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This paper will argue that, in the book entitled Hikmat al-Išrāq, Suhrawardī (d. 587/1191), the Šayh al-Išrāq, presents his project of what a metaphysical system should be: a "Metaphysics of experience", or, in Suhrawardian terms, a "Science of lights" ('ilm al-anwār). In his Metaphysics, Suhrawardī is known both for his criticism of Avicennian Peripateticism and his appropriation thereof. This paper will attempt to show that the conceptual foundation of Suhrawardī's Metaphysics of lights is the identity between "apprehension" and "reality", epistemologically expressed in terms of "manifestness" (zuhūr), ontologically in terms of "light" (nūr), and cosmologically in terms of "illumination" (išrāq). The immediate character of apprehension allows to establish the priority of experience over any kind of demonstration and representation. In a deepest level of experience, the apprehender - that is, a "pure light" - grasps the apprehensible as an irradiation of lights, and both are sharing the same flow of illumination. As a corollary, our apprehension of God, the Light of lights, and our apprehension of the divine realm, the world of lights, is the same sort of apprehension that we ordinarily have, but within which the apprehensible things and the apprehender are revealed in an entirely different depth. This paper will be concluded with a general characterization of how, in this point, some Mystics, in their personal experience, have apprehended the reality more deeply than the Peripatetics in their philosophy. Nevertheless, it is not a refusal of philosophy, in general, or Peripatetic philosophy, in particular, but is rather a search for subsuming "philosophy" within the mystical tradition's framework. Therefore, mysticism is not conceived as a way to irrationality, but rather as assisting philosophers to transform philosophical tradition as such, and to become able to apprehend the reality in its profoundness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trying to understand the reality of the soul and its result (Self Knowledge Theology) has always attracted philosophers' attention and has been regarded as one of the concerns of philosophical thinking. In this article, it is specified that the peripatetic philosophers, whether Greek or Islamic, have considered the soul as a chapter of naturalia and try mostly to comment on the soul's powers and activities; they have not had any epistemological view of it. In contrast, Sheikh Eshragh closes the psychology to the theological discussions and looks at it from the epistemological point of view. His discussion is not about soul's powers, but he provides a way to save the soul from the prison of the body and emancipate the human being from the darkness of material world. In the illuminationist philosophy, the theory of intuition was proposed for the first time (The substantial form), so it has discussed the nature of the soul from this viewpoint. Suhrawardi's psychology isn't a consequence of theoretical discussion, but it results from introspection and self-awareness that is possible only through the asceticism and controlling the dragon of carnal soul. It is soul which shows not only the Light of Lights, but it becomes divine and finally through this path he founds his luminous system. The system of being is realized through the epistemology of soul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article it has been dealt with the importance and place of Suhrawardi's philosophical and illuminationist thoughts. His thought is the focal point in which the Zoroasterian, Platonic and peripatetic metaphysics and Islamic mysticism as well as the revelation and religious tradition have met together and have found new combination in one coherent system by his own innovations. The souvenir of Iranian ancient metaphysics is searched in the Iranian Sufism and mysticism; since the illuminationist philosophy is heavily influenced by the Iranian Sufism and mysticism, consequently one of the first-class sources is to know Eastern and Iranian mysticism. Through philosophical and mystical meditations Suhrawardi sought to close the truth of positive religion to the philosophical truth and in a word lump together the positive religion, mystical path and truth. His important preoccupation is to explain how the expatriate can return home; because the illuminationist philosopher is basically who does not separate the philosophical enquiry from the spiritual perfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article suggests that the futuwwa articulated by Shihāb al-Dīn ‘Umar al-Suhrawardī (1144–1234) created a paradigm of exclusion and inclusion for late medieval Anatolian urban confraternities. This largely faith-based construct was developed in the Seljuk capital of Konya and reduplicated in futuwwa treatises that were composed in Armenian, Persian and Turkish in the region. The multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-religious cultural environment of the late medieval Anatolian city provided an opportunity and, possibly, a necessity for futuwwa associations to draw boundaries around their associations. It is uniquely through the study of the city as a unit that we will be able to understand the huge cultural and religious transformations that were taking place in Anatolia during the late medieval period. Study of futuwwa associations as regulating urban populations provides a window of insight into the ways in which groups of men attempted to define themselves in juxtaposition with others. