The Spy of the Heart

Robert Abdul Hayy Darr

$15.95

Publication Date: April 1st, 2007

Publisher:

Fons Vitae

ISBN:

9781929148622

Pages:

364

Description

Exploring the doctrines and practices of contemporary Islamic spirituality in Afghanistan, this book draws the reader into the complex world of Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam. Because of its long history of metaphysical and theological inquiry, Sufism has over the centuries developed a religious sophistication that offers an alternative to militant and literalist Islam. The narrative and personal descriptions of the people and cultures of rural Afghanistan allow readers to better understand the positive aspects of Islam and to feel the depths of Afghan yearning and sorrow after decades of war.

About the Author

Robert Abdul Hayy Darr is an American Muslim who has translated and published works of Afghan and Persian literature into English, such as the poetry of Raz Mohammed Zaray and Ustad Khalilullah Khalili, and the book The Garden of Mystery.

Praise for The Spy of the Heart

"This fascinating autobiographical travelogue . . . presents a more positive view of Islam than currently represented in the Western press. . . . The Spy of the Heart is a simply told, but an intensely gripping story of study and later initiation into Sufism." —Professor Leonard Lewisohn, PhD, Islamic Studies Department, University of Exeter

"The Spy of the Heart is better than most bestsellers about Afghanistan. It is not only a must-read for researchers and journalists . . . and the students of modern Afghan history and politics, but also the Afghans themselves." —Daily Outlook Afghanistan (March 27, 2011)