About The Book
The ultimate yearning of the human soul is to return to its Lord in a state where He is pleased with His servant and the Servant is pleased with his Master.
This book offers a unique insight to prepare you for the journey to God through the wisdom of the great spiritual master Ibn Ata'illah al-Iskandari as expounded in his masterpiece al-Hikam.
About Sheikh Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari
Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ibn ‘Ata‘ Allah al-Iskandari (died 1309) was a Malikite jurist, muhaddith and the third murshid (spiritual "guide" or "master") of the Shadhili Sufi order. He was born in Alexandria and taught at both the al-Azhar Mosque and the Mansuriyyah madrasa in Cairo. He was responsible for systematizing Shadhili doctrines and recording the biographies of the order's founder, Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, and his successor, Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.
He is credited with having authored the first systematic treatise on dhikr, The Key to Salvation (Miftah al-Falah), but is mostly known for his compilation of aphorisms, the Hikam al-‘Ata‘iyya. Commentaries on the Hikam have been made by some of the most famous masters of the Shadhili order such as Ibn Abbad al-Rundi, Ahmad Zarruq, and Ahmad ibn Ajiba as well as non-Shadhilis like the Islamic law Professor Sa'id Ramadan al-Bouti.
The wide circulation of Ibn ‘Ata‘ Allah's written works led to the spread of the Shadhili order in North Africa, where the order's founder had been rejected in earlier attempts. The Wafai Sufi order was also derived from his works. He died in 1309 while in Cairo.
About The Author
Jasser Auda is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Center of Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), Qatar Foundation. He is the former founding director of the Maqasid Research Center in the Philosophy of Islamic law in London.
