For 150 years, extremists have battled to obliterate spiritual practices and secret knowledge that has flowed through the veins of Islam for fifteen centuries. This book is the antidote, depicting ancient wisdom of guides of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, passed only from master to disciple. Following Banquet for the Soul (2008), the first volume of Grandshaykh Abd Allah’s Notes Series, Who are the Guides? outlines a spiritual discipline that generates the mind/body/spirit dynamic we crave, in a shallow world dominated by texting, Facebook, and Twitter.

Grandshaykh’s explanations are directed to those seekers who understand the Sufi Way, who have accompanied saints for a long time, who are willing to open their minds and hearts to the intense love of Allah, His Messenger and the spiritual guides, and who seek Oneness with them. Deep spiritual secrets are revealed: of how Creation flows from the Light of Sayyidina Muhammad, the treasures of our divine worship, and how to accelerate our progress on the Path. Who are the Guides? devotes particular attention to the hierarchy and characteristics of the four levels of murshid (spiritual guide): tabarrûk, tazkîyyah, tasfîyyah, and tarbîyyah. Details of the responsibilities, specific powers, and miracles of Sultan al-Awlîyâ, the Ghawth, and the five Aqtâb (the Pole Saints) are also defined. Who are the Guides? provides a unique organizational chart, if you will, of the most powerful guides and how to access them, and is a brilliant addition to any tasawwuf-based library.