton Series.As an edi-tor and publisher of Thomas Merton’sand Abraham Joshua Heschel’s writingson Judaism, I can warmly recommendthis timely and informative anthology.”–Robert Giroux, Farrar, Strausand Giroux

“Thomas Merton like AbrahamHeschel had that rare ability to passover to another religious tradition andappreciate it from within, which is whythis volume on Merton and Judaism isso terribly important to Christians andJews, and indeed to anyone who wantsto understand the vitality of authenticmodern spirituality.”

–Kenneth L.Woodward, has been areligion Editor of Newsweek for 39years and author of The Book of

Miracles:The Meaning of the MiracleStories in Christianity, Judaism,Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

In “Merton and Judaism,”ThomasMerton is presented as making a sig-nificant opening to reverent apprecia-tion of Judaism past and present as heaspires to be, or claims to be,“a trueJew under my Catholic skin.”$25.95 • 1-887752-55-2 • 415 pp

Forthcoming

Merton & TaoismMerton & BuddhismMerton & ArtIn 2004 Fons Vitae will take uppublishing the Merton Annual.

Thomas MertonAudio-Visual SeriesThe Intimate Merton: His Lifefrom His JournalsRead by Jonathan Montaldo12 cassettes, $59.95 NEW

The Mystic Life SeriesSufism: Knowledge of GodSufism: Desire for GodTrue FreedomThirst for God(Individual cassettes, $9.95 each,4 tapeset, $29.95)

The Almost Final Days ofThomas Merton, $25.00 video

Merton – A Film Biography,$30.00 video

Gethsemani:Time in A Garden,(23 minutes), $15.00 video

Gethsemani, (60 minutes), $25.00video

How Do We Enter the Heart andWhat Do We Find After Entering?,$25.00 video

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737324

i n t e r fa i t h f o rt h c o m i n g au d i o ca s s e t t e s an d v i d e o s

The Sacred WordWithdrawal andReturn Written by Huston Smith

This video looks at the subjectof “retreat” in the world’s reli-gions.The great Prophetswithdrew and returned with aSacred Word or Revelationfrom which a beautiful civi-lization arose. Prayer is a formof retreat and here we attendthe central prayer of each great

faith and hear its meaning in English. Other forms of with-drawal and return presented from each faith are fasting, pil-grimage and times of renewing illness.The film concludes withexamples of how different traditions conduct an “innerretreat” in today’s world and with a selection of the sacredmusic or recitation of each glorifying God.Video 90 mins. Fons Vitae Forthcoming 1-887752-72-2

Faith in theFamilyKentucky’s Treasure ofDiversityThe Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist,Christian, and IslamicCommunities

Visit family homes and theplaces of worship and educa-tion and hear from withinhow faiths are lived.

1.The concept of “mankind made in the Image of God” asunderstood by each faith.

2. Rites associated with birth (Baptism, etc.)3.What is expected of a child on becoming twelve in these

five faiths.4. Rites associated with marriage.5.The “Sabbath,” or holy day, in the different faith

Traditions.6.Taking care of the elderly.7. Grace said at different tablesVideo 120 mins. 1-887752-73-0 Fons Vitae Forthcoming

The Mystical Journey The Soul Jesus & Mary God:Trinity & Unity4 Audio Cassettes

In this series, recorded at the Open Center NYC, Ewert H.Cousins, Professor Emeritis at Fordham University, a major author-ity on Western and world spiritual traditions and author of, mostrecently, Christ of the 21st Century, and William C. Chittick, a lead-ing scholar of Islamic mysticism with 25 books to his credit,including the recent The Heart of Islamic Mysticism and Me & Rumi,lead us in an exploration of the commonalties and differencesfound within the mystical paths of the world’s most widely prac-ticed faiths.

These tapes are filled with illuminating insights on such as Danteand Eckhart and one has the chance to hear William Chittickrecite Rumi and Ibn ‘Arabi in the original Persian and Arabic.1-887752-71-4 • Forthcoming • Fons Vitae audio-cassette/120 minutes each

Discounts on advance orders.


v i d e o – c o m parat i v e r e l i g i o n – i n t e r fa i t h d i a lo g u e

Beads of Faith The Sacred Name and the Heart’s Celestial Garden:TheUniversal use of the RosaryThe word bead itself has an “interfaith” origin. It comes from both theSanskrit buddh, which refers to Self-Realization–the Buddha is TheEnlightened One, and also derives from the Saxon verb bidden, to pray.

