The Alchemy of Happiness & The Bustan of Sadi

The Alchemy of Happiness
by Al-Ghazzali, tr. by Claud Field

The Kimiya-yi Sa'adat (Alchemy of Happiness) was written towards the end of Abu ?amid Mu?ammad ibn Mu?ammad al-Ghazali's life shortly before 499/1105. During the time before it was written the Muslim world was considered to be in a state of political as well as intellectual unrest. al-Ghazali noted that there were constant disputes regarding the role of philosophy and scholastic theology and Sufi's became chastised for their neglect of the ritual obligations of Islam. Upon its release, the Kimiya-yi sa'adat allowed al-Ghazali to considerably reduce the tensions between the scholars and mystics.

The Bustan of Sadi
by Sadi, tr. by A. Hart Edwards

Be generous to the extent of thy power. If thou hast not dug a well in the desert, at least place a lamp in a shrine.--p. 48
This is a prose translation of the Bustan of Sadi, originally published as part of the Wisdom of the East series in the early 20th century, and long out of print. This little book is full of practical spiritual wisdom. Sadi doesn't lean on allegory as much as other Sufi writers of the period; most of the stories in this collection have a pretty obvious moral lesson.

Born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1184, Sadi (pseudonym of Muslih-ud-Din Mushrif ibn Abdullah) is considered one of the major medieval Persian poets. He traveled widely, through regions of what is today Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq. Vignettes of gritty caravan and street scenes give life to his tales. In old age he returned to Shiraz, and composed his two best-known works, the poetic Bustan, or Orchard (in 1257), and the prose Gulistan, the Rose Garden (in 1258). He died in 1283 or possibly 1291.