Kernel of the Kernel
Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i
Paperback, 183 pages
9780791452387
Concerning the Wayfaring and Spiritual Journey of the People of Intellect: A Shi'i Approach to Sufism
Kernel of the Kernel is an authoritative work on Sufism from a Shi'i perspective that is not only fascinating, but also contains much practical advice. In addition to providing a theoretical discussion of spiritual wayfaring, it is also the account of a personal fifty-year spiritual journey by Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, a renowned Iranian-Shii scholar and spiritual master. In Kernel of the Kernel, Tabataba'i discusses the doctrinal foundations of spiritual wayfaring as well as processes and stages that an aspiring wayfarer must go through in order to attain spiritual realization. He discusses the relation between the exoteric and esoteric aspects of Islam and clearly demonstrates that these inward and outward dimensions of Islam complement each other. The book also provides information on the Quranic origins of Sufism and its special relations with Shi'ism as well as the role of Shi'i Imams in the spiritual realization of a sincere wayfarer.
Contents
1: Editor's Introduction
2: Kernel of the Kernel
3: Description of the Realms Preceding the Realm of Khulus
4: Undifferentiated Description of the Path and Methods of Wayfaring Toward God
5: Differentiated Description of the Path and Methods of Wayfaring Toward God