Sohbet: Conversation with Contemporary Sufis
By Sadiq M Alam

What role Sufism and Islam play among contemporary spiritual seekers?What are the circumstances that led them to come to Sufism?What teachings of the Sufi Path are the most attractive to a seeker of truth?How does surrender to the Spiritual Teacher, a core component of Sufi teaching applies to Western disciples who are more oriented towards reasons and intellect?The book explores these and many other questions with fifteen contemporary Sufis. The featured spiritual seekers the majority of whom are from West are engaged in conversations uncovering their unique spiritual journey, their attraction to the Sufi Path and how they met their Spiritual Mentors and Teachers. Through these conversations, invaluable life lessons and timeless wisdom is distilled for those who are interested in spiritual life.In Sufi Path and Sohbet and signifies spiritual conversation or discourse between the master and disciple, or between seekers of God through association, conversation, or simply by the presence.Featured in this book are the following personalities:Amatullah Armstrong ChishtiDaniel Abdal-Hayy MooreCarol SillNoor-Malika ChishtiMansur JohnsonMaryam Kabeer FayeDenise SatiDr. Stewart BitkoffBarbara FlahertyAsher QuinnHilary HartDominique DubruleBrenda WentworthNaila Amat-un-Nur, andDana Hayne.Many of these seekers of truth came to the Sufi Path through veridical dreams including that of Prophet Muhammad. You will come to know, for example, how a seeker born in a British Jewish family started to have visions of Jesus from the age of five who eventually in his 20s discovered the Sufi Path and for more than last 30 years, the sacred formula and La ilaha Ill'Allah and became etched in his heart as a refuge and sanctuary.Through association and spiritual lineage the book features memory and teachings of some of the most important Sufi Masters of both East and West namely: Inayat Khan, Samuel L. Lewis, Vilayat Khan, Zia Inayat Khan, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Muhammad ibn al-Habib, Abdalqadir as-Sufi, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh.May these spiritual chronicles inspire and encourage you to take your journey towards the One.