Religion of Love

"Religion of Love is by far the best study we have of what ÊAa¹­a¹­Är is actually saying, bringing out clearly the religious and spiritual roots of ÊAa¹­a¹­Är's work and his role as a guide on the path to God. At the same time, it offers an outstanding introduction to poetry's role in effectuating the transformation of the soul that is the goal of the religious quest. It brilliantly contextualizes the imagery of wine, women, song, unbelief, and so on that is the stock-in-trade of Persian, Turkish, and Urdu poetry." - William C. Chittick, Distinguished Professor, Stony Brook University, State University of New York

"This succinct, meticulously researched, and well-written study offers a fresh glimpse into the life and thought of ÊAa¹­a¹­Är of Nishabur, one of the most influential Sufi authors of all time. Treating ÊAa¹­a¹­Är's writings as 'a treasure-hunt for the Real that is full of revealed clues and natural signposts,' and utilizing his own knowledge of philosophy and theology, Zargar opens new vistas to rethink concepts such as 'religion,' 'infidelity, 'union,' and more." - Fatemeh Keshavarz, author of Lyrics of Life: SaÊdi on Love, Cosmopolitanism and Care of the Self

"FarÄ«d al-DÄ«n ÊAa¹­a¹­Är occupies a crucial place in the history of Sufism. Cyrus Zargar's Religion of Love helps us see the full contribution of ÊAa¹­a¹­Är as the essential 'merging of the two oceans' through whom the worlds of poetry and Sufism mingled in the ripe and lifegiving form that would continue through the centuries through Rumi and others. Zargar makes a unique contribution by centering the religion of love (Madhhab-i Êishq) not as a path of sentimentality but a divine journey of transformation. In Zargar, ÊAa¹­a¹­Är has found a profoundly creative, thoughtful, and sensitive contemporary interlocuter. Most enthusiastically recommended for all!" - Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University; Director, Illuminated Courses and Tours

"Religion of Love will be around as an unmatched work for a long time to come. With great lucidity and insight, Cyrus Zargar explains the relevance of the difficult and nuanced teachings and ideas of ÊAa¹­a¹­Är, deftly relating them to our fundamental lived experience as human beings and probing wider questions pertaining to the meaning of religion in the modern world." - Mohammed Rustom, author of Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ÊAyn al-Qua¸Ät