The Sufis

By: Idries Shah

Narrated by: David Ault

When it first appeared in 1964, The Sufis was welcomed as the decisive work on the subject of Sufi thought. Rich in scope, author Idries Shah explained clearly the traditions and philosophy of the Sufis to a Western audience for the first time. In the five decades since its release, the book has been translated into more than two dozen languages, and has found a wide readership in both East and West. Containing detailed information on the major Sufi thinkers, and literary characters, such as Nasrudin, it is regarded as a key work on both Sufism and Eastern Philosophy. A text in scores of leading universities around the world for courses on Sufism, Eastern thought, and Islamic philosophy, The Sufis has been used by psychologists and physicists, by school teachers, lawyers, social workers, and by ordinary members of the public.

©1964 The Estate of Idries Shah (P)2016 The Idries Shah Foundation

Incredibly INsightfull and illuminating Sufism

I first read this in the mid 1970’s. Powerful then and after all these years and all the spiritual practices this body has been through, even more powerful!

I highly recommend this for any seeker of Truth/GodAnswers. Interfaith inclusion is beautiful.

informative and interesting

impossible to review a sufi book, but i still highly recommend it, this is the place to start if you are curious about the sufis

The book to read for those interested in the topic

Idries Shah's The Sufis is an absolute must read if you have a suspicion that we are living in a world of more than three dimensions and we aren’t aware of a lot of it. Or, if you like the poetry of Sufis like Rumi or Khayyam and would like to know more about what they portray. It is a large, lively tour de force by a real Sufi who has firsthand knowledge. In a variety of ways, the book provides tons of interesting information about familiar and unfamiliar people and concepts but doesn’t devolve into intellectualism or emotionalism. The subject matter covers an expanse of thousands of years and predates the categories that it is often pigeonholed into.

I've read the print version several times since the 1970's and just finished the Audible version read by David Ault. The book is long and was a good companion on my walks. Ault has a nice voice and it was nice to hear the proper pronunciation of some unfamiliar words.

Great

Great review of Sufism. Extensive description of history and interactions of Sufi wisdom influence and western thought.

Spellbinding book, most excellent audiobook

This book has a cherished place on my bookshelf, and the audio version is absolutely beautiful and amazing. What a masterful telling. 10/10.