In Search of the Lost Heart

William C. Chittick is Professor of Religious Studies at Stony Brook University, State University of New York. He is the author and translator of numerous books and articles on Islamic thought, Sufism, Shi'ism, and Persian literature. His books include The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabī's Cosmology; Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-'Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity; Faith and Practice of Islam: Three Thirteenth-Century Sufi Texts; The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn al-'Arabī's Metaphysics of Imagination; The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rūmī; and A Shi'ite Anthology, all published by SUNY Press. Mohammed Rustom is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Carleton University. Atif Khalil is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Lethbridge. Kazuyo Murata is a doctoral candidate in Islamic Studies at Yale University.

"The style adopted by the author is lucid and simple yet scholarly, and occasionally, purely philosophical. There is considerable diversity in the contents to appeal to readers both with intellectual curiosity and spiritual inclination … This is a significant contribution to scholarship and research for those interested in Islamic philosophy and Sufism and Muslim intellectual history in general." — Muslim World Book Review"For its author's breadth and depth of erudition, his humanity and his heart-awareness, In Search of the Lost Heart is a book to acquire and to read with seriousness and intent." — Mawlana Rumi Review"…the chapters offer insight into particular aspects of Islamic thought; in selecting them from Chittick's enormous oeuvre, editors Mohammed Rustom, Atif Khalil, and Kazuyo Murata have shaped them into a work that exceeds their individual contributions as previously published texts. Moreover, the articles chosen for this edited volume are from writings that are not easily accessible in either print or digital form, and so it includes chapters that will be new to even those familiar with Chittick's corpus." — Islamic Sciences"What makes Chittick's work, and this collection of essays, stand out, is the author's unequalled scholarship and knowledge of the primary sources in their original languages (of which he is a master translator), combined with an acute awareness of the possible pitfalls of studying traditional materials from a modern scholarly point of view." — Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations"Each essay has been thoughtfully placed to introduce and complement what follows. The editors have achieved their intention with great success … The many studies offered here will be of exceptional benefit to students attempting to locate the unity that encompasses the many currents of Islamic discourse … Without hesitation, we can suggest that this edited volume of Chittick's most important articles is essential reading for all those interested in exploring the heart of Islamic thought." — Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society"Written in the style of scholarship for which William C. Chittick is well known, this text relates seemingly disparate concepts and presents complex metaphysical ideas in simple, accessible language. The diversity amongst the sources translated in this text, and the manner in which Chittick puts them into conversation with major philosophical debates will prove interesting to readers with a variety of intellectual interests. Needless to say, In Search of the Lost Heart: Explorations in Islamic Thought is a significant contribution to the scholarship on Islamic thought." — Iranian Studies"…Chittick's authorial voice has proved an uncommonly effective vessel and teaching tool. Chittick is almost uniquely capable of immersing readers in a complex topic within the space of just a few short paragraphs or pages; the expressiveness and conviction of his prose style have no peer that I know of in the English language. It is therefore an especial delight to have collected a large selection of Chittick's shorter essays, many of which will entice a general reading audience and equally many of which will prove useful in a classroom setting to Islamic studies teachers of various stripes … [a] lovely and profound set of essays." — Taneli Kukkonen, Journal of Shiʻa Islamic Studies

• A Note on Transliteration and StyleEditors’ IntroductionPart I. Sufism and the Islamic Tradition1. Islam in Three Dimensions2. The Bodily Gestures of the Şalāt3. Weeping in Islam and the Sufi Tradition4. A Shādhilī Presence in Shi‘ite Islam5. The Pluralistic Vision of Persian Sufi Poetry6. The Real Shams-i Tabrīzī7. The Koran as the Lover’s MirrorPart II. Ibn al-‘Arabī and His Influence8. A History of the Term Wahdat al-Wujūd9. The Question of Ibn al-‘Arabī’s "Influence" on Rūmī10. Ibn al-‘Arabī on the Benefit of Knowledge11. Qūnawī, Neoplatonism, and the Circle of Ascent12. Farghānī on Oneness and Manyness13. Jāmī on the Perfect Man14. Two Treatises by Khwāja Khurd15. A Debate Between the Soul and the Spirit16. A Sufi Handbook from BijapurPart III. Islamic Philosophy17. Rūmī and the Wooden Leg of Reason18. Bābā Afdal’s Psychology19. Mullā Şadrā on Perception20. Eschatology in Islamic Thought21. The Circle of Life22. The Goal of PhilosophyPart IV. Reflections on Contemporary Issues23. The Metaphysical Roots of War and Peace24. Harmony with the Cosmos25. Stray Camels in China26. In Search of the Lost HeartAppendix I: Chronological List of Historical Figures CitedAppendix II: Chapter SourcesAppendix III: Books by William C. ChittickNotesBibliographyIndex of Koranic PassagesIndex of Hadiths and SayingsGeneral Index