The Sufi Mystery

The mystery of the Sufis, in the ancient usage of the word, is the experience of self-realization taught by traditional schools of "mysticism." In English, too, the word "mystery" also stands for an art or craft, a skill; and this sense is also preserved in the Sufic usage of the word "Work," or science of the Sufi: "Knowledge without action is like wax without honey." The Sufi Mystery brings together writings by Ameer Ali, the Islamic historian; Professor E. G. Browne, the Orientalist; Sir Richard Burton; Robert Graves; Idries Shah; and many others. It deals with authentic and mutated schools and orders and their literature over a very wide area of geography and belief. Sufi theories and practices are examined, visits to Sufi centers are described, the relationships of master and disciple investigated, and links with other systems noted.