The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on Súfiism (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Foundations of Persian Sufi Mysticism, Doctrine, Saints, and Spiritual PracticeBy 'Ali ibn 'Usman Hujviri

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The Kashf al-mahjúb, or "Unveiling of the Veiled," is the earliest extant Persian treatise on Sufism and a foundational work of Islamic mystical prose. Combining doctrinal exposition, biographical notice, anecdote, and spiritual counsel, it clarifies the principles, practices, and technical vocabulary of the Sufi path. Its style is lucid yet authoritative, balancing sober theology with experiential insight, and it stands at the threshold of Persian mystical literature, before the later poetic efflorescence of Attar, Rumi, and Jami. 'Ali ibn 'Usman Hujviri, known in South Asia as Data Ganj Bakhsh, was an eleventh-century Sufi scholar from Ghazna who traveled widely through Khurasan, Iraq, Syria, and beyond before settling in Lahore. His learning reflects intimate contact with diverse Sufi lineages and debates, while his concern for orthodoxy suggests a desire to defend authentic spiritual discipline against both antinomian excess and superficial formalism. This work is indispensable for readers seeking the intellectual and devotional foundations of Sufism. Scholars, students of Persian literature, and spiritually serious readers will find in it a rare synthesis of history, doctrine, and lived mystical wisdom. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Audiobook details

GenreSpirituality and Religion

Length17 hrs 30 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateDec 9, 2023

LanguageEnglish

1Introduction

7243. Abú Bakr Muḥammad b. `Umar al-Warráq.

2Introduction

7344. Abú Sa`id Aḥmad b. `Ísá al-Kharráz.

3Synopsis

7445. Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Muḥammad al-Iṣfahání.

4Historical Context

7546. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. Ismá`íl Khayr al-Nassáj.

5PREFACE.

7647. Abú Ḥamza al-Khurásání.

Show all chapters

6INTRODUCTION.

7748. Abu ´l-`Abbás Aḥmad b. Masrúq.

7CHAPTER I. On the Affirmation of Knowledge.

7849. Abú `Abdalláh Muḥammad b. Ismá`íl al-Maghribí.

8CHAPTER II. On Poverty.

7950. Abú `Alí al-Ḥasan b. `Alí al-Júzajání.

9CHAPTER III. On Ṣúfiism.

8051. Abú Muḥammad Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Jurayrí.

10CHAPTER IV. On the Wearing of Patched Frocks (Muraqqa`át) .

8152. Abu ´l-`Abbás Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sahl al-Ámulí.

11CHAPTER V. On the Different Opinions held concerning Poverty and Purity.

8253. Abu ´l-Mughíth al-Ḥusayn b. Manṣúr al-Ḥalláj.

12CHAPTER VI. On Blame (Malámat) .

8354. Abú Isḥáq Ibráhím b. Aḥmad al-Khawwáṣ.

13CHAPTER VII. Concerning their Imáms who belonged to the Companions.

8455. Abú Ḥamza al-Baghdádí al-Bazzáz.

142. The Caliph `Umar b. al-Khaṭṭáb.

8556. Abú Bakr Muḥammad b. Músá al-Wásiṭí.

153. The Caliph `Uthmán b. `Affán.

8657. Abú Bakr b. Dulaf b. Jaḥdar al-Shiblí.

164. The Caliph `Alí b. Abí Ṭálib.

8758. Abú Muḥammad Ja`far b. Nuṣayr al-Khuldí.

17CHAPTER VIII. Concerning their Imáms who belonged to the House of the Prophet.

8859. Abú `Alí Muḥammad b. al-Qásim al-Rúdbárí.

181. Ḥasan b. `Alí.

8960. Abu ´l-`Abbás Qásim b. al-Mahdí al-Sayyárí.

192. Ḥusayn b. `Alí

9061. Abú `Abdalláh Muḥammad b. Khafíf.

203. `Alí b. Ḥusayn b. `Alí, called Zayn al-`Ábidín.

9162. Abú `Uthmán Sa`íd b. Sallám al-Maghribí.

214. Abú Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alí b. Ḥusayn al-Báqir.

9263.Abu ´l-Qásim Ibráhím b. Muḥammad b. Maḥmúd al-Naṣrábádí.

225. Abú Muḥammad Ja`far b. Muḥammad Ṣádiq.

9364. Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Ibráhím al-Ḥuṣrí.

23CHAPTER IX. Concerning the People of the Veranda (Ahl-i Ṣuffa) .

94CHAPTER XII. Concerning the principal Ṣúfís of recent times.

24CHAPTER X. Concerning their Imáms who belonged to the Followers (al-Tábi`ún) .

951. Abu ´l-`Abbás Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Qaṣṣáb.

251. Uways al-Qaraní.

962. Abú `Alí Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Daqqáq.

262. Harim b. Ḥayyán.

973. Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Aḥmad al-Khurqání.

273. Ḥasan of Baṣra.

984. Abú `Abdalláh Muḥammad b. `Alí, generally known as al-Dástání.

284. Sa`íd b. al-Musayyib.

995. Abú Sa`íd Faḍlalláh b. Muḥammad al-Mayhaní.

29CHAPTER XI. Concerning their Imáms who lived subsequently to the Followers (al-Tábi`ún) down to our day.

1006. Abu ´l-Faḍl Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Khuttalí.

301. Ḥabíb al-`Ajamí.

1017. Abu ´l-Qásim `Abd al-Karím b. Hawázin al-Qushayrí.

312. Málik b. Dínár.

1028. Abu ´l-`Abbás Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Ashqání.

323. Abú Ḥalím Ḥabíb b. Salím al-Rá`í.

1039. Abu ´l-Qásim b. `Alí b. `Abdalláh al-Gurgání (may God prolong his life for the benefit of us and of all Moslems!) .

