Customer Reviews

Turning Toward the Heart: Awakening to the Sufi Way: Forty Questions and Answers (Contemporary Spiritual Masters)

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I looked for a long time for a book that could describe the personal Journey toward God and/or deeper spiritual meaning & contact. This book does so clearly in easily accessible question and answer form. It describes the journey, and how that process will elucidate the limits of both written and verbal discussion. It emphasizes the process as an experiential one. While written from the perspective of the Sufic tradition, I found it equally applicable to other traditions - Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu - all of which are mentioned as paths to the truth. I recommend it highly and gave several copies to friends and family that I know to be questing for the deeper meaning of life and where and how they might find it.

Written in a question and answer format, Shaykh al-Tariqat Hazrat Azad Rasool answers most if not all question regarding Sufism.

His style is warm and heartfelt, but without sacrificing lucidity and succinctness and in the process covers a tremondous range of topics quite well. Most readers will come away with a firm understanding of what Sufism is and is not, plus what it has to offer us moderns.

What makes this book so special among the plethora of books on sufism is this: Unlike many authors, Shaykh Rasool is a Sufi and teacher with a real lineage, so he writes from first hand experience and knowledge. Which is quite rare when one examines many of the books, where the authors are either academics or new age purveyors.

One cannot but help when reading this book, that one is in the presence of a true spiritual guide. Someone who lives what he teaches. As one other reviewer put it, I'm grateful that such teachers still exist in our time. It renews ones faith to say the least.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what Sufism is and is a joy to read. It makes a perfect gift to religous students and others who are curious about other spiritual traditions.

If you are looking for more than the New Age approach to "universal" Sufism, or psychological approach of Idries Shah, and feel uneasy about the eschatological approach of Shakh Nazim, Turning toward the Heart will offer you an alternative and balanced approach in the traditional path of Sufism, written in a simple language, yet containing profound truths that are applicable for both an advanced student, as well as a beginner, who would like to experience the way of the Sufi.
The book has been extremely helpful to me in claryfying many confused ideas about Sufism, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the mystical dimension of Islam.
From a seeker after truth from Warsaw

This book is like a beacon of light. Hazrat Azad Rasool is quite clearly an authentic representative of the tradition of Wisdom which has showed itself here and there throughout the history of mankind, and shows itself here in the form of Sufism. However, this is not merely an academic tome. The effect of reading this book is an almost palpable transformation of one's understanding and being which remains with you long after you put it down. At least, that was the effect it had on me. I am both amazed and grateful that such writers still live in our time.

This is by a Sufi Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Order whose line now extends to the US through his khalif, Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid. The book is a concise and focused address to anyone who wants to have an authorized explanation of key questions about Sufism and its meditation practices. In Q & A format, the topics range from the specific to the historical, which includes a brief biography of Sayyid 'Abd al-Bari Shah. The book also includes a brief biography of Shaykh Azad Rasool (written by Shaykh Rashid), a glossary of Arabic words relevant to Sufism as part of the text, several pages of notes in the back to explain concepts and give citations. And there is an appendix of the silsila (chain of authority) of several orders that Shaykh Azad Rasool and Shaykh Rashid are khalifas of. The book is written in a format that is easy to read. Great for students and those just curious. An especially good resource book.

This little treasure has been in my personal library for several years now. There are numerous marked passages, as I often refer to this book in times of need-a tool to assist my own spiritual journey. The format of Q & A is natural and conversational, covering a range of topics such as spirituality in modern life, meditation and spiritual discipline, Islam's role in Sufism, the relationship between a student and teacher, etc.

An excerpt from the author's biography, written by his representative in the US, Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid, offers a portrait: "The cheerfulness, faith, trust and sincerity of Hazrat Azad Rasool are proven keys to success outwardly and, most importantly, inwardly. His ability to turn challenge into an opportunity for growth and worship ('ibadah) is a sign of the real Sufi"

This book is very easy going for a beginner. It summarizes the essential teachings of sufism, particularly the Naqshbandi tariqa. Based on a set of questions and their answers, this book educates a novice to the teachings of sufism. This book also gave a very brief historical setting of how sufism, and in particular, Naqshbandi tariqa flourished. This is an excellent mentor reading on the soft mystic side of Islam.