For the first time, the writings of Idries Shah – widely recognized as one of the foremost exponents of Sufi thought in the modern world – are made available in a systematic, structured study course designed for serious readers, seekers, and students of human thought.

Spanning twelve colour-coded courses, each with Introductory, Intermediary, and Advanced levels, this comprehensive series draws from the full breadth of Shah’s corpus. It incorporates not only his renowned teaching-stories, but also Sufi proverbs and aphorisms, key terminology and concepts, commentaries, and carefully selected essays and source texts. The result is a unique curriculum that both honours the integrity of the original material and offers a practical means of engagement for the contemporary learner.

These courses are not ‘about’ Sufism in the academic sense. Rather, they are an opportunity to experience the material as it was intended – as a dynamic process of self-development, grounded in clarity, usefulness, and relevance. Each volume presents material in a calibrated sequence, fostering reflection, realignment, and new modes of perception.

The courses’ colour-coding reflects Shah’s own use of subtle structuring devices – encouraging flexibility, variety, and personal resonance while preserving a coherent learning arc. Readers are guided not by dogma, but by an evolving relationship with the material, cultivated through exposure, application, and a growing sensitivity to the function of each element.

These volumes do not require prior familiarity with Sufism or with Shah’s published books, though they will deepen the experience of both. What they do require is sincerity, patience, and an open mind – the very qualities needed for any real education.

The Idries Shah Study Courses transform an unparalleled body of work into a living curriculum, one that speaks directly to the needs of our time while remaining rooted in a tradition of inner knowing that has endured for centuries.

Whether approached in solitude or within study groups, this series provides an essential framework for sustained learning, offering not conclusions, but beginnings – for those willing to embark on the path of understanding.