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Illuminationism

January 29, 2023

Not to be confused with Divine illumination.

Illuminationism (Persian حكمت اشراق hekmat-e eshrāq, Arabic: حكمة الإشراق ḥikmat al-ishrāq, both meaning "Wisdom of the Rising Light"), also known as Ishrāqiyyun or simply Ishrāqi (Persian اشراق, Arabic: الإشراق, lit. "Rising", as in "Shining of the Rising Sun") is a philosophical and mystical school of thought introduced by Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi (honorific: Shaikh al-ʿIshraq or Shaikh-i-Ishraq, both meaning "Master of Illumination") in the twelfth century, established with his Kitab Hikmat al-Ishraq (lit: "Book of the Wisdom of Illumination"), a fundamental text finished in 1186. Written with influence from Avicennism, Peripateticism, and Neoplatonism, the philosophy is nevertheless distinct as a novel and holistic addition to the history of Islamic philosophy.

History

 
Ilkhanate-Mongols besieging Baghdad under the command of Hulagu Khan, c. 1430.

While the Ilkhanate-Mongol Siege of Baghdad and the destruction of the House of Wisdom (Arabic: بيت الحكمة, romanized: Bayt al-Ḥikmah) effectively ended the Islamic Golden Age in 1258, it also paved the way for novel philosophical invention.[1] Such an example is the work of philosopher Abu'l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī, specifically his Kitāb al-Muʿtabar ("The Book of What Has Been Established by Personal Reflection"); the book's challenges to the Aristotelian norm in Islamic philosophy along with al-Baghdādī's emphasis on “evident self-reflection” and his revival of the Platonic use of light as a metaphor for phenomena like inspiration all influenced the philosophy of Suhrawardi.[2] The philosopher and logician Zayn al-Din Omar Savaji further inspired Suhrawardi with his foundational works on mathematics and his creativity in reconstructing the Organon; Savaji's two-part logic based on "expository propositions" (al-aqwāl al-šāreḥa) and "proof theory" (ḥojaj) served as the precursory model for Suhrawardi's own "Rules of Thought" (al-Żawābeṭ al-fekr).[3] Among the three Islamic philosophers mentioned in Suhrawardi's work, al-Baghdādī and Savaji are two of them.

Upon finishing his Kitab Hikmat al-Ishraq (lit: "Book of the Wisdom of Illumination"), the Persian[4][5][6][7] philosopher Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi founded Illuminationism in 1186. The Persian and Islamic school draws on ancient Iranian philosophical disciplines,[8][9] Avicennism (Ibn Sina’s early Islamic philosophy), Neoplatonic thought (modified by Ibn Sina), and the original ideas of Suhrawardi.

Key concepts

In his Philosophy of Illumination, Suhrawardi argued that light operates at all levels and hierarchies of reality (PI, 97.7–98.11). Light produces immaterial and substantial lights, including immaterial intellects (angels), human and animal souls, and even 'dusky substances', such as bodies.[10]

Suhrawardi's metaphysics is based on two principles. The first is a form of the principle of sufficient reason. The second principle is Aristotle's principle that an actual infinity is impossible.[11]

Ishraq

The essential meaning of ishrāq (Persian اشراق, Arabic: الإشراق) is "rising", specifically referring to the sunrise, though "illumination" is the more common translation. It has used both Arabic and Persian philosophical texts as means to signify the relation between the “apprehending subject” (al-mawżuʿ al-modrek) and the “apprehensible object” (al-modrak); beyond philosophical discourse, it is a term used in common discussion. Suhrawardi utilized the ordinariness of the word in order to encompass the all that is mystical along with an array of different kinds of knowledge, including elhām, meaning personal inspiration.[12]

Legacy

None of Suhrawardi's works was translated into Latin, so he remained unknown in the Latin West, although his work continued to be studied in the Islamic East.[13] According to Hosein Nasr, Suhrawardi was unknown to the west until he was translated to western languages by contemporary thinkers such as Henry Corbin, and he remains largely unknown even in countries within the Islamic world.[14]

Suhrawardi tried to present a new perspective on questions like those of existence. He not only caused peripatetic philosophers to confront such new questions, but also gave new life to the body of philosophy after Avicenna.[15] According to John Walbridge, Suhrawardi's critiques of Peripatetic philosophy could be counted as an important turning point for his successors. Although Suhravardi was first a pioneer of Peripatetic philosophy, he later became a Platonist following a mystical experience. He is also counted as one who revived the ancient wisdom in Persia by his philosophy of illumination. His followers, such as Shahrzouri and Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi tried to continue the way of their teacher. Suhrewardi makes a distinction between two approaches in the philosophy of illumination: one approach is discursive and another is intuitive.[16]

