The Principles of Sufism

The Principles of Sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. Outlining the four principles of Repentance, Sincerity, Remembrance andove, it traces the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novice’s transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both humanimitations and God’simitlessove. Drawing onessons and readings from centuries-old Sufi tradition, ‘A’ishah advises the seeker to repent of selfishness and turn to a sincereife ofove. In addition to hisucid translation, Th. Emil Homerin provides an insightful introduction, notes and a glossary to ‘A’ishah al-Ba‘uniyyah’s remarkable account of the pursuit of mystical illumination.‘A’ishah al-Ba‘uniyyah of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. Born into a prominent family of pious scholars and Sufi devotees, ‘A’ishah received a thorough religious education and memorized the Quran at age eight. A mystic and a prolific poet and writer, she composed more works in Arabic than any other woman before the twentieth century.Yet despite her extraordinaryiterary and religious achievements, ‘A’ishah al- Ba‘uniyyah remainsargely unknown. For the first time, her key work, the Principles of Sufism, is available in English translation.