8vo. ix, 500 pp of German text including 48 pp of Arabic text, publisher’s original wrappers, biblio, index, copy in mint condition, Beiruter Texte Und Studien. Band 57, Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart & Beirut, first edition, 1998.

Synopsis

This doctoral dissertation is devoted to research in religious, historical and philological studies on the Sufi of Shiraz Muhammads Ibn Khafif (died 371/982). Ibn Khafif played a major role in strengthening and consolidating the mysticism of the Baghdadian circle of al-Junayd in Persia and significantly contributing to preserving the memory of his many Sufi teachers, through the bigoraphical work composed by his student Abu al Hasan ‘Ali al-Daylami, the Sirat Ibn-i Khafif.
The dissertation concentrates on three distinct areas:
1- The biography of Ibn Khafif.
2- Basic traits of the theological and mystical teachings of Ibn Khafif
3- The first edition and translation of the “Book of the Goldem Mean”.