Sheik Sa'd ud Din Mahmud Shabistari was born in Shabistar, near Tabriz modern day Iran, about 1250. Author of two books of mystical poetry and a single theosophical treatise, Shabistari is famed mainly for this book, which he composed in 1317 in rhyming couplets amounting to about one thousand lines. This poem was written in response to seventeen queries concerning various intricacies of Sufi metaphysics posed to the Sufi masters of Adharbayjan by another great Sufi of his day, Rukn al-Din Husayni Harawi. Composed in a highly symbolic language, the poem covers a variety of themes on the Sufi path and the evolution of the soul. The poem was first brought to Western attention by French travellers and later translated into German and English entering itself into the lexicon of Sufi literature. Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri is a spiritual philosopher and writer whose role as a teacher grew naturally out of his own quest for self-fulfilment. Since childhood he has been attracted to scientific investigation and intellectual pursuit. He was born in Karbala, Iraq, and is a descendant of several generations of well-known and revered spiritual leaders. After a stint in industry and consulting, he embarked on teaching, writing and meditating. His awareness of global realpolitik compelled him to seek a truth that would reconcile the past with the present, the East and West. His discovery affirms that One Cosmic Reality is the source behind all known and unknown states. Shaykh Haeri's unifying perspective emphasises practical, actionable knowledge of self-transformation. It provides a natural bridge between different approaches to spirituality, offering common ground of higher knowledge for various religions, sects and secular outlooks. His main work has been to make traditional Islamic teachings more comprehensible and widely available to the modern seeker through courses and publications. Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri is currently engaged in lecturing and writing books and commentaries on the Holy Qur'an and related subjects, with particular emphasis on ethics, self-development and gnosis ('irfan). With a lifetime's experience of contemplation, research, and insights, he shares what it means to live in the light of the Absolute in a relative world and maintains that spiritual awakening is potentially available to all. For more information about the author, please visit www.sfhfoundation.com