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines ḥikma as it was practiced by Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī, or Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1640), in explaining the connection between the divine names and the attributes of God. This is done via a translation of the fourth part of his al-Maẓāhir al-ilāhiyya fī asrār al-'ulūm al-kamāliyya [The loci of divine manifestations in the secrets of the knowledge of perfection]. Ḥikma, philosophy, as it is defined here, is the combination of rational demonstrations and spiritual unveiling. Shirāzī's philosophy is a synthesis of Ibn'Arabī's school of metaphysical unveiling, the Ishrāqī school led by Suhrawardĩ, and the rational school of the Peripatetics. The text is translated here for the first time, and includes annotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important factors to the Formation of Suhrawardi's Philosophy opinions is also peripatetic tradition of Islam. Although our thinker establishes his relation with the Peripatetics of Islam on the criticism of their Philosophy opinions, sometimes he shares same opinions with them. Suhrawardi found the Ibn Sina's tradition in Isfehan where he went for education. Because of this we can say that he started to take the knowledge of Philosophy with the Ibn Sina's tradition. Probably for this reason Ibn Sina has an important place to his studying on Peripatetics of Islam. When he criticized the Peripatetics of Islam he discriminated him. In addition, when he mentioned Ibn Sina in his works he talked about him as "our senior", "respected person" and didn't exceed the limit on criticizing. Describing of "east" is as "home of light" and "west" is as "home of dark" in "Hayy b. Yekzan" by Ibn Sina guided the thought of 'meşrikî wisdom which formed in East and West concept. When Suhrawardi's Philosophy is studied as a whole it is realized that Ibn Sina influenced the thinker in a lot of matter. In this article, it will be tried to talk talk about how much contribution Ibn Sina made to the Suhrawardi's Formation of the Philosophy of Ishraq by examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suhrawardi did not begin as a peripatetic and end as a Sufist, breaking free from philosophical discursus to apprehend mystical gnosis. He must have merged theoretical science (bahs) with mystical perception (zawk). The Ishraqi wisdom is, therefore, the result of asceticism and philosophical discipline combined. Consequently, the mystical vision, according to the Shaikh, is not devoid of intellectual insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the epistemologies of philosophers Suhrawardi and Ibn Sĩnã on the theory of knowledge. Views on empiricism and rationalism; Knowledge by Definition; Knowledge by sense perception.

'Awarif al‐Ma'arif is a manual for daily study and practice written by the the renowned thirteenth‐century Sufi thinker, Shayikh 'Abu Hafs al‐Suhrawardi. This paper focuses on references and allusions to the Prophet in this treatise. The treatise recognizes the primary importance of the Quran and the Hadith, and functions as a medium of interpretation for the primary texts. The aim of the treatise is to assist the daily spiritual exercises and general intellectual development of the Suhrawardiyya members; it makes use of Quranic hermeneutics, Hadith commentary, rational arguments on epistemology, as well as discussing different levels of spirituality and proper manners. It also includes some severe critique of others orders and their interpretations of tasawwuf. In very many, if not all, of his arguments, Suhrawardi relies for authority upon Hadiths his own intimacy with the Prophet's way of life. The use of Hadiths in legal, philosophical, poetical, and religious contexts has long been known and understood. Their use in a Sufi spiritual manual is orientated toward presenting the way the Prophet as a model for inward and outward actions. Suhrawardi's intensive use of the Hadiths is a significant element in the treatise, enabling its readers to remember and re-enact the Prophet's way so that they can move from merely imagining to actually embodying the Prophet's spirituality. In sum, while the student rehearses and memorizes the Quran for the formal prayer rites, Prophetic Hadiths are committed to memory in order to cultivate a closer kinship to the Prophet and maintain his sacred presence at every moment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]