Sufi Warrior Saints

This book presents a thematic collection of hagiographical stories of Sufi saints often referred to as friends of Gods. Despite the diverse wealth of Sufi works much of the rich global and centuries old literature of Sufi warrior-saints has yet to be translated into English. Examining hagiographical depictions of Sufi <i>mujahids</i> Neale corrects frequent misunderstandings of the term <i>jihad</i>in relation to Sufi thought and practice. Using Sufi hagiography treatises travel narratives and Muslim histories each chapter comprises the lives of Sufi saints during significant historical events from the Crusades to the Mongol Invasion and in regions ranging from Islamic Spain to North Africa and India. Using Persian and Arabic sources this compendium of translated hagiographies gives us a sense of the range themes and global dissemination of the Sufi literature on war and heroism.