This video presentation first seeks to answer such questions as: In thevarious world religions, what are the different forms the rosary hastaken? What is actually said while using them and what do thesespiritual practices sound like? What gives the repetition of a DivineName or mantra the power to be efficacious and how does it acti-vate the heart? How does the symbolism of the rose and the mean-ing of the Sacred, or rather Secret, Garden, or rosarium, relate toattaining one’s own “Kingdom of Heaven within”?

The viewer is then treated to stunning imagery in art and photographyas this practice in the various faiths is chronologically presented–eachtradition made clearer through the wisdom found in the others.

The Hindu approach to the use of prayer beads or mala is elucidatedby three of the greatest spiritual masters of the Vedanta–SriRamakrishna (1836-1886), Swami Ramdas (1884-1963), and SriRamana Maharshi (1879-1950).

Judaism focuses on the string or sutra, rather than the bead.Thepractice of the tephilim, or prayer straps, is both fascinating andinspiring.The sacred texts included with them are truly moving.

For the different forms of Buddhism, Cambodian statuary and pho-tography of Tibet help to enhance one’s understanding of the Stateof Being, which is the ultimate goal of invoking upon beads.

The methodologies of both the Latin Church and the EasternOrthodox way are presented.An explanation of what the Catholicundertakes in reciting “Hail Mary” or meditating on the Mysteries isoffered.There is footage of the monks on Mount Athos performingthe Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart, which has inspired theAmerican Centering Prayer movement.

Muslim prayer beads or tasbih are discussed, as well as the particularuse made of them in Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam. Forthe sake of further clarification, this process is compared with theChristian rite of Holy Communion in terms of the shared focus ondeath (of one’s separative egotistic tendencies), resurrection, andEternal Life, or Union with God.

The video concludes with a demonstration by Brother Paul Quenon,a novice under Merton, of how to make a rosary from rose petals.35 min. video, Fons Vitae $24.95 1-887752-32-3 (1999) Also available in PAL format

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737326

f o n s v i ta e qu i n ta e s s e n t i a s e r i e s – sym b o l i s m – m e tap h y s i c s

FundamentalSymbols:TheUniversal Languageof Sacred ScienceRené Guénon

In this work, probably the mostsignificant in a modern Westernlanguage concerning symbolism,Guénon deals with the metaphys-ical and cosmological meaning ofsymbols drawn from traditions as

far apart as the Greek and the Buddhist, the Druid and theIslamic. The Science of Letters; Symbolic Weapons;The Languageof the Birds;The Bridge and the Rainbow are but a few of the76 chapters.A striking aspect of the book is that it gives anew significance to so many of the objects, natural andman-made, with which we are inescapably surrounded inour daily lives.Quinta-Essentia 1-870196-11-2 paperback • $27.50 • 33 diagrams • 339 pp. •252x156mm

The Great TriadThe last work by René Guénon

Centered on Taoism while rich inilluminating cross-references toother traditions, the ternary inquestion–Heaven, Earth andMan–is to be an inescapable fea-ture of all spirituality. Seldomhave the multiple levels ofsignificance of a single symbolbeen so as to reveal the triadsymbol possesses the possibility offunctioning as an initiatory meansof support for inner realisation Religions, Metaphysics / Spirituality1-870196-07-4 • 171 pages • $17.95 • PB

East and West, $19.95

Initiation and SpiritualRealization, $20.95

Insights into Christian Esoterism,$18.95

Perspectives on Initiation, $21.95

Spiritual Authority and TemporalPower, $18.95

Introduction to the Study of theHindu Doctrines, $21.95

Man and His BecomingAccording to the Vedanta, $19.95

The Multiple States of Being,$18.95

The Crisis of the Modern World,$18.95

The Reign of Quantity and theSign of the Times, $21.95

The Symbolism of the Cross,$19.95

King of the World, $18.95

Studies in Hinduism, $21.95

Theosophy, the History of aPseudo-religion, $24.95

Traditional Forms and CosmicCycles, $18.95

The Esoterism of Dante, $15.95

Insights into Islamic Esoterismand Taoism, $18.95

Metaphysical Principles of theInfinitesimal Calculus, $19.95

Miscellanea, $20.95

The Spiritualist Fallacy, $24.95

Studies in Freemasonry andCompagnonage

René Guénon was the extraordinary French metaphysician of whom Jacob Needleman wrote in the Sword of Gnosis that ‘no othermodern writer has so effectively communicated the absoluteness of truth.’As an expositor of pure metaphysics and its application to thescience of symbols, Guénon is without peer. Regarded by leading scholars as the first truly authentic interpreter of many Eastern doctrinesin the West, Guénon never tired, in the face of the seemingly inexorable process of dissolution in the twentieth century, of pointing to thetranscendent unity of all religious faiths and the abiding Truth that contains them all.

