William C. Chittick’s collection of 26 years of essays on a variety of Islamic subjects show us the fascinating depth of Islamic philosophy and the sustained result of single–minded scholarship.
But I would like to begin with the exasperation that I sense in the title. Indeed the heart of Islam is lost. I think Khaled Abou El Fadl in his book Conference of the Books: The Search for Beauty in Islam has captured the crisis of Islamic thought well. In an anecdote he recounts a conversation with his father who challenged him to do just one thing before he decided to leave Egypt. It was to visit a Madrasah in Cairo, and listen to the traditional scholars (ulema) discuss the immensely complicated process by which a law was created out of the Quran and Sunnah; with all the difficult sifting of the hadiths of the Prophet (S) for validity and reliability. His father challenged him to come back and report to him if he understood anything worthwhile at all. He notes with chagrin his inability to meet the challenge set by his father. Thus it is with sadness that one notes the regret that Chittick also feels in the book: a whole generation of Muslim scholars are unable to benefit from the vast resources of philosophical and mystical thinking and reflection of some of the foremost minds of Islam.
William Chittick’s other pioneering work on great names of Islamic spirituality – Rumi, Ibne Arabi – are so valuable that one can honestly say they will remain unsurpassed.
In the present volume, some of his essays on lesser known Sufi masters of India can also be considered as valuable. It is strange that even when material was available in Urdu, the lack of access in Pakistan for sincere seekers is only through English.
My first connection with Chittick was a memorable moment with Professor Karar Husain. A copy of The Psalms of Islam Translation of Sahifat Sajjadiya by Imam Ali Zayn ul Abedin published by Muhammadi Press London arrived by mail one day at his house where a group of had gathered for discussion as usual. Baba went through some of the pages and there was a deep silence as he read the English translation of William Chittick with facing page of Arabic text of AL- Sajjadiyya. After a few minutes somebody asked him about the quality of the translation. He said “Agar Imam Aali Muqaam angrezi mae likhtay to yehi likhtay”.
This high compliment has placed William Chittick in my heart at non-removable position something that his later books has justified that high regards extremely well.
In Search of the Lost Heart has another surprising quality. Each essay seems to pull together the diverse strands of thoughts into a unity. Thus, whether you read Rumi And The Wooden Leg Of Reason or The Metaphysical Roots Of War And Peace you find the concepts of Tauheed, Shirk, dunya, akhirat, Microcosm and Macrocosm so consistently presented that your own conviction and clarity deepens into certainty.
We are blessed to live in a world where William Chittick can continue to write and enlighten us.