Ibn al-Jawzee's The Devils Deception

This book is written in a very readable style, it discusses the history of some of the deviant sects that attach themselves to Islam. The work at hand represents an abridged translation of the introduction and first four chapters from Ibn al-Jawzee's Talbees Iblees which deals with the devils deception of some Muslim scholars, mystics and philosophers as well as deviant pseudo-Islamic sects. Three of the sections concern the birth and development of the sects known collectively as the Khawaarij, the Shee'ah and the Baatiniyyah. The first two are the first deviations from mainstream Islam, and the third is an off-shoot of the Shee'ah. The translator has included many explanatory footnotes which provide further insight and a clearer background.