The Requirements of the Sufi Path

The Requirements of the Sufi Path: A Defense of the Mystical Tradition, by Ibn Khaldūn (edited and translated by Carolyn Baugh). New York: New York University Press, 2022, xxxvi+228pp. ISBN:

978-1479806331.

Reviewed by: Mohamad Nasrin Nasir, ISTAC-IIUM, Malaysia        

The book under review is an exploratory and summarised view of taṣawwuf in Islam by the renowned 15th century polymath Ibn Khaldūn. Famous for his Muqaddimah, here Ibn Khaldūn is responding to a famous question in Sufism on whether there is a need for a teacher in the Sufi path or whether books are enough in this respect.

Ibn Khaldūn begins by presenting a careful and structured reflection on the nature of the Sufi path (ṭarīqah), the disciplines of spiritual struggle (mujāhadah), and the epistemological status of mystical knowledge. His discussion reveals not only a deep familiarity with the classical literature of Sufism but also a critical stance toward later developments within the Sufi milieu. Rather than presenting an entirely original view, Ibn Khaldūn situates his reflections within the framework established by earlier authoritative manuals of Sufism, while simultaneously offering evaluative remarks on how the tradition evolved over time.