The author presents a deeply insightful assessment of the various causes of human suffering that is so rampant in the 21st century, despite all the technological advances.

Shaykh Nazim Haqqani has the unique gift of expressing volumes of advanced knowledge in the form of a short speech ("sohbet"). This outstanding work consists of these powerful "sohbets" that can be read separately, or in one session.

The Lord Almighty, in His kindness, compassion and mercy, may give everyone billions, but He knows well that human beings are never going to be in pleasure when they are given without limits. Therefore, God gives, according to His wisdoms, a little little bit. But man is running to reach more and more, saying, "It is not enough!" Humankind living on this planet are asking for pleasure in their lives, and mostly now people are looking and seeing that pleasure is through riches. They think that if they get richer, there is going to be more pleasure for them, and that is wrong. Their egos are like a thirsty person, thirsty for physical and material desires. They are running to the ocean to take away their thirst but no matter how much salty water they drink, they become even more thirsty. But when a thirsty person drinks once cup of pure, plain water, that cup is enough to take his thirst away. Our physical being is only for a short time, a very short time, and its perfection is only for keeping our souls in, but it is not a perpetual being. Yesterday we were nothing. Tomorrow we are going to be nothing. Between two nothings, how are we going to claim "I am here"? Our physical being is going to be dust. But the perfection of our spiritual being, that is something else. If you reach that perfection, you are most fortunate. Those who took care of their spiritual perfection, should be happy with a new beginning, with a new structure, with a new being. They should reach unknown places that they only heard about before, and their perfection should continue in the afterlife also. Therefore, the Lord sent, from His Divine Presence, from Heavens, chosen servants adorned with that secret power to arrange the lives of people on earth for reaching their ultimate perfection. Therefore those who are asking for pleasure in their hearts, they understand that they will find it only in the Divine Presence, and the way to the Divine Presence passes through Divine messengers, those who are on the way of God. If you listen to someone whose speech gives your heart, satisfaction, taking darkness away from your heart and your mind, and cleaning your intellect, you can understand that his level is high. If you find such a one hold onto his hand until he takes you to your final destination in the Divine Presence.

Jesus told us to be perfect, and the Second Vatican Council highlighted this command by speaking of the universal call to holiness for all Christians. How do we answer this call? One great way is to learn from and pray with the saints, the ordinary men and women who fought the good fight to be holy until the end of their lives – and won. The saints have inspired Christians for more than two thousand years because they show us what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ despite countless challenges and obstacles. This unique book contains short biographies of several saints, along with prayers to each one, for every day of the year. It also provides definitions of Church terms and other helpful back - ground information. The saints in this collection come from every period of Church history and all walks of life. They represent numerous countries, cultures, age groups, and vocations. They show us that holiness truly is a path open to anyone, and by their example and prayers they help us to follow it.

Winner of the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Silver Award! In the West, Islam has replaced Communism as the new bugbear, while Sufism, Islam’s mystical dimension, is often dismissed as the delusions of an irrational and backward people. Ken Lizzio corrects such misperceptions in this firsthand account of the year he spent in 1991 living with the head of the Naqshbandis, Afghanistan’s largest Sufi order. He presents the order in all its dimensions—social, economic, political, and spiritual—at a pivotal moment in history. He also gives a rare glimpse of everyday life in an Afghan Sufi school and of how the school has coped with the upheavals in its country. Poignantly, the Naqshbandi way of life faces threats to its very existence. One threat lies in the creeping secularization of Islamic society, another in the dismissal of Sufism by various fundamentalist Islamic sects claiming the franchise on truth. But historically, Lizzio points out, Sufism has always been Islam’s wellspring for spiritual revival. And because Sufis deal in matters that transcend time and cultures, they help outsiders understand not only the true nature of Islam, but the deeper meaning of all religions. The sound of that meaning echoes throughout this eloquent and fascinating memoir.

Available in English for the first time, this engaging and enlightening biography of John Paul II argues the case that the late pope’s life and deeds make him a worthy saint. A number-one best seller in Italy, Why He Is a Saint is an account of the late pope’s life, highlighting his deep Christian faith, his dedication to the Church, and his role in bringing down communism. This book delves deeply into Pope John Paul’s spiritual essence, through the unprecedented light of the investigation into whether he merits sainthood. Why He Is a Saint reveals the pope’s life through vivid, intimate anecdotes. Among the book’s startling revelations are his thoughts of retirement as his health declined, and the fact that he practiced the ancient ritual of daily self-flagellation. The book includes both unpublished as well as public correspondence, such as the “open letter” of forgiveness to Ali Agka, his attempted assassin. It also examines the pope’s severe acts of penitence and documents his miracles. This impassioned plea in favor of canonizing the pope as a saint has proven to be of profound interest to Catholics worldwide, as well as to anyone interested in faith and spirituality.

Expanding the series, Shaykh Adil Al-Haqqani presents his lectures and offers guidelines to developing heightened spiritual awareness and overcoming negative influences that impede happiness.

Like The Last Temptation of Christ, Saint Francis is a fictionalized biography of a widely venerated Christian figure: Francis of Assisi, whose renunciation of his young man’s life of leisure and founding of a religious order dedicated to living in poverty and sharing the Gospels with all living things profoundly influence the ways in which Christians the world over worship and give service to their god even today. Recounted in Nikos Kazantzakis’s striking prose through the eyes of the saint’s brother, Leo, the life of Saint Francis shines in these pages as a heroic example of inspirational leadership and boundless love for God and all His creatures.