Customer Reviews

Sufi: Expressions of the Mystic Quest (Art and Imagination)

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This book is a wonderful introduction to Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. The first part of the book is a lucid essay about the origins and basic outlook of the Sufis; Bakhtiar contrasts Creation ("the arc of descent") with the mystical quest ("the arc of the ascent"). The second part of the book is an exquisitely beautiful collection of photographs and reproductions of traditional Sufi illuminated manuscripts; the colors are strikingly clear. The third part of the book highlights particular themes in Sufism, including the Sufi understanding of geometry, architecture, music, poetry, and dreams. This book is a must for anyone who intuitively understands the connection between spirituality and the visual arts.

Bismillah! Even after years of reading Sufi material, this book retains a special place in my memory for the beautiful introduction it provided to the Way of Return. This book is esentially the most inspired best coffee-table book I've ever come across, combining luxuriously illustrated design with lucid essays on the sacred quest, the relationship of shaykh and disciple, and various doctrines such as expansion and contraction in creation and consciousness. All of this places the Sufi way firmly in the unveiling of the last Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the world of Islam. Culturally, this book favors the Iranian (and therefore Turkish and central Asian as well) tradition and neglects aspects of the Arab and Indian Sufi expressions.

Laleh Bakhtiar allocates all the cornerstones of the mystic's quest with a simple language. To do that is a feat in itself because the experiences of the inward quest cannot be easily described without often using vague metaphors and comparisons. Since there is an emphasis on the feminine qualities of the divine, like creation being one example, as a condition to a better grasp of the divine essence I like that the mystic's story comes from a woman's perspective.
The selection of the images, be it calligraphy, carpet designs or architectural masterpieces, to demonstrate and relate to the journey to the divine presence is as much revealing as the texts from holy scripture or mystical poetry.

I highly recommend it.