The Sun Will Rise in the West : The Holy Trail (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Sufi's goal in life is to achieve an intimate understanding of, and love for, God..." (more)
Key Phrases: ilaha illa, Prophet Muhammad, Holy Quran, Allah's Beautiful Names (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Alhamdulillah! I use this most wonderful book of teachings and am inspired every time I open it..." -- Marlina Rinzen

"It is rare indeed to find such a concise and clearly written volume on any path of enlightenment...A must-read..." -- Wakil Ahmet Ali Shah, Gerakan Suci

"This book is like a waterfall. You can stand beneath it and drink your fill, but the waterfall is not diminished..." -- Shaykh Ibrahim Spiegel

Product Description

In this inspiring book written specifically for the Western reader, a renowned Sufi Shaykh synthesizes his wisdom of the Sufi path for knowing and loving God. This study of Sufism serves as a guide for finding your purpose and acting according to it. To the Sufi, actions, thoughts, feelings, spoken words, all transmit vibrational patterns which produce reactions in the universe. The goal is to understand which reactions please the Creator as opposed to which please only one's ego. The Sufi route to this goal is via the heart, for love is the medium of Unity necessary for a connection between a person and the Divine.

The book discusses the practices that open a student's inner organs of perception to an expanded world of radiance which is normally unseen. The Shaykh serves as the guide and protector on this journey and the book clearly describes the responsibilities of both the Shaykh and the Sufi student. The ultimate goal of the Sufi path is the purification of one's heart, a process known as "surrender," i.e., the achievement of complete mastery over the selfish urgings of one's egoistic nature. Intention and sincerity are the springboards of the surrender process - the inner aspect which gives meaning to our outer deeds. This book will open your understanding to the deeper meaning of the Sufi path and its importance to both your own and humanity's future.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ansari Pubns (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970318502
• ISBN-13: 978-0970318503
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #819,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, January 16, 2001

By	Mike Casto (Nacogdoches, TX) - See all my reviews

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

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Meets the Soul, January 8, 2001

By A Customer

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Light-hearted and Inspirational, April 12, 2007

By	Strat Man (Shelton CT) - See all my reviews

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.