Customer Reviews

The Sun Will Rise in the West : The Holy Trail

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I met Shaykh Taner this past weekend. It was my first real exposure to Sufism. The perspective offered by Shaykh Taner is wonderfully down-to-earth. I have spent the past 15 years of my life building my own understanding of "the truth" as I perceived it and based on my own experiences. Shaykh Taner's explanation of his beliefs was so close to my own that it was breathtaking. I don't foresee myself ever becoming a practicing Muslim. But I found a lot of truth in the Islamic principles as Shaykh Taner explained them. I will always value the time I spent with Shaykh Taner and I look forward to spending more time with him in the future.

After talking with him, I had to purchase the book. I wanted to be able to sit down and take an in-depth look at what this man has to say. I am now about 1/3 of the way through the book and am still finding it to be both enjoyable and enlightening. After having met many close-minded "holy men", Shaykh Taner's openness (and open-mindedness) is refreshing. In the several hours I was with him, I never got the impression that he was trying to "convert" me. He was simply sharing the truth as he perceives it (in his words, "as he has recevied it from Allah"). He lays it on the table. Whether we pick it up or not is entirely up to us and he makes no judgements on our choice (that is up to Allah).

He's not a man who's been cloistered and hidden from reality. He has lived in and survived dangerous times. He explains things from a perspective which is firmly rooted in reality.

"Enlightening" is the only way I can describe the information he passed on in person and in this book. It's not as if he's trying to persuade people to see things his way ... he simply shines a light on what is and leaves it up to the individual to accept it or deny it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone ... regardless of their religious background. Whether you accept it or not, it will definitely make you think.

Sincerely, Mike

In The Sun Will Rise In The West: The Holy Trail, Shaykh Taner Ansari dispels common myths and presents Sufism as a modern day reality. It presents an unprecedented, truly comprehensive written exposition of Sufism's core teachings in English and is written in a style that is accessible to Americans. Previously this body of knowledge remained either hidden within the oral teachings of the order or locked inside rare Turkish or Arabic texts, never before translated into English. Shaykh Taner's book provides American readers with a unique opportunity to gain a fresh view of the basis of the Islamic faith told from the Sufi perspective.

The Sun Will Rise In The West offers a thought provoking compendium of the entire system of Sufi knowledge, including the larger cosmological perspective. It describes the Sufi understanding of the structure of the universe, the relationship between matter and energy and the Sufi theory of consciousness. The book provides numerous examples and comparisons between Sufism and other knowledge systems such as physics, energy medicine and the Kabbalah. The material is well written and told with a lively sense of humor.

I really enjoyed reading this little gem. In a way, it reminds me of Thich Nhat Hanh in that it asks the reader to suspend their busy mental flow and just bask in the message. As a reader who often reads more complex material, this is a pleasant change of pace.

My only complaint is the targeting of the audience, which sometimes feels a bit condescending. The author conveys a universal message that need not be qualified. Regardless of ones own beliefs, there is quite a lot to be learned here about Sufism, Islam, Arabic and life itself. But most of all, it is rejuvenating.

The author assumes no knowledge on the part of the reader, and the book serves as an excellent introduction to the wide field of sufism. As the book itself says, it is aimed primarily at the western reader and should open up the awareness of this target audience to the interplay of forces beyond the immediate domain of existence.
At a time when humanity is facing great threats from within itself, the book serves as a useful reminder that we can return to the spiritual essence within ourselves by denying our own selfish motives and reaching outwards to the service of humanity, for it is only by helping others and seeking the guidance of a 'sufi master' that we can realize our true purpose in life.

This book is a mixture of assorted thoughts and have nothing to do with Islam or real practical life and humankinds every day issues.