Fana' in the Sufi Experience up to the end of the fifth Hijri century / eleventh Gregorian century, is a study of the Sufi term as an entry point to understanding Sufi discourse and experience. The term 'fana' (annihilation) was chosen due to the controversy it has sparked, with some doubting and rejecting it, while others adopt and defend it. This is in addition to its position within this spiritual experience as a search for the Sufi's salvation from their present condition, which is constrained by the laws of time, space, society, and nature, in order to ascend to their desired original state where they become a mirror of and a sign for divinity. This salvation is bridged and titled by love; it is the reason for their creation and the tool for their ascension and progress on the path to their Lord. The power of its presence within them reaches its peak at the moment of 'fana', which is the moment of absolute purity where the self of the Sufi lover ceases to exist, vanishing in the presence of the Beloved.

The book traces the origin of the discourse on 'fana' and the factors that shaped it, to clarify the mechanisms of Sufi thought and its methods of interaction with its language, foundational texts, and the spirit of its age. For this, sources spanning the first five Hijri centuries were used, as they witnessed the birth of this term and the consolidation of its connotations and manifestations. It was noted that the predominance of individualism in the Sufi experience did not hide the common points that united its practitioners and the major themes that defined its features, no matter how much they tried to conceal their knowledge and literature.

While the early Sufis' writings on 'fana' were multiple and varied, marking it with diversity and richness in its meanings and components as they stemmed from a lived, spiritual experience, the effort in the fourth and fifth centuries shifted more towards mitigating, and even negating, this difference. The goal was to unify its meaning and dimensions and to sculpt a harmonious image of Sufi terminology that would elevate it to a scientific and stable status, and to counter opponents and critics by invoking the Quran and Prophetic traditions and finding interpretations that align with, legitimize, and support the idea of 'fana'.

• Author: Saber Swisidar
• Publisher: Mominoun Without Borders for Studies and Research - Beirut
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Number of Pages: 255
• Binding: Paperback
• ISBN: 9786148030789