Kashf al-Mahjub
The () was the first formal treatise on Sufism, compiled in the 11th-century by the Persian scholar Ali al-Hujwiri. The work contains a complete system of Sufism with its doctrines and practices. Mystical controversies and current opinions are illustrated where many are clarified by presenting his experiences. The book with its Persian flavor of philosophical speculation and fiction is itself a piece of the identity of al-Hujwiri (also known as Data Ganj Baksh). Introduction In composing this book, Ali Hujwiri was inconvenienced by the loss of his books he had left at Ghazna, Afghanistan. Hence, it must have taken him a considerable amount of time to write this book. He is known to have travelled for at least 40 years to places such as Syria, Iraq, Persia, Kohistan, Azerbaijan, Tabaristan, Kerman, Greater Khorasan, Transoxiana, Baghdad amongst other places to acquire knowledge. His visit to the shrine of Bilal (Damascus, Syria) and Abu Saeed Abul Khayr (Mihne village, Greater Khorasan) are especially mentioned in the book. He met many Sufis during his travels, although he followed the Junaidia order of Junayd Baghdadi and hence, mystically accepted ‘sobriety’ over ‘intoxication’ to illustrate that no one is exempted from following the religious law.