The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam’s Mystical Tradition

Seyyed Hossein Nasr has written a compassionate and grace filled instruction of the ladder into the Sufi-Heart, the People of the Heart & the "Heart of Islam" I am particularity grateful that this manual of the Sufi-life, the Sufi-way, the Sufi-Path is written not as a western manual of the topic but written in the thought forms and patterns of the original Sufi tomes on "the path" Seyyed Hossein Nasr is as in all his many, many books a man of keen, sharp mind that is a light of knowledge and a heart that is the light of peace. He is the gracious & humble servant of Truth. Some western readers might find his unflinching servitude to Sufi as only an Islamic rite as eye opening. He has given a great insight(as he always strives) into the true nature of Islamic philosophy. And the Islamic thought and heart processes different then those of the Western world but respectable as not only a compassionate way of life but respectable as a deep and complex philosophy. We in the western world have just begun to dip our toes into the vast seas of Islamic philosophies and reawaken to what it means to be a human being. If you are interested in the peaceful and compassionate philosophy of Islam I can not think of a better book to recommend. Peace be with you-

But take small bites and chew well

There are various books on Sufism, but I liked this one the best so far. I tried Martin Lings ,Gai Eaton, Adbul Qadir Gilani and some works of Imam Ghazali but found that, although they are good, make a gray subject grayer.. Sufism is esoteric for sure ( it can be confusing and perhaps misleading if you don't have a proper background ) but this book is a great lucid introduction to it. I really liked for e.g. how Nasr talks about the topic of Love. For that alone the book is worth reading.

The Garden of Truth by Dr. Seyyed Hossain Nasr is profoundly powerful book I have ever read on Sufism it clarifies what Sufism is and lays a foundation on which on can begin in journey with a better understanding of where one is headed. The book doesn’t pretend to be the substitute for a master Sufi, I.e. one who has reached high level of Sufi learning who can provide a novice guidance. But in the absence of a master this is the best alternative to at least get a high level of understanding of the path of Sufism. I’m reading it for a second time and I recommend it highly.

As allways with professor Nasr publication's his vaulted perspective is resplendent with complete fleshing out of all sources of inspiration, influences and metaphysical, spiritual realities.

I have wanted to learn more about Sufi Islam, as I lived and worked in Morocco for 5 years and worked several months in Bangladesh, both countries where Sufi is prevalent. Dr. Nasr makes a superb overview of this hopeful branch of Islam. I learned so very much about Sufi connections to Christianity, Buddhism, Shi'ism, and Sunni faiths. I came away with much more optimism about long-term prospects for rapprochement among faiths. Excellent writing and organization of material.

The title of the book "Garden of Truth" comes from Hakim Sanai's(Afghan poet) master epic called Hadiqua ul Haqiqa without reference to this most important literary work on Sufism. Dr. Nasr spends quite a bit of time on elaborating metaphysical terms and cross-referencing the Quran and other Islamic sources. His book Knowledge and the Sacred is a better book to understand his perennial philosophy.

This is a must read for ever scholar who really wants to understand Islamic spirituality and Gnostism in its fullness, written by one of the greatest living philosophers in the world. I would certainly recommend you to read this invaluable book.

Great introduction

Seems to be a very well organised explanation of Sufi beliefs and the path each aspirant must follow to reach the garden. The only issue with these type of books is that they tantalize you into wanting to follow a spiritual path but show you that without a legitimate teacher you will never accomplish the path you want to set out on. The other main obstacle is reading the Quran, Sharia, Hadith in English translation which loses much of its spiritual force.

I have so much love for what author Seyyed Hossein Nasr has achieved here, offering his gift of education that covers Sufi history, locations, figures, orders, essential works, philosophy, and application. He is a proud Muslim, but his text never felt like it had an agenda, and let me assure you, when it comes to Islamic mysticism, only an Islamic voice can tell it. Even with Nasr's knack for simplifying the intricacies of such a complex topic, it's still a challenging read, not because of testing language or confusing concepts but because the information is so rich. Page after page dropped spiritual bombs into my brain, and I'd soon clog up, my mind wandering off due to the contemplative content. I'd regularly have to take breaks just to allow my thoughts to simmer, but what I always came back to was this: Sufism is the real deal. I finish this title with a sense of receiving secret knowledge and having inched ever closer to God. As a result, Sufism is the first mysticism that genuinely connects with me, which is an impact I shall treasure forever. I owe that to this work. If someone told me the Garden of Truth was a sacred holy book central to a world religion, I would believe it. I'd even tout it as one of the best.

This is one of the finest English-language books about Sufism that I have yet to read. Most importantly, it is written by a man who is not only a professional scholar of the subject, but a practicing Sufi. His account, therefore, is at once both academically rigorous and spiritually nourishing. Its content is accessible to the sincere layman.

There are a lot of books about Islam and Sufism. Some of them are dry and academic while others go to the other extreme of being cultish and 'new age'. This book by a respected figure gives us a thorough look into the subject. It is well researched without being dull and covers the esoteric aspects with maturity. He makes the effort to explain the translations of the sayings of well known historical figures from Arabic or Persian into English - thereby helping the reader get a clearer idea about the intentions behind the words. There are many books out there that put in a token effort to do so. Reading this, you get an idea of what can fall between the gaps. A little research on the author will make it clear that this is someone with a solid background in his subject matter. It is also a useful point of reference for information about other authors / figures and publications in this field. Nasr expands on areas that you might find touched on by other writers, as well as giving you some ideas about which sources to use in future.