This is the first English translation of works attributed to Abu Madyan, a seminal figure of Sufism in Muslim Spain and North Africa. The oeuvre includes doctrinal treatises, aphorisms, and poetical works, and so introduces readers to several of the most important genres of religious writing in Islamic Middle Period.

This is an authoritative reference for the field, edited by two of its most prominent scholars. The essays explain the historical role of spirituality -- from the founding of Islam, to the rise of Sufism, through to present day concerns.