"The Essence of Reality consists of one hundred brief chapters interspersed with Qur anic verses, prophetic sayings, Sufi maxims, and poetry. The book takes readers on a philosophical journey, with expositions of questions including the problem of the eternity of the world; the nature of God's essence and attributes; the concepts of "before" and "after"; and the soul's relationship to the body"--

¿Ayn al-Qü¿t (Author)
¿Ayn al-Qü¿t (d. 525/1131) was a philosopher, mystic, and judge who was born in the western Iranian city of Hamad¿n. He was the student of A¿mad al-Ghaz¿l¿ (d. 520/1126), the brother of the famous Ab¿ ¿¿mid al-Ghaz¿l¿ (d. 505/1111). A maverick figure, he was put to death by the Seljuqs at the age of thirty-four, ostensibly on charges of heresy.
Mohammed Rustom (Edited and Translated by)
Mohammed Rustom is Professor of Islamic Studies at Carleton University. An internationally recognized scholar whose works have been translated into over ten languages, he specializes in Sufism, Islamic philosophy, and Qur¿anic exegesis. He is author of The Triumph of Mercy: Philosophy and Scripture in Mull¿ ¿adr¿ and Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ¿Ayn al-Qü¿t; co-editor of The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary; and translator of Ab¿ ¿¿mid al-Ghaz¿l¿'s Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration.