I would recommend "Love is the Wine" or "When you Hear Hoofbeats Think of Zebra". These are both contemporary books that emphasize practical matters, while being very accessible. If you are looking for a historical source I would look elsewhere.

I believe I may be able to clarify the confusion that might be coming up here. WS, this book doesn't have any 'latter day' issues, as it is the sermons and speaches of your and my khalifah-e-Rashid Imam-al-Muttaqeen Ali ibn Abi Talib. Everything in this book (to say the least) is authentic as these were widely witnessed events, and can be classified into a few distinct categories. There's wisdom and eloquence in every speech the way Allah and his Rasool (S) are described, there's at least one beautiful story of a sufic nature, (though a few others do qualify, at lesat in part.) There are instructions about how to conduct yourself, mostly in a few letters sent to his appointed subordinates. A number of the quoted speeches were in response to the political and otherwise subversive trickery conducted by Muwaiyah's camp. And most definitely my favorite is the one from which comes the widely quoted hadith "Man Arafa Nafsuhoo, Arafa Rabbuhoo" (Comprehend thyself, Comprehend thy Rabb.) There ought to be no worries over this book as it has been declared 'safe' by all but those who wish to hide the immensly immoral nature of Muwaiyah's campaign and his arguments - when he was in the decided wrong - against a Khalifah-e-Rashid. So please don't treat this work like it has to be defended all over again. It has been cleared by all the Sunni schools of thought. Was Salaam.

Whippersnapper: could you please explain and clear ur comment...

Asaaad: Don't want to get into sectarian issues here.. but only if contents of Nahjul Balagha could easily be separated into the authentic and the later day added poritions...

Ghina: "ultimately when the student is ready....."
mmm... kurri toe samajhdar hai... ;)

Nahjul Balagha - Sermons, Letters, and Sayings of Ameer al-Mu'mineen, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.)

If u wanna learn smethin abt sufism, learn it frm the Father of Sufism...

Salaam Whippersnapper

"So these books, they act like your murshid in the absence of one... they are not books.. they are you connection with the Saint himself.... the take you along the way."

I do definitely agree with your point about being a sufiologist. I'm also in agreement with you that books written by saints can bring you closer god. Ultimately, when the student is ready.......

When I said below 'per se books dont' I meant that ilm, or knowledge can't. Murshid does.

Sahihe hazar kitaban parhian zalim nafs na marda HU
bahj faqeeran kissay na mariya Bahu, eh chore andar da HU

Salaam Ghina

Well... thats a tricky question... I knew i'm cornering myself by saying that... do books make you a sufi?

Well to start off.. sufi has so many different definitions that lets just put that aside. In the context of this post, a sufi is someone who is close to God, so to become a sufi is getting closer to God, and the question become: Do books help you become closer to God?

Per se, books dont. I.e. the text of the books do not. That is my belief. The text and the information contained in it only makes you a better sufiologist!

But beyond the text, the books, especially those written by the Saints, have something associated with them like Barakah. The saint lives, and he knows who is reading his book, and just like visiting his tomb, reading his book is a way of asking him for help and guidance. So it is important to note that a lot of the Saints have written it clearly in their own written books that whoever reads it will be guided. Hazrat Sultan bahu says so about his books, and most specifically about his Risala-e-Roohi, which although is a persian book, is read for barakah in the circle. Similary Data Ganj baksh says so for Kashfil Mahjoob, and I believe Rumi says the same about the Masnavi. So these books, they act like your murshid in the absence of one... they are not books.. they are you connection with the Saint himself.... the take you along the way.

Wonderful. I'm reading hte Life of the Prophet by Martin Lings, so I'll definitely check it out. Is it historical, analytical or other?

I didn't think books could help you become a sufi ;) . Do tell!

Depends on what kind of books you want to read. There are some that will help you become a sufiologist, and others that will help you become a sufi :)

I'm currently reading "The Sufi Book of Life" by Neil Douglas-Klotz. It's very informative, and has meditation ideas at the end of each chapter.

How about _The Sufis_ by Idries Shah?