Product Description

An interpretative translation by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak of Sirr al-Asrar by Hadrat Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1077-1166AD), considered by many to be one of the greatest saints of Islam and the eponymous founder of the Qadiriyya order. This book, appearing in English for the first time, contains the very essence of Sufism, giving a Sufi explanation of how the outward practises of Islam - prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage - contain a wealth of inner dimension which must be discovered and enjoyed if external actions are to be performed in a manner pleasing to God. When this is achieved the soul finds true peace and the spiritual life becomes complete.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #227926 in Books
• Published on: 1992-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 172 pages

Gnosis
'A book of great importance to Sufism...Sheikh Tosun has done an admirable job in presenting not only a translation but a lucid interpretation of one of Jilani's most important works.'

Journal of Islamic Studies
'This work, which contain a biographical introduction to one of the author's least-known works, represents a valuable contribution to the field...The translator's introduction provides an insight into the various personal qualities and divine graces which are recognised in combination as a proof of sainthood...It is clearly and elegantly presented, accessible, and has the merit of combining metaphysical doctrine with devotional ethics as encapsulated in the life and work of one of the most endearingly popular Sufis of all time.'

Synopsis
An interpretive translation of "The Secret of Secrets", which was written by Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, who was considered by many to be one of the greatest saints of Islam, and was founder of the Qadiriyya order. The book contains the very essence of Sufism, giving a Sufi explanation of the fundamental duties of Islam - prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. The book forms a bridge between al-Jilani's two famous works, "Ghunyat al-Talibin" ("Wealth for Seekers"), which is meant to inspire men and women to be good practicing Muslims, and "Futuh al-ghayb" ("Revelation of the Unseen"), a late collection of lectures on mystical topics.

Customer Reviews

Amazing
I really love this book it contains many amazing stories about the famous Scholar and man of God, Abdul-Qadir Jilani. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the spritual side of Islam.

Best Translation of a Must have book
Toysun Barak's translation is wonderful. Few people realise that this Saint was hugely influential in the Asian subcontinent and many of us from the region had not heard of Ibn Arabi - who seems to have been highly influential in the West. This translation is an ingenuous weave of the author's life together with his teachings. It changed my life and other people's too. I gave to a friend as a gift and the next year he wrote to me saying this book had influenced him to go the Hajj. Hadrat Abdul Quadir Jilani (rah)is a huge presence so much so that some of his manuscripts are in the Vatican Library. His way is a journey of discovering the origins of self and this book is a good introduction into the world of this saintly sage

Fascinating account of the one of the greatest people ever to grace the Earth.
I found this book riveting. Although not a biography it has some bigraphical information on the saint of saints. One story that I heard through family, which is in the book, was that of the man who denied Islam and was transformed into a woman.