Al Hikam - The Book of Wisdom

Al Hikam - The Book of Wisdom, is basically a series of Aphorisms Quote of Ibn 'Ata Allah al-Iskandari. A famous explanation of the journey of the soul by Shaykh Ibn `Ata'illah, the work uses Qur'an and Sunnah as determiners of the principles, and contains treatises and supplications, and the author's spiritual aphorisms.

Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Ata Allah al-Iskandari (died 1309), a Maliki jurist and the third sheikh of the Shadhili Sufi order was born and grew up in Alexandria, lived and died in Cairo. He was responsible for systematizing the order's doctrines and recording the biographies of its founder, Sidi Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, and his successor, Sidi Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi. Ibn 'Ata Allah was the author of the first systematic treatise on dhikr, titled The Key to Salvation: A Sufi Manual of Invocation (Miftah al-Falah) and his compilation of aphorisms (hikam) helped to make the group very popular. Commentaries on the hikam have been made by some of the most famous of the Shadhili order such as Ibn Abbad al-Rundi, Sheikh Ahmed Zarruq founder of the Zarruqiyya Sufi order and Ahmad ibn Ajiba.

Although not much is known about his life, he had the best teachers in all branches of traditional sciences and became known as a great master of Islamic law of the Maliki School. Initially Ibn Ata'Allah was not so drawn to the Sufi path, preferring to concentrate his energies on jurisprudence. Yet, in spite of his early antipathies, he did become a disciple of Shaykh Abu 'l-Abbas al-Mursi, (d. 686/1288). As his most important and principal work, the Hikam, attests, he had become a Sufi master in his own right, and was already a shaykh when al-Mursi died. He became the third great master of the Shadhiliyya order, which grew from Morocco and spread throughout North Africa and beyond. With his career as a scholar in Cairo under the Mamluks in full flourish, he died at around 60 years of age in 709 AH/ 1309 CE and was buried there in the Qarafa cemetery.

He authored many books among them:

- al-Hikam (the famous Aphorisms)

- Lata'if fi manaqib Abi al-`Abbas al-Mursi wa shaykhihi Abi al-Hasan (biography, The subtle blessings in the saintly lives of Abu al-`Abbas al-Mursi and his master Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili)

- Miftah al-falah (The key to success)

- al-Qasd al-mujarrad fi ma`rifat al-ism al-mufrad (The pure goal concerning knowledge of the Unique Name)

- Taj al-`arus al-hawi li tadhhib al-nufus (The bride's crown containing the discipline of souls)

- `Unwan al-tawfiq fi adab al-tariq (The sign of success concerning the discipline of the path)

- and many others.

Al-Hikam is one of the best book of wisdom and spiritual Quotes that I've ever read, hope you all will enjoy it as I do.

Warning:

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For android 2.1 and 2.3 user only!!!

Don't use menu button on your phone key, when in detailed wisdom page, that will cause your apps to crash.

The differentiation of Android 2.1,and 2.3 to 3.0 and higher is so far, I still can't find a way to fix it, so,.. just don't touch the menu button.. you'll be OK without it