In recent years, interest in Sufism - often regarded as the mystical dimension of Islam - has blossomed. Taught in European and American universities for many years, Sufism is an increasingly popular area of research in disciplines such as Islamic studies, comparative religion, area studies, anthropology, history, and politics.

In this new Routledge Major Work, the editor, a leading scholar in the field, has gathered in four volumes the canonical and the very best cutting-edge literature on Sufism to create an indispensable reference resource. The collection focuses on: origins and development; hermeneutics and doctrines; ritual, authority, and word; and modern Sufism.