Gifts for the Seeker

Imam Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi Al-Haddad (d.1132H)
Revised addition - Translated from the Arabic by Mostafa Al-Badawi
Published by Fons Vitae

This book answers many of the questions often asked by seekers of inward illumination.
What are the real implications of the doctrine of divine unity?
How can proper concentration be achieved during spiritual exercises?
When should one avoid participating in Sufi gatherings?
What is the relationship between the tongue, the mind, and the heart?
How is one to understand visions received in sleep?
The work also includes the author's commentary on a poem on inner wayfaring which speaks of the most exalted stations of the path and goes on to explain a number of paradoxes of the Way, such as the reason as why the saints usually refuse to deploy their miraculous powers, preferring to concentrate on self-scrutiny and the compassionate guidance of others.  These points are illustrated with references to the famous mystical poems of Ibn al-Farid and Abu Madyan.

The author, Imam Abdallah Ibn-Alawi Al-Haddad lived in Tarim in the Hadramant Valley between Yemen and Oman, and is widely held to have been the 'renewer' of twelfth  Islamic century. He was a noted authority on the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence, and a writer on devotional matters, both in poetry and prose. His works have been translated into many languages.
Imam al-Haddad died in 1132 A.H. having spent his life bringing people to their Lord through his oral and written teaching, and his exemplary life. He was buried in a simple grave in the cemetary at Tarim.