A remarkable treasury of traditional wisdom gathered by Idries Shah, The Words of Wisdom Series contain hundreds of pithy sayings spanning both cultures and centuries – from classical Persian literature to Arabian acumen.

The five volumes include the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, the insights of Jalaluddin Rumi, and the trenchant humour of Nasrudin, the beloved wise-fool of Oriental folklore, as well as dozens of keen observations made by Idries Shah himself.

Whether deceptively simple or richly poetic, each entry serves not just as an expression of cultural thought, but as a carefully shaped instrument – capable of loosening fixed ideas, challenging inherited assumptions, and awakening deeper modes of perception.

In the Sufi tradition, material such as this is not merely a rhetorical ornament but, rather, they are vehicles of personal growth and transformation.

Presented without over-explanation or commentary, these selections are meant to be read, re-read, lived with, and absorbed over time.

As with Sufi teaching-stories, they are subtle, thought-provoking, and tantalizingly indirect.

For general readers, seekers, and students of human nature, The Words of Wisdom Series offers more than a compendium of wit or wisdom. A living collection, it reflects the diversity of human experience, while pointing towards the unity that lies behind appearances.