This paperback is part of an eight-volume series from Morning Light Press in association with Parabola magazine dedicated to the world's great sacred traditions. William Chittick is editor of this anthology on the Islamic tradition which begins with a stunning collection of photographs illustrating the important role of beauty in Muslim poetry, music, calligraphy, ornamentation, buildings, objects, and ethical actions. "God is beautiful," said the Prophet, "and He loves beauty." The Quran says, "He made everything that He created beautiful" (32:7), and it tells people, "Act beautifully, as God has acted beautifully toward you" (28:77).
The paperback is divided into the following sections:
• Prophecy
• Living in Society
• Art and Beauty
• Signs in the Cosmos
• Signs in the Soul
• The Path to God
• The Wine of Love
This anthology contains a wide range of topics that will give you a sense of the devotion and key commitments of Muslims, including Sufi mystics. There are four interviews with Seyyed Hossein Nasr, the esteemed Muslim scholar. We also enjoyed essays by Annemarie Schimmel, William Chittick, and Henry Corbin. Our favorite piece in the book is "Adab: The Sufi Art of Conscious Relationship" by Kabir Helminski — see the excerpt.
