The authors of the Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements, Muhammad Afzal Upal and Carole M. Cusack consider the book to be a product of the Sufi school associated with Idries Shah and his brother Omar Ali-Shah, and cast doubt on its authenticity. While Upal and Cusack speculate that the "polemic" writing style could be that of Omar Ali-Shah, British historian Mark Sedgwick believes that Rafael Lefort is "almost certainly a pseudonym for Idries Shah."
The authors of the Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements, Muhammad Afzal Upal and Carole M. Cusack, consider the book to be part of the Sufi school associated with Idries Shah and his brother Omar Ali-Shah, and cast doubt on its authenticity. They propose that the "polemic" writing style might be by Omar Ali-Shah, while British historian Mark Sedgwick believes Rafael Lefort is "almost certainly a pseudonym for Idries Shah."