Essential Sufism

Foreword . . IX
Introduction . . XI

PART ONE: The Many Faces of Sufism
CHAPTER 1: The Sufi Way . . 35

PART TWO: Living in the World
CHAPTER 2: Daily Life . . 45
CHAPTER 3: Self-Deception and Self-Knowledge . . 57
CHAPTER 4: The Lower Self . . 65
CHAPTER 5: The World, Mirror of the Divine . . 73
CHAPTER 6: Wisdom . . 79
CHAPTER 7: Hadith, the Words of the Prophet . . 87

PART THREE: Love and an Open Heart
CHAPTER 8: Spiritual Experience . . 95
CHAPTER 9: Opening the Heart . . 101
CHAPTER 10: Contemplation and Knowledge . . 107
CHAPTER ll: Love . . 113

PART FOUR: Sufi Teachers
CHAPTER 12: Teachers and Students . . 127

PART FIVE: Sufism in Action
CHAPTER 13: Practices . . 151
CHAPTER 14: Sufi Humor . . 161
CHAPTER 15: Virtues . . 171
            Faith . . 171
            Humility . . 174
            Gratitude . . 178
            Poverty . . 180
            Patience . . 183
            Generosity . . 185

PART SIX: In Tonch with the Divine
CHAPTER 16: How to Know God . . 197
CHAPTER 17: Prayer . . 203
CHAPTER 18: Remembrance of God . . 209
CHAPTER l9: Service . . 217

PART SEVEN: Faces of the One
CHAPTER 20: God . . 227
CHAPTER 21: Satan . . 235    

PART EIGHT: Transformation
CHAPTER 22: Self-Transformation . . 243
CHAPTER 23: Death . . 250

A Note on the Texts and Calligraphy . . 257
Bibliography . . 259
Permission Acknowledgments . . 263