It's quite inconceivable for one to dwell upon their past sorrows, conflicts, hardships, and sufferings without realizing that there's always a way out or relief, no matter how long it might take. If there were a profound maturity in human thought and consciousness, it would be logical for one to search for the elements of happiness in anything that brings joy, even in the simplest solutions. From this, arises the fundamental question every sane and conscious individual should ask: What makes you happy? What makes you laugh? Can tears be a source or outlet for your happiness when they flow? And what's the position you should be in to balance between happiness and misery, knowing that no joy is permanent, just as no sorrow lasts forever?

Before delving into the events of this journey and the detailed study within this book's pages, let me clarify: this is a study and a journey, nothing more. There's no specific recipe or clear path to finding happiness. Instead, it's a comprehensive study infused with remarkable historical essence, exploring Sufism from the Umayyad era to the end of the Mamluk period.

This study discusses the human experience in the pursuit of certainty in this world and the hereafter. The human journey, filled with its ups and downs, failures, changes, and unexpected obstacles, serves as a clear indicator that true happiness lies in contentment throughout this journey and path. As the Sufi saint Rabi'a al-Adawiyya once said, when asked when one is truly contented, "It's when misfortune pleases one as much as fortune."

The journey touches upon landmarks and testimonies through a group of people like us, but who, with clear insight and foresight, realized that happiness lies in purifying your heart to see the light which might be perceived as utter darkness. As one scholar said, "Relief is only attained after exhaustion, and victory only comes with pursuit." The concepts of giving and withholding are merely means for the wise to understand that sometimes withholding might be the actual gift, as insights from Ibn Ata' Allah al-Sakandari suggest.

Author Reem Basyouni masterfully takes us on this delightful journey, introducing us to leading figures of Sufism, starting with Rabi'a al-Adawiyya – the pioneer of Sufism and divine love – passing through the likes of Imam al-Ghazali, Al-Shadhili, Ibn Ata' Allah al-Sakandari, and concluding with Ibn Arabi and Umar ibn al-Farid, the sultan of lovers.

She also manages to encapsulate numerous principles, emphasizing the fact that asceticism isn't about wearing wool or depriving oneself of God's blessings. Rather, it's also a form of reliance on God, realizing what you possess is temporary, and what's with Him is precious.

Throughout, she shares insights, such as the less you rejoice in, the less you'll grieve over. What stands between you and God isn't distance, but yourself, with its complexities and rough paths that create imaginary distances through one's will.

What also stood out in this delightful journey was the moderate approach to the characters mentioned, without placing them on an untouchable pedestal, far from their admirers' hearts. We all recognize truth from illusion, but we possess a conscious mind capable of comprehending life's journey in a sequence.

The book offers an inclusive journey, embracing others while rejecting fanaticism or the rejection of other religions. This categorizes it as a rational, deliberate perspective, referring to other religious texts like the Torah, Bible, Psalms, and the Qur'an. All of which are books speaking of a journey sought by all humans, emphasizing our shared humanity.

Researcher Reem Basyouni has excelled in this journey, and I eagerly await more journeys exploring our rich eras from the Umayyad period to the Mamluk period.