Where to Start
The archive is large, and the tradition is even larger. To make first steps easier, we have laid out five short reading paths. Each route is a small, ordered selection through the library, chosen so that the articles speak to each other. Pick whichever path feels closest to your question, and follow it from beginning to end.
1. If You're New to Sufism
Five foundational pieces to introduce the vocabulary, the inner anthropology, and the basic practice.
- What is Sufism? A Complete Introduction to Sufi Philosophy
- The Heart: Center of Sufi Psychology
- The Seven Stages of the Soul (Nafs) in Sufi Psychology
- The Song of the Reed: Opening of the Masnavi
- Dhikr: The Art of Divine Remembrance
2. The Anatolian Silsila in Order
Six consecutive links of the Anatolian chain of transmission, read in chronological sequence.
- Ahmad Yasawi: The Pir of Turkestan
- Hacı Bektaş Velî: The Pir of the Anatolian Erens
- Hacı Bayram-ı Velî: The Pir of Ankara
- Akşemseddin: The Sheikh of the Conqueror
- Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî: The Pir of Üsküdar
- İsmail Hakkı Bursevî: The Pir of Bursa and the Tafsir of the Spirit
3. Yunus Emre's Voice
Four poems of Yunus Emre, the Anatolian voice in which knowledge, love, and the sanctity of the heart speak in plain Turkish.
- Knowledge Is to Know Yourself: Yunus Emre on True Learning
- Love Took Me From Myself: Yunus Emre's Song of Surrender
- If You Have Broken a Heart: Yunus Emre on the Sacredness of the Heart
- I Love You Deeper Than the Soul: Yunus Emre on the Inwardness of Love
4. Daily Wisdom for the Heart
Five short articles on the inner disciplines that shape a Sufi's daily life.
- Sabr: The Discipline of Patience
- Tawakkul: Trust Without Passivity
- Tawba: The Door of Return
- Husn al-Zann: The Beautiful Opinion of God
- The Guest House: Rumi's Invitation to Welcome Every Experience
5. Deeper Currents
Five foundations for readers ready to step into the metaphysical centre of the tradition.