Saracen Chivalry

Saracen Chivalry
Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest
by Pir Zia Inayat Khan

Queen Belacane is dying. As a last act, she inscribes a book of counsels, or prince’s mirror, to guide her newborn son on his life’s path. The queen’s counsels illuminate the way of futuwwa, a tradition of mystical chivalry traced to the Prophet Abraham. If the prince would unite the chivalries of Christendom and Islam and attain the Cup Mixed with Camphor, he must fulfill the pillars of his faith, and uphold the universal virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and generosity. 

Reviews for Saracen Chivalry:

“Saracen Chivalry is an inspired presentation of Sufi teachings, artfully expressed by a figure from the most profound of the medieval Grail romances. Readers will find this a surprising and rewarding experience.” – Carl W. Ernst, author of How to Read the Qur’an

“In this carefully researched and beautifully written book, one finds God unmasked, both male and female, yet also neither, and above all, expansive, striding forth in Vedic as well as Abrahamic scriptures with a single, simple message: to find the best in our world we must find the best in ourselves. These pages provide a boon, a resource, a guide and a goal for all who strive to be chivalrous youth, whatever their physical form or actual age.” – Bruce B. Lawrence, author of The Qur’an: Books That Changed the World

“Written with a light touch, this reworking of classical Sufi chivalric codes subtly compels the reader to admit the contemporary urgency of their moral vision.” – Tim Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad), editor of The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology

“You can read this remarkable book as ethical/spiritual poetry and it will stimulate and inspire you with its noble beauty. But, if you will permit these words that issue from a higher realm to penetrate your heart, it will change you to become a knight who serves to heal our planet.” – Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

“This book teaches the noble, holy way of life, which is the only life worth living, the life were created for. Saracen Chivalry would be a wonderful gift from every parent to their child and from every teacher to their student. A treasure house of the core teachings of the prophetic world lineages.” – Shaykha Fariha Fatima al-Jerrahi

“A jewel of a book. Its lyrical and penetrating wisdom comes from the mystic heart that unites East and West. Its pages speak to what is most noble within each of us. Treasure them.”- Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, author of Prayer of the Heart in Sufi and Christian Mysticism

“Saracen Chivalry is a wonderful and generous book. It gives an intimate insight into the day-by-day practice of the heart of Islam, and is a delightful treasure-house of wisdom for all who journey. May all who read it be inspired and become princely!” – Stephen Hirtenstein, author of The Unlimited Mercifier

“Pir Zia Inayat-Khan’s new work, Saracen Chivalry, is a beautiful and profound addition to contemporary spiritual writings. In this work, Pir Zia weaves together the deep teachings of the Sufi tradition with an imaginative medieval context that taps into the tales of Parzival. A sage quoted in the books says: ‘The chivalrous youth is one who has no enemies.’ Indeed!  No enemies because all enemies have been not only conquered, but redeemed. Here we get a model of spiritual chivalry not in the context of defeating an external adversary, but rather in the sense of grace and beauty that emerges in the heart when one conquers one’s own inner demons. A must-read for spiritual seekers of all traditions.” – Omid Safi, author of Memories of Muhammad

“This book is of such depth and contains such beauty that all one can do is to urge every possible reader to read it, for the sake of bringing reality back into this reality-stripped world.” – Peter Kingsley, author of A Story Waiting to Pierce You and Reality