"Sufism," according to Nahid Angha, co-director and co-founder of the International Association of Sufism, "is belief saturated by the fragrance of the Divine." Whereas other religions rely upon the substantive texts of theologians to comment on the content of their holy books, these mystics place their trust in poetry and prayer.

Nahid Angha, author of fifteen books, has translated the sonnets and quatrains of five Sufi seers. These "love poems for Allah" convey the deep yearning of the soul for unity with the Beloved. Angha points to the rich symbolism of the following terms used to convey this relationship — wine, cup, wine bearer, ruins, and tulip. The quest is for annihilation or as the author beautifully puts it: "Sufis have stepped beyond the limits of time and the confines of mind to take the journey of the heart towards the Eternal, where the heart must be sacrificed at the doorstep of the Friend."

Reading these poems by Khadjeh Abdullah Ansari, Hakim Omar Khayam, Khadjeh Shamseddin Hafiz Shirz, Moulana Shah Maghsoud, and Ezzeddin Nasafi, we come to a deeper appreciation of the spiritual practice of yearning for God, the healing balm of grace, and the dignity of the human heart. These are all benefits of the inner path.