334. Abú Ḥázim al-Madaní.

10410. Abú Aḥmad al-Muẕaffar b. Aḥmad b. Ḥamdán.

345. Muḥammad b. Wási`.

105CHAPTER XIII. A brief account of the modern Ṣúfís in different countries.

356. Abú Ḥanífa Nu`mán b. Thábit al-Kharráz.

1061. Syria and `Iráq.

367. `Abdalláh b. Mubárak al-Marwazí.

1072. Fárs.

378. Abú `Alí al-Fuḍayl b. `Iyáḍ.

1083.Quhistán, Ádharbáyaján, Ṭabaristán, and Kish.

389. Abu ´l-Fayḍ Dhu ´l-Nún b. Ibráhím al-Miṣrí.

1094. Kirmán.

3910. Abú Isḥáq Ibráhím b. Adham b. Manṣúr.

1105. Khurásán (where now is the shadow of God’s favour) .

4011. Bishr b. al-Ḥárith al-Ḥáfí.

1116. Transoxiana.

4112. Abú Yazíd Ṭayfúr b. `Ísá al-Bisṭámí.

1127.Ghazna.

4213. Abú `Abdalláh al-Ḥárith b. Asad al-Muḥásibí.

113CHAPTER XIV. Concerning the Doctrines held by the different sects of Ṣúfís.

4314. Abú Sulaymán Dáwud b. Nuṣayr al-Ṭá´í.

1141.The Muḥásibís.

4415. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Sarí b. Mughallis al-Saqaṭí.

1152. The Qaṣṣárís.

4516. Abú `Alí Shaqíq b. Ibráhím al-Azdí.

1163. The Ṭayfúrís.

4617. Abú Sulaymán `Abd al-Raḥmán b.`Atiyya al-Dárání.

1174. The Junaydís.

4718. Abú Maḥfúẕ Ma`rúf b. Fírúz al-Karkhí.

1185. The Núrís.

4819. Abú `Abd al-Raḥmán Ḥátim b. `Ulwán al-Aṣamm.

1196. The Sahlís.

4920. Abú `Abdalláh Muḥammad b. Idrís al-Sháfi`í.

1207. The Ḥakímís.

5021. The Imám Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal.

1218.The Kharrázís.

5122. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Aḥmad b. Abi ´l-Ḥawárí.

1229.The Khafífís.

5223. Abú Ḥámid Aḥmad b. Khaḍrúya al-Balkhí.

12310. Sayyárís.

5324. Abú Turáb `Askar b. al-Ḥusayn al-Nakhshabí al-Nasafí.

12411. The Ḥulúlís.

5425. Abú Zakariyyá Yaḥyá b. Mu`ádh al-Rází.

125CHAPTER XV. The Uncovering of the First Veil: Concerning the Gnosis of God (ma`rifat Allah) .

5526. Abú Ḥafṣ `Amr b. Sálim al-Níshápúrí al-Ḥaddádí.

126CHAPTER XVI. The Uncovering of the Second Veil: Concerning Unification (tawḥíd) .

5627. Abú Ṣáliḥ Ḥamdún b. Aḥmad b. `Umára al-Qaṣṣár.

127CHAPTER XVII. The Uncovering of the Third Veil: Concerning Faith (ímán) .

5728. Abu ´l-Sarí Manṣúr b. `Ammár.

128CHAPTER XVIII. The Uncovering of the Fourth Veil: Concerning Purification from Foulness.

5829. Abú `Abdalláh Aḥmad b. `Áṣim al-Inṭákí.

129CHAPTER XIX. The Uncovering of the Fifth Veil: Concerning Prayer (al-ṣalát) .

5930. Abú Muḥammad `Abdalláh b. Khubayq.

130CHAPTER XX. The Uncovering of the Sixth Veil: Concerning Alms (al-zakát) .

6031. Abu ´l-Qásim al-Junayd b. Muḥammad b. al-Junayd al-Baghdádí.

131CHAPTER XXI. The Uncovering of the Seventh Veil: On Fasting (al-ṣawm) .

6132. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Núrí.

132CHAPTER XXII. The Uncovering of the Eighth Veil: Concerning the Pilgrimage.

6233. Abú `Uthmán Sa`íd b. Ismá`íl al-Ḥírí.

133CHAPTER XXIII. The Uncovering of the Ninth Veil: Concerning Companionship, together with its Rules and Principles.

6334. Abú `Abdalláh Aḥmad b. Yaḥyá al-Jallá.

134CHAPTER XXIV. The Uncovering of the Tenth Veil: explaining their phraseology and the definitions of their terms and the verities of the ideas which are signified.

6435. Abú Muḥammad Ruwaym b. Aḥmad.

135CHAPTER XXV. The Uncovering of the Eleventh Veil: Concerning Audition (samá`) .

6536. Abú Ya`qúb Yúsuf b. al-Ḥusayn al-Rází.

136INDEX.

6637. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Sumnún b. `Abdalláh al-Khawwáṣ.

137I. Names of Persons, Peoples, Tribes, Sects, and Places.

6738. Abu ´l-Fawáris Sháh Shujá` al-Kirmání.

138II. Subjects, Oriental Words, and Technical Terms.

6839. `Amr b. `Uthmán al-Makkí.

139III. Books.

6940. Abú Muḥammad Sahl b. `Abdalláh al-Tustarí.

140Analysis