Tales from the Land of the Sufis

Aesop and Jesus both knew that the best way to get a point across was through stories. In Tales from the Land of the Sufis, we find that same approach applied in Sufism, the mystical heart of Islam. Mojdeh Bayat and Mohammad Ali Jamnia retell in exquisite style some of the great tales from the likes of Attar and Rumi. Their emphasis is on the authors of the tales and how the exemplary lives of the master Sufi storytellers have also become material ripe for stories. Sufi story collections tend to be enchanting or humorously provocative and stand detached from the tradition. By including classic Sufi storytellers as subject matter, Bayat and Jamnia present these tales in their full spiritual glory. With themes such as self-sacrifice, humility, service, simplicity, faith in God, and, ultimately, union with God, the stories show both the outrageous iconoclasm of Sufism and its highest fundamentals. So, from dark tales, like the one about a mystic blasphemer who was executed by having his limbs and sense organs removed, to lighter stories, like those about a bald parrot and Alexander's big ears, Bayat and Jamnia strike a balance in this informative and eloquent storybook. --Brian Bruya