The Book of Truthfulness

Download or read book The Book of Truthfulness written by Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz and published by Islamic Book Trust. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The importance of this treatise lies in the fact that it is the earliest systematic presentation of the theory of Sufi experience, written by a practicing Sufi. Beginning with the idea of Sidq or truthfulness, the author develops his theme to include “stations” of fear, hope, trust, love, shame, longing, intimacy, all of which the mystic must pass on his path to God. Throughout the discourse the author constantly refers, typically as a mystic, to higher degrees of the various stations which cannot be described in written language. In a style which foreshadows the practice of later writers, the author begins with Qur’anic sanctions, and follows these by references to the Sunnah and the lives of the saints.