the sophia perennis collected works of rené guénon


wo r l d r e l i g i o n s – art – sym b o l i s m – b u d d h i s m

Living Thoughts of Gotama the Buddhaby Ananda K. Coomaraswamy & I.B. Horner

A second edition of one of the most significant selections of texts taken fromthe Buddha’s own statements (translated from Pali texts). Buddhist doc-trines are explained in terms meaningful to Westerners. Includes selections suchas: Causality,The Deathless and The Incomposite,Training of the Soul, andRelationship with Others.Religion / Buddhism, Spirituality • 1-887752-38-2 • 227 pages • $19.95 • PB • Illustrated with photos ofexquisite sculpture and painting

The Essential A. K. CoomaraswamyColor illustrations, 311pp., 0941532461, $21.95

Elements of Buddhist IconographyIllustrated Forthcoming

Reincarnation:Time and EternityEssays by Ananda K. CoomaraswamyForthcoming

ThySelf,The LogosThe Iconography of theCherubim over 4,000 Years ofSacred Artby Gray Henry

This work fleshes out with a wealth ofillustrations from the art and architec-ture of the worlds great spiritual andmythological traditions the conclusionsreached by A.K. Coomaraswamy andrecorded in his final essays, Guardiansof the Sundoor. Included will be a sectiondevoted to the symbol of the griffin,a form of cherub employed fromMesopotamia to Monticello. Essentialfor students of art history as this volumedemonstrates how the most profoundof doctrines have been tranmsittedand clarified by formulae in art.400 Illustrations Fons Vitae Forthcoming

Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy (1887-1947), described by Heinrich Zimmer as “That noble scholar upon whose shoulder weare still standing”, was one of the world’s greatest art historians and scholars of traditional iconography. He knew thirty-six languages andadmitted he did “actually think in both Eastern and Christian terms, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Pali and to some extent Persian and evenChinese.”While serving as a curator to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the latter part of his life, he devoted his work to the explica-tion of traditional metaphysics and symbolism. His writings of this period are filled with references to Plato, Plotinus, Clement, Philo,Augustine,Aquinas, Shankara, Eckhart and the Rhinish and oriental mystics.

Guardians of the Sun Door: See page 1 for details.

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737328

sym b o l i s m – m e tap h y s i c s – su f i s m

A Return to theSpirit: Questions andAnswersMartin Lings

A Return to the Spirit: Questions andAnswers includes:What is the SpiritualSignificance of Tears and Laughter?;Do the Religions Contradict EachOther?;What is the Qur’anicDoctrine of the Afterlife and itsRelation to Sufism?;Why “With AllThy Mind”?1-887752-74-9 Forthcoming 2005

Symbol andArchetype: A Studyin the Meaning ofExistenceMartin Lings

Included are chapters on:TheSymbolism of “Taste-dhawq ”;TheSymbolism of Pairs;The SevenDeadly Sins in Light of theSymbolism of Numbers;TheSymbolism of the Triad of PrimaryColors;The Quranic Symbolism ofWater;The Archetypes of DevotionalHomage;The Symbolism of theMosque and The Cathedral in theLight of the Stations of Wisdom.Quinta-Essentia 1-870196-05-8 • paperback •New Expanded Edition • 141 pp. • $16.95

Sufi Poems,AMediaeval AnthologyMartin Lings

Bilingual including the poetry ofRabia and al Hallaj.1-903682185 $24.99 NEW

The Secret ofShakespeareHis Greatest Plays Seen in theLight of Sacred ArtMartin Lings

Why does one literally experience acatharsis attending a Shakespeare play?Lings explains – Shakespeare to havebeen an initiate of a spiritual order orbrotherhood and was himself follow-ing the path of sanctification, beyondthat of salvation. Each character of hislater plays is intended to representsome aspect of our own fractured souls.Armed with Lings’explications,described here play by play, the readeris then able to consciously experiencethe pangs of transformation and, at aplay’s end, realization of his or her center,this peace usually represented by thesymbol of a marriage where elements atvariance are united.This volume iscrucial for understanding Shakespeare’senduring and universal appeal.Quinta Essentia 1-870196-14-7 • hardback • 224pp. • $24.95

What isSufism?

