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Kashf al-Mahjub (The Unveiling of the Veiled)

Words Ideas

By al-Hujwiri

كشف المحجوب

The Persian book on Sufism by Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Uthman al-Jullabi al-Hujwiri al-Ghaznawi, which the introducer of its Arabic translation calls the oldest work on Sufism in Persian and the first systematic book on its theory and practice; written in answer to Abu Sa'id al-Hujwiri's question about the Sufi path and its stations, begun around 435 AH and finished around 442 AH, drawing on al-Luma', al-Qushayri's Risala and al-Sulami's Tabaqat 1 2 3.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era
Region
South Asia

Spirituality and SufismEthics and character

Summary

Kashf al-Mahjub ("The Unveiling of the Veiled") is the Persian book on Sufism by Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Uthman al-Jullabi al-Hujwiri al-Ghaznawi. Badi' Jum'a, introducing the Arabic translation, calls it the oldest work on Sufism in Persian and the first systematic book on the theory and practice of Sufism, and the only one of al-Hujwiri's works to survive. 1 He thinks the author began it around 435 AH and finished it around 442 AH. 1 It has twenty-five parts on the theory and practice of Sufism, notices of its imams and shaykhs, the Sufis' sayings and symbols, their schools, and beliefs, worship, dealings and Sufi customs. 2

The question it answers

Al-Hujwiri opens with the form of the question: Abu Sa'id al-Hujwiri asked him to explain truly the Sufi path, the nature of the Sufis' stations, their doctrines and sayings, their symbols and allusions, and their love of God. 3 He answers that this science "has in truth been effaced in our time", especially in his lands, that the matter has turned from realisation to imitation, and that disciples have given up striving and call their sick fancy contemplation; he says he had earlier written books on the subject that were all lost, and that some pretenders had appropriated sayings from them. 3 He says he made the book to be a polish for veiled hearts. 4

Sources and place among Sufi books

The introducer says al-Hujwiri sought to harmonise Sufi teaching with Islam, as al-Sarraj had attempted in al-Luma' and al-Qushayri in the Risala, and as al-Ghazali later did in the Ihya'; the book resembles al-Luma' in method and material closely enough to show it relied on it, contains a Persian translation of chapters of al-Qushayri's Risala, and relies heavily on al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya for the notices of the shaykhs. 2 He says Farid al-Din 'Attar in Tadhkirat al-Awliya' and Jami in Nafahat al-Uns drew on it. 2

The chapters of volume one

Volume one of the Arabic translation contains, after the author's preface, thirteen chapters: 5 6

  • On affirming knowledge (p. 206), poverty (p. 218), Sufism (p. 230), wearing the patched frock (p. 244), and the dispute over poverty and purity (p. 258). 7 8 9 10 11
  • On blame (malama) (p. 262). 12
  • Chapters on their imams: among the Companions (p. 270), the Prophet ﷺ's family (p. 278), the People of the Bench (p. 288), the Successors (p. 294), their followers (p. 300), the later masters (p. 378), and then a chapter on later Sufi men "from the regions" (p. 390). 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

In this last chapter al-Hujwiri names shaykhs he knew or heard of in Syria and Iraq, Fars, Quhistan, Azerbaijan, Tabaristan, Kirman and Khurasan, such as Abu Ja'far al-Saydalani, Ibn Salibah, Akhi al-Zanjani, Abu al-'Abbas al-Sharmaqani and al-Muzaffar son of Shaykh Abu Sa'id, and says Ahmad ibn Hammad al-Sarakhsi was his companion for a long time. 19 20 21 22

Editions and translations

The introducer says the book was first printed in Leningrad in 1926, then in Tehran in 1336 SH, and that Nicholson translated it into English, his translation being published in London. 2 The Arabic translation used here is by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a, published in the National Translation Project in Cairo in 2007 (no. 1042), opening with the translator's long study of al-Hujwiri's age, life and book. 23 24

Connections

Explore the connections

Relies on
Kitab al-Luma' fi al-Tasawwuf· Al-Risala al-Qushayriyya (The Epistle of al-Qushayri)· Tabaqat al-Sufiyya (al-Sulami)
Mentions
Malamatiyya· Hamdun al-Qassar

People and things also explored

Talbis Iblis (The Devil's Delusion)· Al-Risala al-Qushayriyya (The Epistle of al-Qushayri)· Hamdun al-Qassar· Stations and states (al-maqamat wa'l-ahwal)· Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz· Kitab al-Luma' fi al-Tasawwuf· Al Junayd Ibn Muhammad· Amr ibn Uthman al-Makki

Sources

  1. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 11
  2. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 12
  3. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 200
  4. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 198
  5. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 396
  6. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 397
  7. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 206
  8. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 218
  9. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 230
  10. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 244
  11. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 258
  12. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 262
  13. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 270
  14. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 278
  15. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 288
  16. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 294
  17. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 300
  18. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 378
  19. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 390
  20. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 391
  21. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 392
  22. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 393
  23. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 3
  24. Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, vol. 1, Arabic translation, study and notes by Is'ad 'Abd al-Hadi Qandil, revised and introduced by Badi' Jum'a (Supreme Council for Culture, National Translation Project, Cairo, 2007) , p. 13
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islam.museum contributors. “Kashf al-Mahjub (The Unveiling of the Veiled)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/work/kashf-al-mahjub/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-04.

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Talbis Iblis (The Devil's Delusion)

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