Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination (Routledge Sufi Series)

"Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, also known as Shaikh al-ishraq or the Master of Illumination, lived in the sixth century AH/ twelfth century CE."--BOOK JACKET. "His thoughts form a consistent and coherent philosophical system, and a close study of his writings in Persian reveals a theory of knowledge generally called 'Knowledge by Presence'. The elaborate web of myth and symbolism in Suhrawardi's philosophy articulates his theory of knowledge, an important subject in the ishraqi school of thought."--BOOK JACKET. "Suhrawardi, who claims first to have discovered the truth and then embarked on a path to find the rational basis of his experiential wisdom, represents a thinker who tried to reconcile rational discourse and inner purification."--Jacket Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 4 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Dedication......Page 8 Contents......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 A. Life......Page 24 B. Intellectual Context......Page 27 C. Works: A Survey of Suhrawardi's Works......Page 30 1. The Intimations......Page 32 2. The Opposites......Page 33 3. The Paths and the Conversations......Page 34 4. The Philosophy of Illumination......Page 36 5. Treatise on Illumination......Page 37 7. Tablets of 'Imād al-Din......Page 38 8. Treatise of the Birds......Page 40 9. The Chant of Gabriel's Wing......Page 43 10. The Red Intellect......Page 44 11. A Day Among the Sufis......Page 45 12. On the State of Childhood......Page 46 13. On the Reality of Love......Page 47 15. Conclusion......Page 48 1. Ontology......Page 54 2. Existence and Essence......Page 56 3. On Necessary and Contingent Beings......Page 58 4. Limit and Infinity......Page 59 5. God's Existence......Page 60 6. Self-Body Problem......Page 62 7. Life After Death......Page 64 8. Logic......Page 67 9. Angelology......Page 68 10. Physics......Page 70 11. Psychology......Page 71 12. Eschatology......Page 72 13. Ḥikmat vs. Philosophy......Page 73 1. Suhrawardi's Vision......Page 81 2. On the Nature of Man......Page 85 3. On the Spiritual Journey and Ascetiscism......Page 88 4. Unity and the Final Abode......Page 95 1. On Light and Its Varieties......Page 101 2. Angelology......Page 104 3. The Archetypal World: Mundus Imaginalis......Page 110 4. Vision......Page 112 6. Knowledge and Presence......Page 113 A. Epistemology......Page 115 1. Knowledge by Definition......Page 116 2. Knowledge by Sense Perception......Page 119 3. Knowledge Through Innate Ideas......Page 122 4. Suhrawardi's Philosophy of Epistemology......Page 123 B. Knowledge by Presence......Page 125 1. Arguments from "I/IT" Dichotomy......Page 126 2. Arguments from Pre-cognitive Mode of Knowledge......Page 130 3. Arguments from Attributes......Page 131 4. Conclusion......Page 133 5. Practical Consequences of a Philosophical Historical Analysis......Page 134 6. A Critical Analysis of Knowledge by Presence......Page 136 5. The Influence of Suhrawardi on Islamic Philosophy......Page 144 A. The Greater Persia......Page 145 1. Ishraqi Philosophy Before the School of Isfahan......Page 146 2. School of Isfahan......Page 147 3. Suhrawardi and Mullā Ṣadrā......Page 151 4. The Qajar Period......Page 153 6. Contemporary Period......Page 158 B. India......Page 160 C. Suhrawardi in Syria and Anatolia......Page 162 D. Suhrawardi in the West......Page 163 6. Concluding Remarks......Page 169 7. Appendix: A Translation of the Text and Commentary of the Chant of Gabriel's Wing......Page 173 Bibliography......Page 189 Index......Page 194 Cover 1 Half Title 4 Title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Contents 10 Acknowledgements 14 Introduction 16 1. The Life and Works of Suhrawardi 24 A. Life 24 B. Intellectual Context 27 C. Works: A Survey of Suhrawardi's Works 30 1. The Intimations 32 2. The Opposites 33 3. The Paths and the Conversations 34 4. The Philosophy of Illumination 36 5. Treatise on Illumination 37 6. Luminous Bodies 38 7. Tablets of 'Imād al-Din 38 8. Treatise of the Birds 40 9. The Chant of Gabriel's Wing 43 10. The Red Intellect 44 11. A Day Among the Sufis 45 12. On the State of Childhood 46 13. On the Reality of Love 47 14. Prayers and Supplications 48 15. Conclusion 48 2. Central Themes 54 1. Ontology 54 2. Existence and Essence 56 3. On Necessary and Contingent Beings 58 4. Limit and Infinity 59 5. God's Existence 60 6. Self-Body Problem 62 7. Life After Death 64 8. Logic 67 9. Angelology 68 10. Physics 70 11. Psychology 71 12. Eschatology 72 13. Ḥikmat vs. Philosophy 73 3. Practical Sufism 81 1. Suhrawardi's Vision 81 2. On the Nature of Man 85 3. On the Spiritual Journey and Ascetiscism 88 4. Unity and the Final Abode 95 4. Philosophical Sufism 101 1. On Light and Its Varieties 101 2. Angelology 104 3. The Archetypal World: Mundus Imaginalis 110 4. Vision 112 5. Vision and Intellection 113 6. Knowledge and Presence 113 A. Epistemology 115 1. Knowledge by Definition 116 2. Knowledge by Sense Perception 119 3. Knowledge Through Innate Ideas 122 4. Suhrawardi's Philosophy of Epistemology 123 B. Knowledge by Presence 125 1. Arguments from "I/IT" Dichotomy 126 2. Arguments from Pre-cognitive Mode of Knowledge 130 3. Arguments from Attributes 131 4. Conclusion 133 5. Practical Consequences of a Philosophical Historical Analysis 134 6. A Critical Analysis of Knowledge by Presence 136 5. The Influence of Suhrawardi on Islamic Philosophy 144 A. The Greater Persia 145 1. Ishraqi Philosophy Before the School of Isfahan 146 2. School of Isfahan 147 3. Suhrawardi and Mullā Ṣadrā 151 4. The Qajar Period 153 5. Shaykhiyyah School 158 6. Contemporary Period 158 B. India 160 C. Suhrawardi in Syria and Anatolia 162 D. Suhrawardi in the West 163 6. Concluding Remarks 169 7. Appendix: A Translation of the Text and Commentary of the Chant of Gabriel's Wing 173 Bibliography 189 Index 194 This work discusses the mystical dimension of Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, the philosopher-mystic and the founder of the School of Illumination (ishraq) in the tradition of Islamic philosophy. Study Of The Life, Works And Legacy Of Shihab Al-din Yahya Suhrawardi, Also Known As Shaikh Al-ishraq Or The Master Of Illumination.