the great Sufi Master Ibn Ata 'Allah al-Iskandari has long been acknowledged as an essential and classic masterwork of the Islamic science of enlightenment. Ibn Ata 'Allah exemplified the ultimate model of a Sufi master possessed of a deep foundation in the sciences of the Qur'an, the way of the Prophet and the Universal Laws of the Islamic way of life, both outer and inner.

Short but immensely thought provoking, dense in their significance and insightfulness, crisp and sharp in their elucidation, the aphoristic Hikam are a true manifesto for those who are sincerely on the path of knowledge and awareness. This wisdom strips away our conventional responses to events, actions and phenomena, and encourage us to concentrate on the only true Reality.

With the publication of Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's new translation and with the aid of his accompanying commentary, students and adepts alike can now gain a profounder understanding of these timeless teachings from the wellspring of the heart of Islam.