Avicenna's Allegory on the soul : an Ismaili interpretation : an Arabic edition and English translation of ʻAlī b. Muḥammad b. al-Walīd's al-Risāla al-mufīda

"I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies The Persian philosopher Ibn Sina (d. 1037), known in Europe as Avicenna, was arguably the greatest master of Aristotelian thought in the Muslim world. The symbolical Poem on the Soul (Qasidat al-nafs), which portrays all earthly human souls as in temporary exile from heaven, is traditionally attributed to Avicenna, and was received with enthusiasm by its commentators. A highly significant commentary on the Qasida was written by ?Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Walid (d. 1215 CE), a major early representative of the Tayyibi Ismaili tradition, which emerged and flourished in medieval Yemen. In his view, the poem encapsulated Tayyibi beliefs, whose doctrines bear striking parallels with late antique Gnosticism. Avicenna s Allegory on the Soul presents the first edition of the Arabic text of Ibn al-Walid s commentary, The Useful Epistle (al-Risala al-mufida), alongside an English translation and extended introduction. It offers invaluable insight into the intricacies of Muslim thought and a deeper understanding of Avicenna s substantial intellectual legacy."--Bloomsbury publishing

The Persian philosopher Ibn Sina (d. 1037), known in Europe as Avicenna, was arguably the greatest master of Aristotelian thought in the Muslim world. The symbolical 'Poem on the Soul' (Qasidat al-nafs), which portrays all earthly human souls as in temporary exile from heaven, is traditionally attributed to him. Renowned for his encyclopaedic treatments of philosophy, Avicenna also experimented with a variety of intellectual genres and discourse styles, including a small number of mythopoeic texts. Among those, the brief Qasida drew the particular attention of commentators on account of its aesthetic impact, popularity and the ostensibly esoteric character of its teachings. It depicts the human soul as a strayed dove, which can only return home after retrieving awareness of its celestial origin. The text therefore expresses the need metaphorically for a philosophical perspective in life and for philosophy as a path to salvation. One of the most important commentaries on the Qasida was written by?Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Walid (d. 1215), a major early representative of the Tayyibi Ismaili tradition, which emerged and flourished in medieval Yemen. In his view, the poem encapsulated the highly distinctive and esoteric beliefs of his own school. At the heart of this system lies a cosmological myth, aptly named the 'drama in heaven, ' according to which our imperfect universe results from a rupture in the celestial world and a subsequent fall. Avicenna's Allegory on the Soul presents the first edition of the Arabic text of Ibn al-Walid's commentary, 'The Useful Epistle' (al-Risala al-mufida), alongside an English translation and extended introduction. It offers invaluable insight into esoteric Muslim thought and a deeper understanding of Avicenna's substantial intellectual legacy.

"The Persian philosopher Ibn Sina (d. 1037), known in Europe as Avicenna, was arguably the greatest master of Aristotelian thought in the Muslim world. The symbolical Poem on the Soul (Qasidat al-nafs), which portrays all earthly human souls as in temporary exile from heaven, is traditionally attributed to Avicenna, and was received with enthusiasm by its commentators. A highly significant commentary on the Qasida was written by ?Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Walid (d. 1215 CE), a major early representative of the Tayyibi Ismaili tradition, which emerged and flourished in medieval Yemen. In his view, the poem encapsulated Tayyibi beliefs, whose doctrines bear striking parallels with late antique Gnosticism. Avicenna s Allegory on the Soul presents the first edition of the Arabic text of Ibn al-Walid s commentary, The Useful Epistle (al-Risala al-mufida), alongside an English translation and extended introduction. It offers invaluable insight into the intricacies of Muslim thought and a deeper understanding of Avicenna s substantial intellectual legacy." --From publisher's description Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Introduction Avicennan Allegory: Between Philosophy and Religion Ibn Sīnā’s Symbolic Narratives The Risālat al-tayr Hayy ibn Yaqzan Salāmān wa Absal The Mirāj-nāma The Qasīdat al-nafs (Poem on the Soul) The Puzzle of the Qasīda’s Neoplatonic Psychology Alī b. Muhammad b. al-Walīd and his Historical Context Note on Ibn al-Walīd’s Critique of al-Ghazālī Content of Ibn al-Walīd’s al-Risāla al-mufīda Synopsis of Ibn al-Walīd’s Glosses Acknowledgements Note on the Arabic Edition Al-Risāla al-mufīda (English translation) Select Bibliography Index Al-Risāla al-mufīda (Arabic edition)