Publisher's Synopsis
The mystic al-Niffari is an obscure figure. He seems to be from Iraq and, to judge by his name, from Niffar (ancient Nippur) in the south of the country. He probably died in the early 10th century. Of the works attributed to him, the Mawaqif, or Stations, consists of 77 individual 'stations', each in the form of a brief divine revelation addressed to the seeker whom God has held in that station. This arrangement seems to have been imposed after the author's time. The Mukhatabat (Addresses) are similarly revelations from God to his servant, though without an overall structure. Niffari's vision of the way of the mystic was an individual one, but not without its influence on Ibn al-'Arabi. Arberry provides a critical edition of the texts, a detailed commentary and an English translation.
