Islamic Poetry and Mysticism

Sufism, the religious philosophy of Islam, is described in the oldest extant definition as the apprehension of divine realities, and Muhammadan mystics are fond of calling themselves Ahl al Haqq, 'the followers of the Real.'
The central doctrines from this point of view, have been drawn to some extent on materials collected during the last twenty years from a general history of Islamic mysticism-a subject so vast and many-sided that several large volumes would be required to do it anything like justice. Here, a sketch is drawn in broad outline on certain principles, methods, and characteristic features of the inner life as it has been lived by Muslims of every class and condition from the eighth century of our era to the present day...