The Inner Life
Three Classic Essays on the Spiritual Life by the Beloved Teacher Who Brought Sufism to the West
by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Hazrat Inayat Khan’s The Inner Life, a collection of essays and aphorisms, focuses on balance and harmony, presenting a unique perspective for navigating the dualities of existence and emphasising the importance of fulfilling one’s duties to others and to the divine. Through a blend of wisdom and practical guidance, this book offers a roadmap for those seeking a deeper understanding of their inner selves and the essence of the Sufi path.
Readers will gain invaluable insight into the transformative power of love, detachment, and spiritual initiation. Inayat Khan’s teachings encourage individuals to clear emotional and moral debts, embrace a holistic approach to life, and foster a genuine relationship with the divine. By harmonising inner aspirations with outer actions, he indicates, one can achieve a fuller, more meaningful existence, enriched by the virtues of love, compassion, and understanding.
Hazrat Inayat Khan’s timeless wisdom and eloquent prose provide a beacon of light for those seeking spiritual awakening, offering a compelling guide to realizing one’s true essence. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Islam’s mystical tradition, which Inayat Khan first brought to the West. His special ability to convey the essence of the Sufi path remains unsurpassed, which readers will glean in his presentation of a path that engages with the world in a more profound and compassionate way.
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Table of Contents
Foreword
The Inner Life
The Preparation for the Journey
The Object of the Journey
Fulfillment of the Obligations of the Human Life
The Realization of the Inner Life
Freedom of Action
The Law of the Inner Life
The Object of the Inner Life
The Angel-Man
Five Different Kinds of Spiritual Souls
Sufi Mysticism
Mysticism
The Mystic
Realization
The Nature and Work of a Mystic
The Secret of the Spirit
The Mystical Heart
Repose
Action
The Path of Initiation and Discipleship
The Path of Initiation
The Meaning of Initiation
What Is Needed on the Path
The Different Steps on the Path
Inner Study
Three Aspects of Initiation
Discipleship
Four Kinds of Discipleship
The Attitude of a Disciple
The Path of the Mystic
Aphorisms
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Paperback Edition
192 pages. Printed card cover.
ISBN: 9781570622090
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Press, reviews, endorsements
"Few writers have been as important to the understanding of Islamic mysticism as Hazrat Inayat Khan . . . These writings are an eloquent introduction to a spiritual path that encourages seekers to discover their inner spirituality amidst the business of everyday life."
Publishers Weekly
"Inayat Khan is masterful, patient, and exacting in teaching the way of 'getting to the center of life."
Yoga Journal
"Inayat Khan brought one of the strongest and sweetest lineages from India to the West: the music and open heart of Sufism as it blends with Persian poetry and Western intellect. He is a source and a great joy."
Coleman Barks, author of Open Secret and The Essential Rumi
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About the Author
The late Inayat Khan Rehmat Khan (1882–1927), known as Hazrat Inayat Khan, was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the sarasvati vina, poet, philosopher, writer, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. He was the first teacher to bring Sufism-Islamic mysticism-to the Western world. His teaching was noted for its stirring beauty and power, as well as for its applicability to all people, regardless of religious or philosophical background.
At the urging of his students, and on the basis of his ancestral Sufi tradition and four-fold training and authorisation at the hands of Sayyid Abu Hashim Madani (d. 1907) of Hyderabad, he established an order of Sufism (The Sufi Order) in London in 1914. By the time of his death in 1927, centres had been established throughout Europe and North America, and multiple volumes of his teachings had been published.
