Polished Mirror: Storytelling and the Pursuit of Virtue in Islamic Philosophy and Sufism

Islamic philosophy and Sufism evolved as distinct yet interweaving strands of Islamic thought and practice. Despite differences, they have shared a concern with the perfection of the soul through the development of character. In The Polished Mirror, Cyrus Ali Zargar studies the ways in which, through teaching and storytelling, pre-modern Muslims lived, negotiated, and cultivated virtues. Examining the writings of philosophers, ascetics, poets, and saints, he locates virtue ethics within a dynamic moral tradition.

Innovative, engaging, and approachable, this work – the first in the English language to explore Islamic ethics in the fascinating context of narrative – will be a valuable resource for both students and scholars.

• The Path of Muhammad: A Book on Islamic Morals & Ethics by Imam Birgivi (Spiritual Classics)
• Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition
• Hearts Turn: Sinners, Seekers, Saints and the Road to Redemption
• Slavery and Islam
• Imam 'Ali From Concise History to Timeless Mystery
• Gendered Morality: Classical Islamic Ethics of the Self, Family, and Society
• Islam without Europe: Traditions of Reform in Eighteenth-Century Islamic Thought (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks)
• Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires
• Sufi Aesthetics: Beauty, Love, and the Human Form in the Writings of Ibn 'Arabi and 'Iraqi' (Studies in Comparative Religion)
• The Masnavi. Book Four (Oxford World's Classics)