Original content

English translation

Now, if I were to bring the mention and account of all of them into this book, it would grow long, and if I were to omit some, the purpose would not be fulfilled either. So now I will bring into this book the names of those who exist in my own age among the individuals of the folk and their masters — from the lords of inner meanings, who are distinct from the people of mere outward forms — so that I may come nearer to attaining my aim, if God wills, mighty and majestic.

Those who were of Syria and Iraq: Shaykh Zaki ibn Ala': he was among the great masters and the noble ones of the age. I found him like a flame among the flames of love, with manifest signs and proofs. And the venerable shaykh Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn al-Misbah al-Saydalani: he was among the chiefs of the Sufis, and he had a fine tongue in verification and had a great inclination toward Husayn ibn Mansur; and I read some of his compositions. And Abu al-Qasim al-Sudusi: he was an elder of striving and good state, a shepherd and one devoted to the dervishes with a good conviction.

As for the people of Fars: the Shaykh of Shaykhs, Abu al-Hasan Salibah: he was the most eloquent of tongue in Sufism and the clearest of expression in the doctrine of divine unity, and he has well-known sayings. And the guiding shaykh, Abu Ishaq ibn Shahriyar: he was among the dignified ones of the folk and had great governance. And the elegant shaykh, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Bakran: he was among the great Sufis. And Shaykh Abu Muslim: he was a man precious to his time and of good conduct. And Shaykh Abu al-Fath ibn Salibah: a good and promising successor to his father. And Shaykh Abu Talib: a man captivated by the words of Truth.

Of this whole group, I did not see the Shaykh of Shaykhs nor Shaykh Abu Ishaq.

As for the people of Quhistan, Azerbaijan, Tabaristan, and Kumish: Shaykh Shafiq, Faraj, known as Akhi Zangani: a man of good conduct and praised path. Shaykh Wandari: he is among the great ones of this path, and much good has come from him. And the Repentant King (Padshah-i Ta'ib): he was a chivalrous man on the path of Truth. And Shaykh Abu Abdallah Junayd: a kindly and respected elder. And Shaykh Abu Tahir Makshuf: he was among the eminent of the time. And Khwaja Hasan of Simnan: a man captivated and hopeful. And Shaykh Sahlaki: he was among the champions and the poor devotees of the Sufis. And Ahmad the son of Shaykh Kharaqan: he was a good successor to his father. And Adib Kumandi: he was among the noble ones of the age.

As for the people of Kerman: Khwaja Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sirkani: he was a traveler of his time and made fine journeys. And his son the sage was a precious man. And Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salama: he was among the great ones of the time. And before him there were hidden ones among the friends of God, mighty and majestic; and the youths and the young are hopeful.

As for the people of Khurasan — where today the shadow of the fortune of Truth resides: Shaykh Mujtahid, Abu al-Abbas Sarmaqani. He had a good life and a pleasant state. And Khwaja Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Juwayni, who was among the great and the verifiers of this group. And Khwaja Abu Ja'far Tarshizi. He was among the precious ones of the time. And Khwaja Mahmud Nishaburi, he was an exemplar of the time and had a fine tongue. And Shaykh Muhammad Ma'shuq, he had a fine and good life; he was an ember of love, an elder of good inner state and joyful. And Khwaja Sayyid Muzaffar, the son of Shaykh Abu Sa'id, it is hoped that he will become the exemplar of the folk and the qibla of hearts. And Khwaja Ahmad Hammadi Sarakhsi. He was a warrior of the time, and for a while he was my companion, and from his affairs I saw many marvels. He was among the chivalrous ones of the Sufis. And Shaykh Ahmad the carpenter of Samarqand, who resided in Marw, was a sultan of the age. And Shaykh Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abi Ali al-Aswad: he was a good successor to his father, and in his time he was unique in loftiness of aspiration and truthfulness of insight.

And if I were to enumerate them all from the people of Khurasan, it would be difficult; and I saw three hundred persons in Khurasan alone, each of whom had a spiritual way of which a single one would suffice for the whole world. And all of this is because the sun of love and the fortune of the path is in the ascendant of Khurasan.

As for the people of Transoxiana: Khwaja Imam, accepted by the elite and the common, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Harami: he is a man attentive and captivated, having lofty aspiration, a pure life, and complete compassion for the seekers of the court of Truth. And the Khwaja who is a jurist and honored among his companions, Abu Muhammad Bathghari: he had a good life and strong dealings. And Muhammad Ilaqi, he was the shaykh of the time and the great one of the age, abandoning outward forms, customs, and pretexts. And Khwaja Arif, he was the unique one of the time and the wonder of the age. And Ali ibn Ishaq, the Khwaja of the age, was a dignified man and had a fine tongue.

And these names are of a group whom I have all seen, and I have made known to myself the virtues of each one, and all of them were among the people of verification.

As for the people of Ghazna and its inhabitants: Shaykh Arif, and in his time the just one, Abu al-Fadl ibn Asad: he was a venerable elder, and he had manifest proofs and shining miracles, and he was like a flame from the fire of love, and his conduct was built upon concealment (talbis). And the detached shaykh, singular from attachments, Isma'il al-Shashi: he was a dignified elder and walked the way of self-blame (malamat). And Shaykh Salar of Tabaristan, he was among the learned Sufis and had a good life. And the chivalrous shaykh and mine of secrets, Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn al-Hakim, known as Murid, may God have mercy on him: he was among the intoxicated ones of the presence of nearness to Truth and had no second in his own art, and his conduct was hidden from people, and he has manifest proofs and shining signs. And to keep company with him was better than to behold him. And the respected shaykh, among the foremost great ones, Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id al-Ayyar: he was a memorizer of the Prophet's traditions and attained a good long life and saw many masters, and he was of strong state and aware; but he walked concealed, showing his inner meaning to no one. And the venerable Khwaja, the rule of reverence and dignity, Abu Ala Abd al-Rahim ibn Ahmad Safari: he is precious to the folk and the master of the time, and my heart is well disposed toward him, and he leads a refined life and a good state, and he is aware of the branches of knowledge. And the peerless shaykh, Qaswara ibn Muhammad al-Jardizi: he has complete compassion for the people of the path, and for each one there is reverence in his presence, and he has seen the masters.

And by the conviction of the common folk and the scholars of that city, I hope that after these there will appear persons upon whom we may rely, and that this scattered group who have found their way into that city and have made the image of this path ugly may be purged from that city, and that it too may become a footing place of the friends and great ones of the religion, if God the Exalted wills.

Now let us return to the differing sects among them and the exposition of each one — and with God is help, protection, and right guidance.