Examination of the Mystic Tendencies in Islam

The aim of this book is to explain how mysticism originated and developed in the Islamic world. The author has made an attempt to analyse the chief elements of the so-called Islamic mysticism and to show in what way its basic principles are related to the fundamental tenets of Islam. Voluminous books with regard to the development of Mystic theories in the Islamic world have been written. But very often the efforts are marred by their reliance on the works of unknown autho Their inferences from such works give an impression to the readers that the Muslim Mystics had lived a life absolutely different from the life and tenets of the founder of Islam. Their writings seem to suggest that Muslim saints had chalked out for themselves a oath of spiritual progress, which very little in common with the path of the prophet and his companions, and almost invariably aim at proving that this new path founded by these saints in some way made amends for the inherent defects of Islam as a theory of life. Dr. Ahmad has made an attempt to prove that the Muslim saints, the original founders of the different Sufi sects, were pious Muslims trying to follow the path of the prophet like the rest of believers, differing only in this respect that they were distinguished for their sincerity, piety, love and fear of God and their zeal in following the prophet in every detail of conduct. The author has only relied on well known Sufi writers and has avoided reference to books of doubtful authority.