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. Shihb al-D蘋n Suhraward蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Philosophy of Illumination (from 廎夕kmat al-ishrq)
2. Shams al-D蘋n Mu廎仟mmad Shahraz贖r蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Excursion of Spirits and Garden of Delights (from Nuzhat al-arw廎 wa raw廎at al-afr廎)
3. Qu廜苑 al-D蘋n Sh蘋rz蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Pearl of the Crown (from Durrat al-tj)
4. Jall al-D蘋n Dawn蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on Suhraward蘋s Temples of Light (from Shar廎 haykil al-n贖r)
Flashes of Illumination on Praiseworthy Ethics, or, The Jallian Ethics (from Akhlq-i jall蘋)
5. Ibn Ab蘋 Jumh贖r A廎叫尨蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Book of the Illuminated, Mirror of the Saviour (from Kitb al-mujl蘋 mir尨t al-munj蘋)
6. Mull 廜糎dr
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Glosses upon the Commentary of Suhraward蘋s Philosophy of Illumination (from Ta尪liqt 尪al shar廎 廎可kmat al-ishrq)
Part II: The Revival of Peripatetic Philosophy
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Na廜蘋r al-D蘋n 廜玳哀蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Commentary on Ibn S蘋ns Remarks and Admonitions (from Shar廎 al-ishrt wal-tanb蘋ht)
Treatise on the Division of Existents (from Rislah andar qismat-i mawj贖dt)
2. Af廎al al-D蘋n Kshn蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Compositions (from 紼喝廜ζ紳紳硃款櫻喧)
3. Dab蘋rn-i Ktib蘋-yi Qazw蘋n蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Wisdom from the Source (from 廎夕kmat al-尪ayn)
4. Ath蘋r al-D蘋n Abhar蘋 and 插鳥蘋娶(pl. umar尨) Arabic lit. a prince, a commander, or a leader. In early Muslim history, the word am蘋r referred to an army commander. During the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the… 廎工sayn Maybud蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary upon Guidance through Wisdom (from Shar廎 hidyat al-廎可kmah)
5. Qu廜苑 al-D蘋n Rz蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Conception and Judgment (from al-Ta廜ζwwur wal-ta廜ι蘋q)
Part III: Philosophical Sufism
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Ab贖 廎勾mid Mu廎仟mmad Ghazzl蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Niche of Lights (from Mishkt al-anwr)
The Wisdom from God (from al-Rislat al-laduniyyah)
Three Treatises on Knowledge (from Thalth ras尨il fil-ma尪rifah)
2. A廎叮ad Ghazzl蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Auspices of Divine Lovers (from Sawni廎 al-尪ushshq)
3. 尪Ayn al-Qu廎t Hamadn蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Dispositions (from 啦硃鳥堯蘋餃櫻喧)
The Letters (from 捧櫻鳥硃-堯櫻)
4. 廜糎dr al-D蘋n Q贖naw蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Texts (from 硃梭-捧喝廜贖廜)
5. Sayyid(pl. sda/asyd) Arabic term for lord or master. It is a pre-Islamic term and refers to a person who possesses dignity or enjoys an exalted position among his people. Amongst… 廎兀ydar mul蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Sum of Secrets and the Source of Lights (from Jmi尪 al-asrr wa manba尪 al-anwr)
6. Ibn Turkah I廜λahn蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Establishing the Principles (from Tamh蘋d al-qaw尪id)
7. Ma廎叮贖d Shabistar蘋 and Shams al-D蘋n Mu廎仟mmad Lh蘋j蘋
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on the Secret Garden of Divine Mystery (from Shar廎 gulshan-i rz)
8. 尪Abd al-Ra廎叮n Jm蘋
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Precious Pearl (from al-Durrah al-fkhirah)
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.