THE MYSTICISM OF SOUND - INAYAT KAHN, 1st/1st 1923 - Sufi Order Mantra Chanting

  EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE — THE MYSTICISM OF SOUND by INAYAT KAHN, Creator of the Sufi Order — 1st Edition/1st Printing, 1923 — The Sufi Order, Mantra Chanting, Harmonizing — First Mystic Credited with Bringing Mantras and Spiritual Music to the West

 Publisher: The Sufi Order, London (1923)

Through research and to the best of our knowledge, this is the only first edition copy in circulation, which is not in libraries or private collections. In very well preserved condition. Brown boards with gilt writing; 89 pages. The boards and binding are solid and tight save for light shelfwear. The pages are crisp and clean save for some very light foxing on the first blank page and Sufi library stamp on the inside back cover. "Music, according to Sufi teaching, is really a small expression of the overwhelming and perfect harmony of the whole universe—and that is the secret of its amazing power to move us... The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882–1927), was the first teacher to bring the Islamic mystical tradition to the West..." [Amazon] In THE MYSTICISM OF SOUND, Kahn combines his teaching of sound and music — sound as the basis of creation and music as a means towards spiritual development. The book is a fundamental text on use of sacred music and mantra chanting to achieve and spiritual enlightenment. Please see below for more information on Inayat Kahn, founder of the Sufi Order in the West.

BIOGRAPHY

"Inayat Kahn (1882 - 1927) was the founder of The Sufi Order in the West in 1914 (London) and teacher of Universal Sufism. in 1923, the Sufi Order of the London period was dissolved into a new organization, formed under Swiss law, called the "International Sufi Movement". His message of divine unity (Tawhid) focused on the themes of love, harmony and beauty... He taught that blind adherence to any book rendered religion devoid of spirit. Branches of Inayat Khan's movement can be found in the Netherlands, France, England, Germany, the United States, Canada, Russia and Australia. In his various written works, such as the and The Mysticism of Sound. Inayat Khan interlocks his passion for music with his Sufi ideologies making a compelling argument for music as making music as the harmonious sound of the universe.

Once a classical musician, Hazrat Inayat Khan let go of his greatest attachment-his musical career - to become a Sufist Master, as is the tradition in Sufism. Immersing himself in the Sufist ideology, he found a link between his former life as a musician and his new journey along the spiritual path. Khan saw harmony as the "music of the spheres" which linked all mankind and had the ability to transcend one's spiritual awareness. Inayat Khan's most influential and well known book, The Mysticism of Sound a cornerstone collecting Hazrat Inayat Khan's teachings on sound, presenting his vision of the harmony which encompasses every aspect of our lives. He explores the science of breath, the law of rhythm, the creative process, and both the healing power and psychological influence of music and sound." -Wikipedia