Illuminationist thinkers in the School of Isfahan played a significant role in revitalizing academic life in the[17] Safavid Empire under Shah Abbas I. (1588-1629)[18] Avicennan thought continued to inform philosophy during the reign of the Safavid Empire.[19] Illuminationism was taught in Safavid Madrasas (Place of Study) established by pious shahs.[20]

Mulla Sadra

Mulla Sadra (Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī) was a 17th-century Iranian philosopher who was considered a master[21] of illuminationism. He wrote a book titled al-Asfar meaning "The Yellow"[22] or "The Light." The word Asfar also denotes a journey of the soul back to Allah. He developed his book into an entire School of Thought, he did not refer to al-Asfar as a philosophy but as "wisdom." Sadra taught how one could be illuminated or given wisdom until becoming a sage.[23] Al-Asfar was one piece of illuminationism which is still an active part of Islamic philosophy today. Al-Asfar was representative of Mulla Sadra's entire philosophical worldview.[24] Like many important Arabian works it is difficult for the western world to understand because it has not been translated into English. Mulla Sadra eventually became the most significant teacher at the religious school known as Madrasa-yi[25](Royal School.) His philosophies are still taught throughout the Islamic East and South Asia.[26]

Al-Asfar is Mulla Sadra's book explaining his view of illuminationism. He views problems starting with a Peripatetic sketch.[27] This Aristotelian style of teaching is reminiscent of Islamic Golden Age Philosopher Avicenna. Mulla Sadra often refers to the Qur'an when dealing with philosophical problems. He even quotes Qur'anic verses while explaining philosophy. He wrote exegeses of the Qur'an such as his explanation of Al-Kursi.

Asfar means journey. In al-Asfar you are gaining on a journey to gain wisdom. Mulla Sadra used philosophy as a set spiritual exercises to become more wise. Eventually this as you go through life you continue to gain more knowledge until you become a sage, hence godlike.[28]

In Mulla Sadra's book The Transcendent Philosophy of the Four Journeys of the Intellect he describes the four journeys of

  1. A journey from creation to the Truth or Creator
  2. A journey from the Truth to the Truth
  3. A journey that stands in relation to the first journey because it is from the Truth to creation with the Truth
  4. A journey that stands in relation to the second journey because it is from the Truth to the creation.[29]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "ILLUMINATIONISM – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  2. ^ Langermann, Y. Tzvi (1998), "al-Baghdadi, Abu 'l-Barakat (fl. c.1200-50)", Islamic Philosophy, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, from the original on 28 February 2008, retrieved 2008-02-03
  3. ^ HOSSEIN ZIAI, "EBN SAHLĀN SĀVAJĪ, Qāżī ZAYN-AL-DĪN ʿOMAR " in Encyclopaedia Iranica [1]
  4. ^ John Walbridge, “The leaven of the ancients: Suhrawardī and the heritage of the Greeks”, State University of New York Press, 1999. Excerpt: “Suhrawardi, a 12th-century Persian philosopher, was a key figure in the transition of Islamic thought from the neo-Aristotelianism of Avicenna to the mystically oriented philosophy of later centuries.”
  5. ^ Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “The need for a sacred science”, SUNY Press, 1993. Pg 158: “Persian philosopher Suhrawardi refers in fact to this land as na-kuja abad, which in Persian means literally utopia.”
  6. ^ Matthew Kapstein, University of Chicago Press, 2004, "The presence of light: divine radiance and religious experience", University of Chicago Press, 2004. pg 285:"..the light of lights in the system of the Persian philosopher Suhrawardi"
  7. ^ Hossein Ziai. Illuminationsim or Illuminationist philosophy, first introduced in the 12th century as a complete, reconstructed system distinct both from the Peripatetic philosophy of Avicenna and from theological philosophy. in: Encyclopaedia Iranica. Volumes XII & XIII. 2004.
  8. ^ Henry Corbin. The Voyage and the Messenger. Iran and Philosophy. Containing previous unpublished articles and lectures from 1948 to 1976. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, California. 1998. ISBN 1-55643-269-0.
  9. ^ Henry Corbin. The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism. Omega Publications, New York. 1994. ISBN 0-930872-48-7.
  10. ^ Philosophy of Illumination 77.1–78.9
  11. ^ Philosophy of Illumination 87.1–89.8
  12. ^ "ILLUMINATIONISM – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved Nov 2, 2020.
  13. ^ Marcotte, Roxanne, "Suhrawardi", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).
  14. ^ Hosein Nasr, 1997 & three muslim sages, p. 55
  15. ^ Nasr, 2006 & Islamic philosophy from its origin to the present, p. 86
  16. ^ John Walbridge (2004). "Suhrawardī and Illuminationism". In Adamson, Peter; Taylor, Richard C. (eds.). The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 201–223. ISBN 9780511999864.
  17. ^ "Safavid- Mughal Cultural Interrelations as reflected in Matenadaran's 'Bayaz' Manuscript Illumination | Association for Iranian Studies (AIS) | انجمن ایران‌ پژوهی". associationforiranianstudies.org. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  18. ^ "Friends of the SEP Society - Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF". leibniz.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  19. ^ "Friends of the SEP Society - Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF". leibniz.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  20. ^ Moazzen, Maryam (2011). Shi'ite Higher Learning and the Role of the Madrasa-yi Sulṭānī in Late Safavid Iran (Thesis). hdl:1807/29816.
  21. ^ Aminrazavi, Mehdi Amin Razavi (2014-03-18). Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-79281-6.
  22. ^ Fierro, Maribel (1993). "Al-Aṣfar". Studia Islamica (77): 169–181. doi:10.2307/1595794. hdl:10261/281031. JSTOR 1595794.
  23. ^ Rizvi, Sajjad (2019), "Mulla Sadra", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-04-10
  24. ^ "Full text of "Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Philosophy"". archive.org. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  25. ^ "Friends of the SEP Society - Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF". leibniz.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  26. ^ "Friends of the SEP Society - Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF". leibniz.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  27. ^ SIPR. "Methodology". MullaSadra.org.
  28. ^ Rizvi, Sajjad (2019), "Mulla Sadra", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-04-09
  29. ^ "Full text of "Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Philosophy"". archive.org. Retrieved 2020-04-09.

