The Precious Pearl

In this book al-Jami examines questions that Islamic theologians, philosophers, and Sufis had long debated. On each question al-Jami first presents the views of the philosphers and theologians. He then presents the Sufi view as a clearly superior position, either because it reconciles the opposing views of the theologians and philosophers, or because it avoids problems that their doctrines entail.

Nur al-Din al-Rahn al-Jami was born in Kharjird, a town in the district of Jam in present-day Iran, in 1414 A.D. He died in Herab, in what is now Afghanistan, in 1492. Primarily a mystical poet, he also wrote many prose works in both Arabic and Persian. Nicholas L. Heer is Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington, Seattle.