Book excerpt: This book is one of the oldest and most important sources written on the esoteric teachings of Islam from a Shi'ite perspective. It demonstrates the Qur'anic origins of Sufism and its close relationship with Shi'ism. The book is based mainly on the teachings of the Qur'an, Hadith narrations of Shi'ite Imams, and the teachings of earlier Sufi masters. In this lies the uniqueness, authenticity, and strength of the book. Tuhfah yi-' Abbasi is written in a typical prose style of the Safavid period and is replete with Arabic words and phrases. The difficulty and dryness of the style, however, is properly compensated by timely quotation of Prophetic traditions, narrations of the Shi'ite Imams, and Sufi poetry composed by 'Attar, Rumi, Hafiz, Mansur Hallaj, as well as the author. This work conveys a universal message for all human beings, particularly at a time when Sufism and Shi'ism are misrepresented by pseudo-Sufis and extremist Shi'ite, and misunderstood by many readers in the Muslim world and in the West.