Further reading

  • Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination by Mehdi Amin Razavi
  • Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

External links

January 29, 2023
illuminationism, confused, with, divine, illumination, persian, حكمت, اشراق, hekmat, eshrāq, arabic, حكمة, الإشراق, ḥikmat, ishrāq, both, meaning, wisdom, rising, light, also, known, ishrāqiyyun, simply, ishrāqi, persian, اشراق, arabic, الإشراق, rising, shinin. Not to be confused with Divine illumination Illuminationism Persian حكمت اشراق hekmat e eshraq Arabic حكمة الإشراق ḥikmat al ishraq both meaning Wisdom of the Rising Light also known as Ishraqiyyun or simply Ishraqi Persian اشراق Arabic الإشراق lit Rising as in Shining of the Rising Sun is a philosophical and mystical school of thought introduced by Shahab al Din Suhrawardi honorific Shaikh al ʿIshraq or Shaikh i Ishraq both meaning Master of Illumination in the twelfth century established with his Kitab Hikmat al Ishraq lit Book of the Wisdom of Illumination a fundamental text finished in 1186 Written with influence from Avicennism Peripateticism and Neoplatonism the philosophy is nevertheless distinct as a novel and holistic addition to the history of Islamic philosophy Contents 1 History 2 Key concepts 2 1 Ishraq 3 Legacy 3 1 Mulla Sadra 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory Edit Ilkhanate Mongols besieging Baghdad under the command of Hulagu Khan c 1430 While the Ilkhanate Mongol Siege of Baghdad and the destruction of the House of Wisdom Arabic بيت الحكمة romanized Bayt al Ḥikmah effectively ended the Islamic Golden Age in 1258 it also paved the way for novel philosophical invention 1 Such an example is the work of philosopher Abu l Barakat al Baghdadi specifically his Kitab al Muʿtabar The Book of What Has Been Established by Personal Reflection the book s challenges to the Aristotelian norm in Islamic philosophy along with al Baghdadi s emphasis on evident self reflection and his revival of the Platonic use of light as a metaphor for phenomena like inspiration all influenced the philosophy of Suhrawardi 2 The philosopher and logician Zayn al Din Omar Savaji further inspired Suhrawardi with his foundational works on mathematics and his creativity in reconstructing the Organon Savaji s two part logic based on expository propositions al aqwal al sareḥa and proof theory ḥojaj served as the precursory model for Suhrawardi s own Rules of Thought al Zawabeṭ al fekr 3 Among the three Islamic philosophers mentioned in Suhrawardi s work al Baghdadi and Savaji are two of them Upon finishing his Kitab Hikmat al Ishraq lit Book of the Wisdom of Illumination the Persian 4 5 6 7 philosopher Shahab al Din Suhrawardi founded Illuminationism in 1186 The Persian and Islamic school draws on ancient Iranian philosophical disciplines 8 9 Avicennism Ibn Sina s early Islamic philosophy Neoplatonic thought modified by Ibn Sina and the original ideas of Suhrawardi Key concepts EditIn his Philosophy of Illumination Suhrawardi argued that light operates at all levels and hierarchies of reality PI 97 7 98 11 Light produces immaterial and substantial lights including immaterial intellects angels human and animal souls and even dusky substances such as bodies 10 Suhrawardi s metaphysics is based on two principles The first is a form of the principle of sufficient reason The second principle is Aristotle s principle that an actual infinity is impossible 11 Ishraq Edit The essential meaning of ishraq Persian اشراق Arabic الإشراق is rising specifically referring to the sunrise though illumination is the more common translation It has used both Arabic and Persian philosophical texts as means to signify the relation between the apprehending subject al mawzuʿ al modrek and the apprehensible object al modrak beyond philosophical discourse it is a term used in common discussion Suhrawardi utilized the ordinariness of the word in order to encompass the all that is mystical along with an array of different kinds of knowledge including elham meaning personal inspiration 12 Legacy EditNone of Suhrawardi s works was translated into Latin so he remained unknown in the Latin West although his work