Martin Lings

Possibly the mostprofound andauthoritativework on thesubject.First published in1975 • 0-946621-4-1paperback • Indexes •133 pp. $19.95

A Sufi Saint inthe TwentiethCentury

Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi: HisSpiritual Heritageand Legacy

Martin Lings 0-946621-50-0 •Paperback • Indexes • 5illustrations • First pub-lished by Allen & Unwin(1961) • 242 pp. • $24.95

The Book ofCertainty

The Sufi Doctrineof Faith,Vision &Gnosis

Abu Bakr Sirajad-Din0-946621- 37-3paperback • First pub-lished in 1952, 89 pp.$16.99

CollectedPoems

Martin Lings1-901383-03-2, 56 pp.,$13.95

Dr. Martin Lings, retired Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts at the British Museum, was a student of C. S. Lewis at Oxford and laterhis great friend. He is one of the world’s greatest scholars on Islam, Sufism and Symbolism and author of the acclaimed masterpieceMuhammed:His Life Based on the Earliest Sources and the upcoming Summits of Qur’anic Calligraphy and Illumination, among othersfound here and ahead on pp. 30-31.


s p i r i tua l i ty – art – sym b o l i s m – m e tap h y s i c s – a lc h e my

Sacred Art inEast and WestIts Principles andMethodsTitus Burckhardt

A work of such profoundimportance–defining themeaning and spiritual use ofSacred Art through its sym-bolic content and depend-ence on metaphysicalprinciples–could only havecome from a scholar of thecalibre of Titus Burckhardt.

Wide in scope, covering Hindu, Buddhist, Christian,Islamic, and Taoist art, this work—unlike other books in itsfield—can help readers accomplish in themselves the verygoals intended by the creation of sacred art (i.e. spiritualtransfiguration). Beautiful color illustrations and line artenhance this extraordinary volume. Every sacred art isdeeply rooted in the religion from which it originates.Art History,Art & Spirituality, Symbolism 1-887752-41-2 • 217 pages • $19.95• PB • 50 Illustrations • 25 color plates • 25 black and white

AlchemyScience of the Cosmos,Science of the SoulTitus Burckhardt

Spiritual attainment has fre-quently been described inthe terminology of thealchemical tradition, where-by man’s leaden dull natureis returned to its goldenstate. It is a reminder thatwhen any substance or enti-ty undergoes dissolution(this could be even a rela-

tionship), it must eventually be resolved or re-crystalized ina new form.This opens the possibility that the new entitycould re-congeal in a higher and nobler form,“clarifyingwhat Rumi means by “Feel joy in the heart at the comingof sorrow.”Spirituality, Religion,Alchemy, and Symbolism / New Age 1-887752-11-0 • 206pages • $14.95 • PB • Includes illustrations and charts • Best Seller

The Essential Titus Burckhardt, $21.95, 352 pp, 0-941532-36-4, color plates and illustrations NEW

Mystical Astrology, $11.95, 64 pp, 1-887752-43-9, 12 color and black and white illustrations. See p. 6.

Moorish Culture in Spain, $35.00, 228 pp, 1-887752-28-5, 9 color and 81 black and white maps and illustrations

Mirror of the Intellect, $19.95 HB, 269 pp, 094662-10-8 Essays on the Inner Significance of Christian and Oriental Art

Fez, City of Islam, $34.99, 176 pp, 09466217-9, 41 color and 17 black and white illustrations

Letters of a Sufi Master, $11.95, 78 pp, 1-887752-16-1. See p. 2.

An eminent Swiss metaphysician and scholar of oriental languages who worked with UNESCO in the preservation of Fez, TitusBurckhardt (1908-1984) devoted his life to the timeless and universal wisdom present in Sufism,Vedanta,Taoism, Platonism and theother great esoteric and sapiential traditions.Though an art historian like his great-uncle, the renowned Jacob Burckhardt, his main interestwas the spiritual use and meaning to be found in Eastern and Western art and architecture, and the expression of the sacred lives of saints.

“No one since the legendary A. K. Coomaraswamy has been able to demonstrate how entire civilizations define themselves through theirart with the precision of Titus Burckhardt.This distillation of his life’s work is a precious memento.”

