Sufi Karachi Symbols Rituals And Narratives
By Babar N . Sheikh

This valuable book sheds much-needed light on certain near-unknown manifestations of Sufic devotion amongst the denizens of Pakistan’s largest city—side by side with modern life. The author also uncovers the principles behind this devotion, which is an important service rendered by him.<span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,sans-serif">For while there can be, and indeed are, very many varying manifestations of Sufi devotion all over the Muslim world, the underlying principles &amp; philosophy behind them are the same. Obviously, the terminology employed to describe these ideas varies from time to time, place to place. The author’s use of predominantly sub-continental terms will surely not be a hindrance to the perceptive reader of this book, who will recognize the universality of the themes herein.<span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,sans-serif">A multi-disciplinary artist and musician, the author is also an initiate into a prominent Sufi order and has been ‘on the path’ for 15 years. This gives him a special ‘insider’ point of view to accompany his keen artistic eye and academic training, all of which make this book a welcome addition to the literature on the subject; it will benefit those interested in visual culture as well as those looking for clear English-language expositions of Sufi devotional practice and symbolism. <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,sans-serif">&nbsp;