continued to be studied in the Islamic East 13 According to Hosein Nasr Suhrawardi was unknown to the west until he was translated to western languages by contemporary thinkers such as Henry Corbin and he remains largely unknown even in countries within the Islamic world 14 Suhrawardi tried to present a new perspective on questions like those of existence He not only caused peripatetic philosophers to confront such new questions but also gave new life to the body of philosophy after Avicenna 15 According to John Walbridge Suhrawardi s critiques of Peripatetic philosophy could be counted as an important turning point for his successors Although Suhravardi was first a pioneer of Peripatetic philosophy he later became a Platonist following a mystical experience He is also counted as one who revived the ancient wisdom in Persia by his philosophy of illumination His followers such as Shahrzouri and Qutb al Din al Shirazi tried to continue the way of their teacher Suhrewardi makes a distinction between two approaches in the philosophy of illumination one approach is discursive and another is intuitive 16 Illuminationist thinkers in the School of Isfahan played a significant role in revitalizing academic life in the 17 Safavid Empire under Shah Abbas I 1588 1629 18 Avicennan thought continued to inform philosophy during the reign of the Safavid Empire 19 Illuminationism was taught in Safavid Madrasas Place of Study established by pious shahs 20 Mulla Sadra Edit This section possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed March 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Mulla Sadra Ṣadr ad Din Muḥammad Shirazi was a 17th century Iranian philosopher who was considered a master 21 of illuminationism He wrote a book titled al Asfar meaning The Yellow 22 or The Light The word Asfar also denotes a journey of the soul back to Allah He developed his book into an entire School of Thought he did not refer to al Asfar as a philosophy but as wisdom Sadra taught how one could be illuminated or given wisdom until becoming a sage 23 Al Asfar was one piece of illuminationism which is still an active part of Islamic philosophy today Al Asfar was representative of Mulla Sadra s entire philosophical worldview 24 Like many important Arabian works it is difficult for the western world to understand because it has not been translated into English Mulla Sadra eventually became the most significant teacher at the religious school known as Madrasa yi 25 Royal School His philosophies are still taught throughout the Islamic East and South Asia 26 Al Asfar is Mulla Sadra s book explaining his view of illuminationism He views problems starting with a Peripatetic sketch 27 This Aristotelian style of teaching is reminiscent of Islamic Golden Age Philosopher Avicenna Mulla Sadra often refers to the Qur an when dealing with philosophical problems He even quotes Qur anic verses while explaining philosophy He wrote exegeses of the Qur an such as his explanation of Al Kursi Asfar means journey In al Asfar you are gaining on a journey to gain wisdom Mulla Sadra used philosophy as a set spiritual exercises to become more wise Eventually this as you go through life you continue to gain more knowledge until you become a sage hence godlike 28 In Mulla Sadra s book The Transcendent Philosophy of the Four Journeys of the Intellect he describes the four journeys of A journey from creation to the Truth or Creator A journey from the Truth to the Truth A journey that stands in relation to the first journey because it is from the Truth to creation with the Truth A journey that stands in relation to the second journey because it is from the Truth to the creation 29 See also EditLight theology Mulla Sadra Enlightenment spiritual Notes Edit ILLUMINATIONISM Encyclopaedia Iranica www iranicaonline org Retrieved 2020 04 10 Langermann Y Tzvi 1998 al Baghdadi Abu l Barakat fl c 1200 50 Islamic Philosophy Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy archived from the original on 28 February 2008 retrieved 2008 02 03 HOSSEIN ZIAI EBN SAHLAN SAVAJi Qazi ZAYN AL DiN ʿOMAR in Encyclopaedia Iranica 1 John Walbridge The leaven of the ancients Suhrawardi and the heritage