A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi

by Martin Lings

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'Almost a prerequisite for any serious study of Sufism in European languages': this was the verdict of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his review of the first edition of the book. According to the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, it is 'one of the most thorough and intimately engaging books on Sufism to be produced by a Western scholar'. Certainly there is nothing second-hand about it. The author lets Sufis speak for themselves and, in a series of unusual and absorbing texts mainly translated from show more Arabic, he gives a vivid picture of life in a North African Sufi order. Against this background stands the unforgettable figure of the Algerian Shaikh who was head of the order from 1909 until his death in 1934. The last few chapters are mainly devoted to his writings, which include some penetrating aphorisms, and which end with a small anthology of his remarkable mystic poems. show less

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3 reviews
> Un trésor
Par M. Rodriguez, le 10 nov. 2012 (Sur Amazon) 5/5
Cet ouvrage se propose de présenter par une biographie courte (mais suffisante) du maître spirituel Ahmad Alawi (que Dieu l'agrée), tout en présentant son oeuvre tout au long de l'ouvrage (par des anecdotes, des citations, des commentaires, des documents historiques, etc.).
Excepté quelques coquilles dans le texte, et une confusion (mauvais choix de traduction) entre mysticisme et ésotérisme, ce livre est un véritable joyaux. La spiritualité y est omniprésente, une analyse sur les preuves islamiques qui montrent l'importance du soufisme et son caractère orthodoxe, constituant l'essentiel même de l'islam, sa dimension intérieure. Ce livre, comme les autres du même show more auteur et ceux du même maître spirituel, est excellent et constitue une admirable introduction en la matière (pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas encore très bien le soufisme, les tariqa ou certaines figures spirituelles de l'islam au sein du monde moderne)… ; (en ligne),
URL : https://www.amazon.fr/review/R1R0E448UORT15/
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Casi un requisito previo para cualquier estudio serio sobre el sufismo en las lenguas europeas: este fue el veredicto de Seyyed Hossein Nasr en su reseña de la primera edición del libro. Según el Journal of Near Eastern Studies, es "uno de los libros más exhaustivos e í­ntimamente relacionados con el sufismo que ha sido producido por un académico occidental". Ciertamente, no hay nada de segunda mano al respecto. El autor deja que los sufí­es hablen por sí­ mismos y, en una serie de textos inusuales y absorbentes, traducidos principalmente del árabe, ofrece una imagen vívida de la vida en una orden sufí­ del norte de África. En este contexto se encuentra la inolvidable figura del argelino Shaikh, que fue jefe de la orden show more desde 1909 hasta su muerte en 1934. Los últimos capítulos están principalmente dedicados a sus escritos, que incluyen algunos aforismos penetrantes, y que terminan con una pequeña antologí­a de Sus notables poemas mí­sticos. -
Almost a prerequisite for any serious study of Sufism in European languages': this was the verdict of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his review of the first edition of the book. According to the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, it is 'one of the most thorough and intimately engaging books on Sufism to be produced by a Western scholar' Certainly there is nothing second-hand about it. The author lets Sufis speak for themselves and, in a series of unusual and absorbing texts mainly translated from Arabic, he gives a vivid picture of life in a North African Sufi order. Against this background stands the unforgettable figure of the Algerian Shaikh who was head of the order from 1909 until his death in 1934. The last few chapters are mainly devoted to his writings, which include some penetrating aphorisms, and which end with a small anthology of his remarkable mystic poems.
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Este libro constituye un documento de primer orden sobre el sufismo en general y sobre una de las personalidades más grandes que la mí­stica islámica ha producido en los últimos tiempos, el célebre maestro argelino Ahmad Al-´Alawi de Mostagán (1869-1934) -
This book is a document of the first order on Sufism in general and on one of the greatest personalities that Islamic mysticism has produced in recent times, the famous Algerian master Ahmad Al-'Alawi of Mostagán (1869-1934)
Ver el texto en línea: https://www.webislam.com/media/2012/07/54254_un-santo-sufi-del-siglo-xx.pdf

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36+ Works 1,459 Members
Martin Lings was born in Lancashire in 1909. After a classical education he read English at Oxford where he was a pupil and later a close friend of C. S. Lewis. In 1935 he went to Lithuania where he lectured on Anglo-Saxon and Middle English and subsequently he went to Egypt and and lectured mainly on Shakespeare at Cairo University. In 1952 he show more returned to England and took a degree in Arabic and in 1955 he joined the staff of the British Museum where from 1970-73 he was Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts. For the following year he held the same post in the newly founded British Library. In addition to writing many books, as well as articles for Studies in Comparative Religion, Sophia, The New Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Encyclopaedia Britannica show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi
Original title
A Moslem Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-'Alawī, his spiritual heritage and legacy
Original publication date
1961; second edition (as A Sufi Saint...) 1971 (as A Sufi Saint...)
People/Characters
Ahmad Al-Alawi

Classifications

Genres
Religion & Spirituality, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
DDC/MDS
297.4ReligionOther religionsIslamSufi, Mysticism
LCC
BP80 .A54 .L5Philosophy, Psychology and ReligionIslam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.Islam. Bahai Faith. Theosophy, etc.Biography
BISAC

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Members
102
Popularity
317,671
Reviews
3
Rating
½ (3.50)
Languages
5 — English, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish
Media
Paper
ISBNs
10
ASINs
6