Written from the ninth to the twentieth century, these poems represent the peak of Islamic Mystical writing, from Rabia Basri to Mian Mohammad Baksh. Reflecting both private devotional love and the attempt to attain union with God and become absorbed into the Divine, many poems in this edition are imbued with the symbols and metaphors that develop many of the central ideas of Sufism: the Lover, the Beloved, the Wine, and the Tavern; while others are more personal and echo the poet's battle to leave earthly love behind. These translations capture the passion of the original poetry and are accompanied by an introduction on Sufism and the common themes apparent in the works. This edition also includes suggested further reading.

Hazrat Sayid Nematullah Shah Kirmani was among the great spiritually exalted saint of 8th and 9th Century Hijri. Born in 734 AH/1331 AD at Halab (Syria) and passed away in about 834 AH/1431 AD. He lived for a hundred years but he spent his life at Samarqand, Herat, Yezd, and Kirman (Mahan). His spiritual lineage of Sufi order "Nematullahi" is still prevalent in Iran and Faras.

Nishan-e-Asmani (The Heavenly Sign or the testimony of the recipients of revelation) first published in 1892, is one of the smaller but equally important books by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1835-1908), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (peace be upon him). It is a closely reasoned thesis, primarily based on prophecies made by some earlier Muslim saints and seers about the Coming of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. That all the events precedent to the Coming happened as prophesied and that they conclusively established the claim of the revered author to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, is part of history. He has since been globally hailed and accepted by tens of millions of devoted followers - the Ahmadiyya Jama'at, known for their genuine commitment to religious values, devotion to the Living God, service to the mankind, piety and peaceful communication of the Truth.

SEVEN 'SHAHS' OF SUFI POETRY Selected Poems Mas'ud Shah, Shah Ni'mat'ullah, Shah Da'i, Qutub Shah, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah & Nur 'Ali Shah Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mas'ud Shah (1048-1122) originally came from Hamadan. In the beginning he was at the court of the prince of Ghazneh and governor of India Sayfu'-daula Mahmud and quickly progressed in wealth and honour. When he was forty he was thrown into prison after being wrongfully accused along with his patron of treachery by Sultan Ibrahim. He became a 'Servant of God' or a Sufi and a bit of a hermit. His famous Habsiyyat, (prison-songs) are among the most interesting poems in the Persian language. Shah Ni'mat'ullah (1330-1431) was the founder of an order of Sufis that is today the largest in Iran. As well as a Sufi Master he was a poet who at times used 'Sayyid' as his takhallus or pen-name. He was influenced by Ibn 'Arabi and Hafiz.. He composed many prose works on Sufism and his Divan contains over 13,000 couplets, mostly ghazals and ruba'is. Shah Da'i (1406-1464) was born and passed away in Shiraz. He was initiated into Sufism by Abu Ishaq Bahrami known as 'The Shaikh of Four Books', a leader or representative of Shah Ni'mat'ullah. Among Shah Dai's works are a number of risalahs (Essays) including interpretations of Koranic verses, a translation of a short work of Ibn 'Arabi. Qutub Shah (1565-1611) was the fifth sultan of the Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golconda in South India. He founded the city of Hyderabad. Qutub Shah was a scholar of Arabic and Persian. He wrote poetry in Urdu and Persian. Qutub Shah had the distinction of being the first Urdu poet and is credited with introducing a new sensibility into prevailing genres of Persian/Urdu poetry. He was also a mystic or Sufi poet. Shah Latif (1689-1752) was a Sufi Master and is considered by many to be the greatest poet of the Sindhi language. His book of poetry is called the Risalo. His shrine is located in Bhit and attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day. He is the most famous Sindhi poet and Sufi. Bulleh Shah (1680-1758) was a Sufi poet who composed in Punjabi and settled in Kasur, now in Pakistan. His Spiritual Master was Shah Inayat. The poetic form Bulleh Shah used is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi poetry used not only by the Sufis of Sindh and Punjab, but also by Sikh gurus. Nur 'Ali Shah (1760-1796). The 36th Qutub or Perfect Master or 'Pole' of the Ni'matullah Sufi Order was born in Isfahan. The Ulama of Kirmansh 'Ali Bihbahani who was nick-named 'the Sufi killer' saw the Sufi Poet Nur 'Ali Shah as a threat and he was poisoned. The correct rhyme-structure for the first time has been achieved in all poems. Biographies of all poets and essays on Sufi Poetry & its Forms, Selected Bibliographies. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Iqbal, Ghalib, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Nazir, Iqbal, Seemab, Jigar and many others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books. memoir and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

Illuminates the centrality of courtliness in the political and cultural life of the Deccan in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Sufi mysticism's surprising revival in nineteenth-century Shi'ite Persia. Islamic mysticism experienced a remarkable revival in nineteenth-century fundamentalist Persia. Sparked by the return of the Sufi master Ma'um Ali Shah from India, the Ni'matullāhī Order rapidly spread throughout the region amid fierce opposition from Shi'te clerics. Rise of the Ni'matullāhī Order charts the movement's unlikely rise across three generations of Sufi masters. Reza Tabandeh demonstrates how Ma'um Ali Shah, Majdhub Ali Shah, and Mast Ali Shah sustained the revival by reinterpreting classical Sufi teachings for a Shi'ite context.

THE BOOK OF SHAH NI'MAT'ULLAH Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Shah Ni'mat'ullah Vali (1330-1431) was the founder of an order of Sufis that is today the largest in Iran. As well as a Sufi Master he was a poet who at times used 'Sayyid' as his takhallus or pen-name. He was influenced by Ibn 'Arabi and Hafiz. He came from Aleppo and after studies travelled in Egypt, Morocco, Mecca (where he met his Spiritual Master Abdullah Yafi'i). He built a monastery in Mahan near Kirman and lived there until his death. He composed many prose works on Sufism and his Divan contains over 13,000 couplets, mostly ghazals and ruba'is. This is the largest selection of his poems published in English. Introduction is on his Life & Times & Poetry and the Forms in which he wrote and on Sufism & Poetry. The rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the meaning of these beautiful, enlightened poems. Glossary, Selected bibliography. Included is an Appendix on The Poems of Other Poets of the Ni'mat'ullah Sufi Order including poems by Bushaq (the poet of food), Kasim Anwar, Shah Da'i, Nur 'Ali Shah, Bibi Hayati, Rida 'Ali Shah, Muzaffar; Ali Shah, Khusrawi and Munis 'Ali Shah... Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 232 pages COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com