Book excerpt: This book is a unique collection of 40 Prophetic Traditions by one of the most celebrated teachers and spiritual masters of the Azhar Mosque, Sunni Islam's leading institution of knowledge and its most authoritative voice. It provides a glimpse into the scholarly and spiritual traditions of Islam carried forth into our day. Some may have concluded that the saints and sages of Islam ended with such names as Rumi and Ibn Arabi. The knowledge and spiritual depth reached in past centuries does, in fact, continue into the present day. The book includes a biography of the author, a description of his main teachers, and a beautiful treatise by the author's main teacher on a single Prophetic statement in which the Prophet summarizes his own spiritual states. This volume also deals with death, the afterlife, the waking visions of the Prophet, his ability to pray for and intercede for those alive, and nearness to and friendship with God.