Started reading The Mystics of Islam tonight, and wrote the following info in my review of it on Allconsuming, which I just wanted to post in here:

I have only ever read tangential things about Sufis - never anything that was wholly on the topic. So far this book is alright. my copy is 1975 - i guess the original printing, so it has this kind weird feel to it, just the shape and size of the book, the formatting, the spelling of “Moslem” rather than “Muslim” and “Hindoos” rather than “Hindus”.

Besides all that, the topic matter is pretty interesting to me: this idea of complete acceptance, submission and devotion to God’s will. It’s something that is a very hard pill to swallow, this idea that ultimate freedom can be gained by completely giving up your freedom, and allowing Divine Will to flow through you.

It definitely appeals to my sort of ascetic bent, and for some reason is speaking to me a lot about my trip cross country in a few months. It seems and feels very relevant, this notion of just paring everything back to its essentials, and becoming an active seeker in a wholly different sense than I am right now.