The fourth volume of the Anthology of Philosophy in Persia deals with one of the richest and yet least known periods of philosophical life in Persia, the centuries between the seventh/thirteenth century, that saw the eclipse of the school of Khorosan, and the tenth/sixteenth century that coincided with the rise of the SafavidsA major Shi’i dynasty which ruled Persia (1501-1732 CE), and was succeeded by the Afsharids. (See also Qizilbash, Safawiyya.). The main schools dealt with in this volume are the Peripatetic (mashsha’i) School, the School of Illumination (ishraq) of Suhrawardi, and various forms of philosophical Sufism, especially the school of Ibn ‘Arabi, that had its origins in the works of Ghazzali and ‘Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani. This period was also notable for the philosopher-scientists such as Nasir al-Din Tusi and Qutb al-Din Shirazi.
List of Reprinted Works
Note on Transliteration
List of Contributors
General Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Introductory Analysis, M. Aminrazavi
Part I: The School of Illumination
1. Shih膩b al-D墨n Suhraward墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Philosophy of Illumination (from 岣kmat al-ishr膩q)
2. Shams al-D墨n Mu岣mmad Shahraz奴r墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Excursion of Spirits and Garden of Delights (from Nuzhat al-arw膩岣 wa raw岣峚t al-afr膩岣)
3. Qu峁璪 al-D墨n Sh墨r膩z墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Pearl of the Crown (from Durrat al-t膩j)
4. Jal膩l al-D墨n Daw膩n墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on Suhraward墨鈥檚 鈥楾emples of Light鈥 (from Shar岣 hay膩kil al-n奴r)
Flashes of Illumination on Praiseworthy Ethics, or, The Jal膩lian Ethics (from Akhl膩q-i jal膩l墨)
5. Ibn Ab墨 Jumh奴r A岣膩示墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Book of the Illuminated, Mirror of the Saviour (from Kit膩b al-mujl墨 mir示膩t al-munj墨)
6. Mull膩 峁dr膩
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Glosses upon the Commentary of Suhraward墨鈥檚 Philosophy of Illumination (from Ta士liq膩t 士al膩 shar岣 岣kmat al-ishr膩q)
Part II: The Revival of Peripatetic Philosophy
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Na峁Ｄ玶 al-D墨n 峁玸墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Commentary on Ibn S墨n膩鈥檚 Remarks and Admonitions (from Shar岣 al-ish膩r膩t wa鈥檒-tanb墨h膩t)
Treatise on the Division of Existents (from Ris膩lah andar qismat-i mawj奴d膩t)
2. Af岣峚l al-D墨n K膩sh膩n墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Compositions (from 惭耻峁苍苍补蹿腻迟)
3. Dab墨r膩n-i K膩tib墨-yi Qazw墨n墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Wisdom from the Source (from 岣kmat al-士ayn)
4. Ath墨r al-D墨n Abhar墨 and 础尘墨谤(pl. umar膩示) Arabic lit. a prince, a commander, or a leader. In early Muslim history, the word am墨r referred to an army commander. During the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the… 岣sayn Maybud墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary upon Guidance through Wisdom (from Shar岣 hid膩yat al-岣kmah)
5. Qu峁璪 al-D墨n R膩z墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Conception and Judgment (from al-Ta峁wwur wa鈥檒-ta峁墨q)
Part III: Philosophical Sufism
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Ab奴 岣つ乵id Mu岣mmad Ghazz膩l墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Niche of Lights (from Mishk膩t al-anw膩r)
The Wisdom from God (from al-Ris膩lat al-laduniyyah)
Three Treatises on Knowledge (from Thal膩th ras膩示il fi鈥檒-ma士rifah)
2. A岣ad Ghazz膩l墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Auspices of Divine Lovers (from Saw膩ni岣 al-士ushsh膩q)
3. 士Ayn al-Qu岣嵞乼 Hamad膩n墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Dispositions (from 罢补尘丑墨诲腻迟)
The Letters (from 狈腻尘补-丑腻)
4. 峁dr al-D墨n Q奴naw墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Texts (from 补濒-狈耻峁Ｅ梗)
5. Sayyid(pl. s膩da/asy膩d) Arabic term for 鈥榣ord鈥 or 鈥榤aster鈥. It is a pre-Islamic term and refers to a person who possesses dignity or enjoys an exalted position among his people. Amongst… 岣ydar 膧mul墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Sum of Secrets and the Source of Lights (from J膩mi士 al-asr膩r wa manba士 al-anw膩r)
6. Ibn Turkah I峁ah膩n墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Establishing the Principles (from Tamh墨d al-qaw膩士id)
7. Ma岣奴d Shabistar墨 and Shams al-D墨n Mu岣mmad L膩h墨j墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on the Secret Garden of Divine Mystery (from Shar岣 gulshan-i r膩z)
8. 士Abd al-Ra岣膩n J膩m墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Precious Pearl (from al-Durrah al-f膩khirah)
Select Bibliography
Index
Seyyed Hossein Nasr received his early education in Iran and completed his formal studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He is the author of over five hundred articles and fifty books. He has taught at a number of universities, both in the Middle East, including Tehran University, and in the United States, and he has lectured widely on Islamic philosophy. He is currently University Professor of Islamic Studies at The George Washington University.
Mehdi Aminrazavi received his early education in Iran and completed his master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Washington and his doctorate in Philosophy of Religion at Temple University. He is the author and editor of numerous articles and books and is currently Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Mary Washington and Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program.