The Bostan of Saadi

A pupil of the eminent Sufi Sheikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi, Saadi of Shiraz has influenced European literature, and his works are studied in both East and West. His Bostan, ‘The Orchard’, is one of the greatest of all Sufi Classics. Together with his Gulistan, it is regarded as a supreme accomplishment of Sufi thought. It contains a richness of material and beauty of poetry which are almost unparalleled. The Bostan is a mine of proverbs, quotations and practical wisdom. It contains moralistic aphorisms and teaching stories, and is recognized by eminent Sufis as concealing the whole range of the deepest Sufi knowledge which can be committed to writing.