"This is the best study to date of how Sufism has been conceptualized and interpreted by a wide variety of insiders and outsiders down into modern times."--William Chittick, Stony Brook University

"Alexander Knysh provides an unprecedented account of the history of Sufi movements and the scholarship on Sufism. Western academics and Muslims, elites and masses, outsiders and insiders--all are brought together in this insightful survey of Sufi discourse, practice, community, institutions, and leadership. A tour de force, this should become the defining book on Sufism."--Bruce B. Lawrence, author of The "Koran" in English: A Biography

"This groundbreaking and beautifully written book by a towering scholar in Islamic studies is nuanced and convincing. A model of how to approach a world religion such as Islam from inside and outside, it will remain a reference on Sufism for years to come."--Bilal Orfali, American University of Beirut

"A thorough rethinking and reframing of one of Islam's central traditions, this is an important and highly original book from a scholar who really knows what he is talking about."--Mark Sedgwick, Aarhus University, Denmark