'Almost a prerequisite for any serious study of Sufism in European
languages': this was the verdict of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his review of
the first edition of A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh
Ahmad al-Alawi his Spiritual Heritage and Legacy.
In this work, the author, Dr Martin Lings, presents a vivid picture of
the unforgettable figure of the Algerian Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi through a
short biography by his French doctor and the translation of the Shaykh
al-Alawi's own autobiography. These are followed by expositions of the
Shaykh al-Alawi's teachings which are based on pure metaphysics and
gnosis. Finally, Dr Martin Lings translates selections from Shaykh
al-Alawi's aphorisms and mystical poetry. The whole work immerses the
reader in the world of North African Sufism both as an intellectual
tradition and a living reality.