generations des Soufis

In his book Generations of Sufis, Abu ?Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (died 1021), the Sufi master of Nishapur and Shafi?i traditionist and historian, collected the teachings of 105 Sufi masters who lived between the 2nd/8th and the 4th/10th centuries. Sulami gives a short biography of each master with representative quotations from his teachings. He thereby illustrates the numerous approaches to the spiritual path and the unity of its principles. One of the oldest works of the sort, it assembles the doctrinal foundations from which medieval Sufism developed. It is a key reference which influenced all Sufi literature and even historiography. This is the first translation of a work of this type to be published in a European language. Dans Les generations des Soufis Abu ?Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (m. 1021), maitre soufi de Nishapur, traditionniste safi?ite et historien, collecte l'enseignement de cent cinq maitres soufis qui vecurent entre le 2e/8e et le 4e/10e siecles. Pour chacun d'eux, Sulami propose une courte notice biographique et un ensemble de citations representatives de son enseignement. Il rend ainsi compte de la diversite des approches de la voie spirituelle et de l'unite de ses principes. Cet ouvrage, l'un des plus anciens de ce type, rassemble le socle doctrinal sur lequel s'elabora le soufisme medieval. Reference incontournable, il eut une influence considerable sur toute la litterature du soufisme et meme l'historiographie. Cette traduction est la premiere en langue europeenne d'un ouvrage de ce type.