An anthology of selections from Arabic and Persian writers

"A concise but authentic account of various sayings and teachings of Muslim Sufis." Islamic Review
Islam's mystical element, Sufism, offers believers a model of worship that transcends orthodox rituals and ceremony for direct, unmediated contact with the Divine. This volume was the first concise history of Sufism to appear in any language and it remains the best.
Noted scholar A. J. Arberry offers insights into every aspect of Sufism, from interpretation of the word of God and the life of the Prophet, to considerations of ascetics and mystics. Other topics include the theorists...

An English translation of the Muslim holy book portrays the spirit, rather than the exact context and rhythm, of the original Arabic text.

First published by Cambridge in 1953, this book is an English translation of The Pennants, an anthology of Arabic poetry compiled in 1243 by Ibn Sa'id al Andalusi, a native of Alcala la Real in then Moorish southern Spain. The text is arranged geographically and falls into two main divisions, the first part being concerned with poets born in Arabic Spain, and the second dealing with those who were natives of North Africa (from Morocco to Tunisia) and Sicily. The separate geographical sections are further subdivided according to the poets' social status or profession. Featured in this highly...

Originally published in 1965, this is an introductory book for university students of Arabic literature.

This 1935 English translation of a classic Arabic text in S f sm, the mystical aspect of Islam, by A. J. Arberry preserves the beauty and simplicity of the original without departing from a literal translation. Little is known of the author of this treatise Ab Bakr al-Kal b dh, except that he was a lawyer and died in Bukh r in about AD 990. This book is the work on which his fame rests, and is important because it is the earliest extant text to reconcile the position of S f sm and orthodox Islam. The book consists of five parts: a general introduction to the term S f and an enumeration of the...

Originally published in 1952, this book is a continuation of the catalogues of Islamic manuscripts in Cambridge University Library created by Edward Granville Browne.

Originally published in 1944, this book contains a selection of passages intended to help a beginner in Persian 'with sufficient reading matter for an intensive course to qualify him for attacking successfully the ordinary newspaper and magazine', as well as for informal conversation. Arberry also intends the book as a brief overview of Persian literature and culture, and supplies notes and vocabulary to go with the sample texts. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of education and Persian language learning in Britain.