Fundamental Principles of Tasawwuf

Description

The science of Taṣawwuf is the cornerstone of spirituality, and its practice guides the seeker toward sincerity, self-purification, and nearness to Allāh. This abridgment of Sheikh Aḥmad Zarrūq’s The Principles of Taṣawwuf (Qawāʿid al-Taṣawwuf) presents the core principles of Tasawwuf in a systematic manner, with unparalleled clarity.

In this work, the illustrious author distills forty essential principles, or qawāʿid, from his larger work. Taken together, these forty principles allow the reader to gain a proper understanding of Taṣawwuf, and thus to navigate the intricate interplay of īmān, practice (ʿamal), and self-awareness. Although Taṣawwuf has often been misrepresented and misunderstood – in the author’s time as well as our own – Sheikh Aḥmad Zarrūq helps us to situate this science in its proper context, in seamless connection with Islamic jurisprudence and theology. The text affirms unequivocally that true spiritual realization is only attainable through sound understanding of the Sharīʿah and ʿAqidah, and vice versa. Thus, true Islam is found in the holistic unity of outward adherence and inward sincerity.