The Whirling Ecstasy by Aflaki

Jelal-ed-din Rumi was born at Balkh, Persia, in 1207, and died at Konya, Turkey, in 1273. He founded the order of Mevlevi or whirling dervishes, and his chief work is the Mathnawi, an epic poem which expresses their mystical path. It was translated into English by Reynold Nicholson (6 volumes, London, 1926). This booklet is [...]

The Mystics of Islam by Reynold A. Nicholson

Academic introduction to the origins of Sufism. In The Mystics of Islam, Reynold A. Nicholson draws lines to old Christian, gnostic, neoplatonistic and even the Buddhist influences from where Sufism origins. The book is rich on examples, poems and references to Sufi masters and writers. Dowload here (84 pages): Mystics of Islam