Sufism: The Mystical Doctrines of Islam (Patterns of World Spirituality Series) [Paperback]

William Stoddart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0913757470 | ISBN-13: 978-0913757475 | Edition: 2nd,Revised

A concise introduction to the fundamental doctrines and practices of Sufism, the inward or mystical dimension of Islam. Stoddart provides a key starting point for anyone interested in Sufism, whether for theoretical interest, comparison, or for eventual practice.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic

Product Details

• Paperback: 94 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House; 2nd,Revised edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913757470
• ISBN-13: 978-0913757475
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,454,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

WILLIAM STODDART was born in 1925 in Carstairs, Scotland, lived most of his working life in London, England, and now lives in Windsor, Canada. He studied modern languages and medicine at the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Pursuing his religious studies, he has traveled widely in Europe (including Mount Athos), Morocco, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, and Japan. He has published six books and many articles in the field of religious studies. He has translated several of the books of Frithjof Schuon and Titus Burckhardt form French and/or German into English.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction, July 1, 2004

By 

Thomas F. Ogara (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sufism: The Mystical Doctrines and Methods of Islam (Hardcover)

When I first encountered this little book I thought that it was some sort of book for children - it was so short, I reasoned, that it couldn't be anything else.

After reading it I realized that if I were to recommend one book on Sufism to an interested beginner on the subject, I would recommend this. Not that it's superficial - far from it! But it is concise, precise and extremely well-written. It ties together ideas that you would otherwise need to read several books to grasp. Most interesting was the section on how Sufism relates to Christianity and Judaism. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction to Sufism, May 25, 2009

By 

William Bagley (Ashland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sufism: The Mystical Doctrines of Islam (Patterns of World Spirituality Series) (Paperback)

This book is a good study of Sufism and of comparative religion. The writing is concise, a lot is said with few words. The author does not always spell everything out, but leaves the reader to draw some conclusions. There are extensive quotes and beautiful pictures. I found that the book does show a deeper side of Islam. I do feel that Sufism predates Islam, in accord with the understanding of Idries Shah and his writings on Sufism. However, Sufism took home in Islam for a part of its life and shaped the traditon from within. This book, like many, holds the belief that Sufism is the inner mystical side of Islam. While this is not completely untrue, it is not the whole story. However, within the limits of the premise that Sufism is mystical Islam, the author does a wonderful job expressing What Sufism has been when it took home in Islam. There is a lot of history about Islam, Judaim, and Christianity from this vantage point that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend, for a fuller picture of Sufism that one read THE WAY OF THE SUFI by Idries Shah and CHASM OF FIRE by Irina Tweedie.