Sufi Sage of Arabia: Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad

This biography of the saint and Iman Abdallah al-Haddad takes readers into the fascinating world and spiritual life of 17th- and early 18th-century Yemen. The life of this renown spiritual master—whose teachings and personal example continue to influence lives around the world—is examined, from his early attraction to Sufi poetry and visit to the tomb of the prophet Hud to his rise as a Sufi master, his Hajj journey to Mecca, and his death. The biographical facts of al-Haddad’s life are interspersed with 35 black and white photographs and ruminations on his spiritual teachings, including his take on the “nine stages of certainty,” the five investitures of taqwa, the stages of gnosis, and karamat and super natural events. Sufi practitioners, historians, and anthropologists will come to a deeper understanding of this timeless and enduring tradition with this fascinating record of a seminal Sufi master.

“Two paths to God exist for the people of this world, the path to salvation and the path to sanctification. For those who seek more than the minimum, who desire more than the average man, who want and yearn for intimate knowledge of their source and ultimate destiny, sanctification allows them that possibility . . . This book, while a biography of one of the greatest saints in Islamic history, is more than that. It is a book of alchemy itself, filled from start to finish with the science of tasawwuf, which is and has always been the heart of Islamic tradition . . . Dr. Badawi was a student of a direct descendent of Shaykh Abdallah al-Haddad, Habib Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad. Those of us fortunate enough to have known him personally consider him a realized spiritual master and sanctified soul, and none can sanctify save God . . . This book is a compelling testimony to the spiritual power and influence of the sanctified soul on the world. It is perhaps more importantly for us a step toward re-introducing the desperately needed path of sanctification.” Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

“At a time when the Muslim world is suffering from false teachings being spread by extremists, the message of al-Haddad offers a precious means of return to the high ethical and spiritual standards of classical Islam. The publication of this important book should prove a milestone on the way of furthering that blessed effort.” T. J. Winter

This unique biography of the saint Imam Abdallah al-Haddad takes readers into the fascinating world and spiritual life of 17th-and early 18th-century Yemen. The life of this great spiritual master whose teachings and personal example continue to influence lives around the world is examined, from his early attraction to Sufi poetry and visit to the tomb of the prophet Hud to his rise as a Sufi master. The biographical facts of al-Haddad’s life are interspersed with his spiritual teachings, including those on the nine stages of certainty, the five investitures of taqwa, the stages of gnosis, and supernatural events. Sufi practitioners, historians, and anthropologists will come to a deeper understanding of this timeless and enduring tradition with this fascinating record of a seminal Sufi master’s life and death.

From the Fons Vitae Imam al-Haddad Spiritual Masters series, which includes The Book of Assistance (1872038018), Gifts for the Seeker (1887752579), and The Lives of Man (1887752145).