Sachiko Murata is Professor of Religious Studies at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.

• Foreword by Annemarie SchimmelA Note on Dates and Citations from the Koran Introduction The Intellectual Tradition in Islam The Feminist Critique of Islam The Background of the Present Book Chinese and Islamic Thought Theological Polarity Signs of God Cosmic Correspondences Human Equilibrium The Plan of the Book Part 1 1 The Three RealitiesSigns in the Horizons and the SoulsQualitative CorrespondenceQualitative LevelsHuman All-ComprehensivenessChildren of the ElementsThe Myth of Adam's CreationHuman BecomingThe Cosmic and Human BooksPart 2: Theology 2 Divine DualityGod and the EssenceIncomparability and SimilarityComplementary NamesGod and His VassalThe One and the TwoThe Creation of the ManyThe Differentiation of the UndifferentiatedBeing and KnowledgeMajesty and BeautyAwe and IntimacySocial Implications of Divine Duality3 The Two Hands of GodRight and LeftThe Views of Koran CommentatorsFingers and FeetThe Two Hands in the Futuhat al-makkiyyaThe Fusus al-hikamMu'ayyid al-Din Jandi'Abd al-Razzaq KashaniDawud QaysariSadr al-Din QunawiSa'id al-Din FarghaniFarghani on the Two HandfulsPart 3: Cosmology 4 Heaven and EarthThe Creation of the CosmosThe Tao of Heaven and EarthHeaven and Earth as Correlative TermsSimilitudesShifting RelationshipsThe Seven HeavensThe Four ElementsThe Virtues of the Earth5 Macrocosmic MarriageFathers and MothersUniversal MarriageTriplicityThe Pen and the TabletThe Intellect and the SoulNatural ChildrenChanging RelationshipsThe Faces of the IntellectThe Two Wings of Gabriel6 Human MarriageMarriage in SocietyMan's Degree over Woman (I)Man's Degree over Woman (II)Mutual LoveWomen Made LovableThe Fusus al-hikamMutual LongingWitnessing God in WomenMarriage and CreationPerfect Sexual UnionThe Symbolism of Grammatical GenderSpiritual Counsel7 The WombUniversal WorshipThe Mercy of ExistenceNature as Wife and MotherLove for ParentsThe Womb as MicrocosmThe Womb as NaturePart 4: Spiritual Psychology 8 Static HierarchyPrinciples of Ta'wilNames of the UnseenSigns of the MicrocosmSpiritSoulIntellectThe Spirit's KingdomHeaven and Earth9 Dynamics of the SoulStruggle on the Path to GodThe Soul's EvilConflicting Character TraitsThe Soul's ReceptivityManliness and ChivalryNegative MasculinityAdam, Eve, and IblisThe Soul's AnimalsPurifying the Soul10 The HeartIn the Koran and the HadithBetween Spirit and SoulThe Heart in the School of Ibn al-'ArabiThe Birth of the HeartThe Heart's Birth According to 'Izz al-Din KashaniThe Heart's Birth According to Ibn al-'Arabi's SchoolThe Soul as Virgin MotherThe Perfected HeartTrue Men and True WomenPostscript Appendix I Chronological List of Authors CitedAppendix II Notes on Authors CitedNotes Bibliography Index of Koranic Verses Index of Hadiths and Sayings General Index

"This is a genuine foundational work in Islamic studies. It is an open door into the very heart of Islamic civilization, while at the same time it suggests the bases of important comparisons and insights for those interested in cognate areas in Western cultures."It is a fascinating, truly original work in both its guiding perspectives and its comprehensive, clearly presented account of a central dimension of Islam. There is nothing like it, and it deserves a wide audience." — James W. Morris, Oberlin College"It clearly, competently, and comprehensively describes the worldview implicit in the medieval Islamic "wisdom" tradition represented by Sufism and Shi'i philosophy, particularly the way that gender concepts are implicit in their cosmology and psychology, and can be related to the Taoist concepts of yin and yang. The author's critique of feminism and modern reformism on this basis is penetrating." — Valerie Hoffman-Ladd, University of Illinois