—Huston Smith

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737330

t rad i t i o na l s tu d i e s – sym b o l i s m – m e tap h y s i c s

The Sword of GnosisJacob Needleman

New edition of a classic from Penguin’sMetaphysical Library with a new introduc-tion by Needleman. 1-887752-66-8, FONS VITAE

Forthcoming

On Awakening andRememberingTo Know Is To BeMark Perry

“Few writings in recent years have done asmuch to further my understanding of the ultimate nature ofthings.” —Huston Smith 1-887752-40-4 • 434 pages • $21.95 • PB

The Sacred Origin andNature of Sports andCultureHRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad

Includes an appendix on the ancient symbol-ism of the game of chess. 1-887752-13-7 • 139

pages • $15.95

Science and the Myth ofProgressEssays by Wendell Berry,Titus Burckhardt,James Cutsinger,Willaim Dembski, ReneGuenon, S. H. Nasr, E. F. Schumacher,Frithjof Schuon, Huston Smith,Wolfgang

Smith, among others. 0-941532-47-X • 336 pp • $19.95

Beacon of KnowledgeEssays in Honor of Seyyed HosseinNasrEdited by Mohammad H. Faghfoory

Dr. Nasr’s profound impact on the interna-tional intellectual community expands far

beyond the boundaries of the Muslim world.Also includedare wonderful photos taken throughout his life. 1887752560 •

638 Pages • $40.00

Science and Civilization inIslamSeyyed Hossein Nasr0-946621-11-X • HB, 388 pp. $29.95

TraditionalismReligion in the Light of the PerennialPhilosophyKenneth Oldmeadow

Includes brilliant expositions of metaphysics,symbolism and sacred art 224 pp, 9-559028-04-9, $37.50 hardback

The Unanimous TraditionEssays on the Essential Unity of AllReligions Edited by Ranjit Fernando

The Sri Lanka Institute Of Traditional Studies

A collection of essays by Joseph Epes Brown,TitusBurckhardt, Rama P. Coomaraswamy, Gai Eaton, Isaline B.Horner,Toshiko Izutsu, Martin Lings, Seyyed Hossein Nasr,Lord Northbourne, Marco Pallis,Whitall N. Perry, LeoSchaya, Frithjof Shuon, Philip Sherrard,William Stoddart,Elemire Zolla. 241 pp, 9-55 9028-30-3, $29.95 hardback

The Widening Breach Evolutionism in the Mirror ofCosmologyWhithall Perry

A penetrating and comprehensive analysisbased on traditional metaphysics.

1-870196-13-9 • 8 monochrome plates; 2 line drawings 109 pp. $12.95

The Wisdom of AncientCosmologyContemporary Science in Light ofTradition Wolfgang Smith0962998478 • $16.95

The Eleventh HourThe Spiritual Crisis of the ModernWorld in Light of Tradition andProphecyMartin Lings1-901383-01-6 Revised and expanded edition $13.95

Ancient Beliefs andModern SuperstitionsMartin Lings1-901383-02-4 • Paperback • 96pp. • $13.95


art – arc h i t e c tu r e – sym b o l i s m – su f i s m – wo r l d r e l i g i o n

Islamic Art andSpirituality

Seyyed Hossein Nasr0-903880-35-0 hardback Index214 pp $43.00 color illustra-tions

Underneath WhichRivers Flow

The Symbolism of theIslamic Garden

Emma ClarkFons Vitae $15.95 color illus-trations 1-898465-06-1

The Architecture ofOttoman Jerusalem:An Introduction

Robert Hillenbrand213 pp., 1-901432-09-1 $29.95Fully illustrated.

The Doors of theKingdom

Photography by HaajarGouverneur

Calligraphy byMohamed Zakariya

Foreword by HRH Maha al FaisalAperature 0-89381-817-8 Hardcover Full Color Photography Throughout 96 pp./80color images $29.95

The MeccanRevelations

Muhyidin Ibn al- Arabi

Edited by MichaelChodkiewicz

Translated by WilliamC. Chittick and James W. Morris$16.00 paperback 384 pages 1-879708-16-7

The Sufi Doctrinein Tamil Literature

By Dr.A.M. MohamedSahabdeen

Introduction byNinian Smart$7.95 308 pages

Spiritual Alchemy:Master and Disciple,The Major Collectionof the letters of IbnAbbad of Ronda(1332-1392)Introduction and trans-lation by KennethHonerkamp.

