Providing commentary on three oft-recited chapters of the Holy Qur'an, this excerpt of the monumental discourse by 18th-century mystic and scholar Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba presents both an example of Islamic erudition based on traditional sources as well as insight into his own personal journey of discovery. Each verse is expounded upon with an exoteric explanation as well as related with an esoteric commentary to the mystic path of Islam, Sufism. As one of the few scholarly translations of traditional Qur'anic exegesis, this volume affords the previously unacquainted access not only to how educated Muslims have understood the dominant themes of these three chapters since the earliest days of Islam but also to how traditional Sufic sources have viewed the same themes in respect to the microcosm of the soul and the journey towards God.
Interest in Sufism continues to spread in the West, but the myth of a division between Sufism and Islam persists. Anyone who reads this translation will know that no such division exists . . . This work is a model translation that should be studied by all students of Islam. —Joseph Lumbard, professor and chair, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies program, Brandeis University
“The unusual combination of a native Arabic speaker and an English speaker as translators seems to work well, and there are some excellent choices of words…Almost everything in (this work) is worth saying. It should be read and re-read. “ —Harfiyah Ball, onThe Invocation of God,Journal of Qur’anic Studies
Ibn Ajiba’s commentary on the Qur’an is an ideal one for demonstrating the subtle interplay between traditional exegesis and the rich reflections of Sufis. In this clear and eloquent translation, English readers will get a taste of how this kind of Sufi interpretation respects the apparent meanings of Qur&#lS1
![The Immense Ocean: Al-Bahr al-Madid: A Thirteenth Century Quranic Commentary on the Chapters of the All-Merciful, the Event, and Iron [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/2/4/1/2_5474839.jpg "The Immense Ocean: Al-Bahr al-Madid: A Thirteenth Century Quranic Commentary on the Chapters of the All-Merciful, the Event, and Iron [Paperback]")