"The Universe is the mirror of God, and the heart of man is the mirror of the Universe."--p. 41

This is a concise study of the key concepts of Sufi philosophy, written by a western scholar in the mid-19th century. Palmer discusses the spiritual journey that Sufis take, the path to oneness with God. A very useful feature of this book is the glossary of poetic symbols used in Persian Sufi literature.

Palmer also translated the Qur'an for the Sacred Books of the East in two volumes.