The Prophet’s Isra’ and Miraj

Dr. M.Alawi Maliki

Shaykh al Islam at the Haram al Sharifin Mecca $6.95

Sufism:The Mystical Doctrinesand Methods of Islam

William Stoddart

Widely acclaimed for conciseness, clar-ity and accuracy.0-913757-47-0, 91 pp., paperback $8.95

Principles of Sufism

Al Qushayri

Translated by BarbaraVon Schlegell0-933782-20-9, 366 pp., $19.95

Revelation of theMystery

Al Hujwiri

Translated by R.A.Nicholson1-879708-14-0, 446 pp., $18.00

Medicine of theProphet

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya;Translated byPenelope Johnstone,Oxford University0-946621-19-5 paperback 318pp, $40.99

The Holy Sites ofJordan

Edited by HRH PrinceGhazi bin Mohammed

Biblical and Islamicsites; excellent text,

exquisite color plates and maps0-710306-37-7, 142 pp., $40.00

Also available

The Tribes of Jordan, $8.00

Cultural Treasures of Jordan, $40.00

Old Houses of Jordan, $40.00

Mecca, From BeforeGenesis until Now

Martin Lings1-901383-07-5, 86 pages, $13.95Forthcoming

The Holy Cities, thePilgrimage and theWorld of Islam

A History from the earliesttraditions until 1925(1344 H)

Sultan Ghalib al-QuaitiForthcoming

1-502-897-3641 and 1-502-893-737332

p h i lo s o p h y – wo r l d r e l i g i o n – nat i v e am e r i can

Tripura RahasyaThe Secret of theSupreme Goddess

Translated by SwamiSri RamanandaSaraswathi0-941532-49-6, 240pp,$15.95

The Golden Age ofZen

John C. H Wu0-941532-44-5, 280 pp.,$19.95

Treasures ofBuddhism

Frithjof Schuon0-941532-44-5, 210 pp.,$12.00

A BuddhistSpectrum

Marco Pallis0-941532-40-2, 240 pp.,$19.95

Naturalness, AClassic of ShinBuddhism

Kenryo Kanamatsu0-941532-29-1, 152 pp.,$12.95

Lamp of DualKnowledge &Cream ofLiberation,TwoLevels of IndianWisdom0-941532-38-0,208 pp.,$15.95

Indian Spirit

Edited by MichaelOren Fitzgerald0-941532-28-3, 152 pp.,$12.95

Light on the IndianWorld,TheEssential Writingsof Charles Eastman(Ohiyesa)0-941532-30-5, 240 pp.,$17.95

Not of this World,A Treasury ofChristian Mysticism

Compiled and editedby James S. Cutsinger0-941532-41-0, 296 pp.,$19.95

In the Heart of theDesert,TheSpirituality of theDesert Fathers andMothersJohn Chyrssavgis0-941532-51-8, 184 pp.,$17.95

RealityPeter Kingsley

Documents the distortion and loss ofthe original mystical tradition lying atthe roots of Western Culture.

“His words will change the way you imag-ine your life.” –Thomas Moore1-890350-095 $19.95 600 pp NEW

Seeing GodEverywhere, Essayson Nature and theSacred0-941532-42-9, 288 pp.,$19.95

Every Branch inMe, Essays on theMeaning of Man

Edited by BarryMcDonald0-941532-39-9, 368 pp.,$19.95

UnderstandingIslam

Frithjof Schuon0-941532-24-0, 214 pp.,$15.00

The Mystics of Islam

Reynold A. Nicholson0-941532-48-8, 144 pp., $13.95

The Art of Living,Essays on Christianand Oriental Art

Bugbear ofLiteracy

Figures of Speech

E.W. Lane Arabic-EnglishLexicon CD-ROMTRADIGITAL

The Lane’s Lexicon.This superlative masterpieceis now on CD-ROM (for PCs only).Access is byroot followed by scrolling of a complete entry,with the option to print a desired portion.Alsoincludes Preface by E.W. Lane and Memoir byStanley Lane-Poole.3-908153-55-7, $150.00

The Ibn ‘Ata’Allah Al-Iskandari Series

49 Mockingbird Valley DriveLouisville, KY 40207

(502) 897 3641(502) 893 7373

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fons vitae

47995328 fons vitae book catalog

Documents

su path of love

nal essays

coomaraswamys essays

su literature

drawings of

su masterby

su path of knowledge

knowledge of god