of the Greeks State University of New York Press 1999 Excerpt Suhrawardi a 12th century Persian philosopher was a key figure in the transition of Islamic thought from the neo Aristotelianism of Avicenna to the mystically oriented philosophy of later centuries Seyyed Hossein Nasr The need for a sacred science SUNY Press 1993 Pg 158 Persian philosopher Suhrawardi refers in fact to this land as na kuja abad which in Persian means literally utopia Matthew Kapstein University of Chicago Press 2004 The presence of light divine radiance and religious experience University of Chicago Press 2004 pg 285 the light of lights in the system of the Persian philosopher Suhrawardi Hossein Ziai Illuminationsim or Illuminationist philosophy first introduced in the 12th century as a complete reconstructed system distinct both from the Peripatetic philosophy of Avicenna and from theological philosophy in Encyclopaedia Iranica Volumes XII amp XIII 2004 Henry Corbin The Voyage and the Messenger Iran and Philosophy Containing previous unpublished articles and lectures from 1948 to 1976 North Atlantic Books Berkeley California 1998 ISBN 1 55643 269 0 Henry Corbin The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism Omega Publications New York 1994 ISBN 0 930872 48 7 Philosophy of Illumination 77 1 78 9 Philosophy of Illumination 87 1 89 8 ILLUMINATIONISM Encyclopaedia Iranica www iranicaonline org Retrieved Nov 2 2020 Marcotte Roxanne Suhrawardi The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Summer 2019 Edition Edward N Zalta ed Hosein Nasr 1997 amp three muslim sages p 55harvnb error no target CITEREFHosein Nasr1997three muslim sages help Nasr 2006 amp Islamic philosophy from its origin to the present p 86harvnb error no target CITEREFNasr2006Islamic philosophy from its origin to the present help John Walbridge 2004 Suhrawardi and Illuminationism In Adamson Peter Taylor Richard C eds The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy Cambridge University Press pp 201 223 ISBN 9780511999864 Safavid Mughal Cultural Interrelations as reflected in Matenadaran s Bayaz Manuscript Illumination Association for Iranian Studies AIS انجمن ایران پژوهی associationforiranianstudies org Retrieved 2020 04 10 Friends of the SEP Society Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF leibniz stanford edu Retrieved 2020 04 10 Friends of the SEP Society Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF leibniz stanford edu Retrieved 2020 04 10 Moazzen Maryam 2011 Shi ite Higher Learning and the Role of the Madrasa yi Sulṭani in Late Safavid Iran Thesis hdl 1807 29816 Aminrazavi Mehdi Amin Razavi 2014 03 18 Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination Routledge ISBN 978 1 136 79281 6 Fierro Maribel 1993 Al Aṣfar Studia Islamica 77 169 181 doi 10 2307 1595794 hdl 10261 281031 JSTOR 1595794 Rizvi Sajjad 2019 Mulla Sadra in Zalta Edward N ed The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Spring 2019 ed Metaphysics Research Lab Stanford University retrieved 2020 04 10 Full text of Mulla Sadra s Transcendent Philosophy archive org Retrieved 2020 04 09 Friends of the SEP Society Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF leibniz stanford edu Retrieved 2020 04 10 Friends of the SEP Society Preview of Mulla Sadra PDF leibniz stanford edu Retrieved 2020 04 10 SIPR Methodology MullaSadra org Rizvi Sajjad 2019 Mulla Sadra in Zalta Edward N ed The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Spring 2019 ed Metaphysics Research Lab Stanford University retrieved 2020 04 09 Full text of Mulla Sadra s Transcendent Philosophy archive org Retrieved 2020 04 09 Further reading EditSuhrawardi and the School of Illumination by Mehdi Amin Razavi Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia by Seyyed Hossein NasrExternal links EditHossein Ziai Illuminationism Encyclopaedia Iranica Divine Illumination entry by Robert Pasnau in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Portals Religion Islam Education Psychology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Illuminationism amp oldid 1136151697, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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