The Sufis

Idries Shah's 1964 book presents Sufism as a living tradition of wisdom that has influenced many aspects of Western culture, from chivalry and poetry to alchemy and the Freemasons. He discusses Sufi figures, teaching stories and methods. Influential but debated, its historical claims have been questioned by scholars, yet it played a significant role in popularizing Sufism in the West and is important for understanding twentieth-century interest in the tradition.