Part 1 Translator's Introduction Part 2 Editor's Preface Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 On the Meaning of Sufi and Sufism and the Scarcity of Sufis among the People Chapter 5 On the Sufis' Belief in Divine Unity Chapter 6 On the Sufis' Belief in Prophethood and Immamate Chapter 7 On the Sufis' Belief in the Return to God Chapter 8 Explaining How the Sufis are Connected to the Sinless Imams Chapter 9 On the Excellence of Knowledge and the Scholars and Their Kinds Chapter 10 On Asceticism and Ascetic Practices Chapter 11 On Silence Chapter 12 On Hunger and Night Vigil Chapter 13 On Remembrance of God Chapter 14 On the Meaning of Trust in God Chapter 15 On Contentment and Submission Chapter 16 On [the Excellence of] Forty Day Worship Chapter 17 On the Permissibility of Listening to Pleasing Music Chapter 18 On Ecstasy and Swooning Chapter 19 On the Need for a Master and the Explanation of the Rules and Etiquette for the Master and the Disciple Chapter 20 Conclusion: On the Sayings and Utterances of the Sufi Masters Concerning the Stations Chapter 21 Supplement: On Divine Justice Part 22 Appendix: The Founder and the Masters of the Blessed Dhahabiyah Order Part 23 Bibliography Part 24 Index of Qur'anic Verses Part 25 General Index

Thanks to the diligence of Professor Mohammad H. Faghfoory, the translation of Tuhfah yi 'Abbasi (The Golden Chain of Sufism in Shi'ite Islam) long considered to be one of the most significant works on Sufism, provides us with a wealth of information concerning the practical and theoretical aspects of Sufism. This work was written during the Safavid period by one of the most illustrious proponents of gnosis, Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali Mu'adhdhin Sabzawari Khurasani. In the first part, an exquisite synopsis of the discursive aspects of the Sufi doctrine and its relationship with Shi'ism is presented and in the second part, specific practices of the practitioners of the Sufi path are discussed in some detail. I highly recommend this book to the students of Sufism, Islamic studies, Islamic intellectual thought and religious studies. It should be used as a text for Sufi studies for years to come..