Shihabuddin Yahya Suhrawardi

(1154 1191)
Expel empty melancholy from your head. Diminish your pride and increase in
neediness. Your master is love: when you reach him, he himself will tell you in the
tongue of ecstasy how to act.
Shihabuddin Yahya Suhrawardi
n the !eality of "ove# $%
In the Iranian province of Zanjan, to the south of the province capital, lies Sohraward,
the village where Shihauddin !ah"a in #aash in $%ira& of Suhraward was orn'
(he Internet)*nc"clopedia +i&ipedia tells us aout the capital of Zanjan that it sits at
the foot of the %ountains that separate $,eraijan fro% the central plateau, aout
halfwa" along the %ain road and railwa" fro% (eheran to (ari,' (he %ain ethnic
groups there are the $,eris and -urdish people' (he territor" is %ountainous and hill",
with large agricultural areas' .uring the /
th
centur", the territor" was con0uered " the
1usli%s'

+e have no records of Suhrawardi2s earl" childhood and his parents' +e onl" &now
that he lived fro% 1154 to 1191 3hristian ti%e (549 to 54/ in the Isla%ic calendar)' 5ut
not so %uch as these figures are sure' 6) #e was a great ascetic, fond of solitude and
long solitar" retreats' $nd he loved nature, undertoo& long wal&ing)tours through Iran,
$natolia (the part of (ur&e" which elongs to the 7ear *ast) and S"ria' 8verfor the
estalish%ent he could e an aw&ward custo%er, provo&ing people with his sharp
intellect' Suhrawardi had %an" foes and was e9ecuted in the end, therefore he is also
na%ed Sha"&h 1a0tul' :)
5ut his disciples called hi% Sha"&h Shahid, %eaning ;the witness<, ;the one who is
co%pletel" present in the %o%ent<'
'''''''''''
(he earliest reports aout hi% concern his education' #e studied with the leading
scholars of his ti%e' $t first he went to 1aragheh in *astern $,eraijan, a cit" *ast of
la&e 8ru%i"eh, where he studied philosoph" and theolog" with 1ajd al).in al)=ili'
$fterwards Suhrawardi went to Isfahan, then a leading center of learning in >ersia, and
studied logic with Zahir al).in al)?ari, who also introduced hi% to the wor&s of In
Sahlan al)Sawi' (he latter had written a >ersian co%%entar" to $vicenna2s @isalat al)
ta"r, the fa%ous ;(reatise of the 5irds<, which Suhrawardi later translated and restated
into >ersian'
8ne of his teachers and friends was Aa&hr al).in al)1ardini, who taught in 1ardin in
Southeastern (ur&e" at the order to S"ria' Aa&hr al).in had great respect for
Suhrawardi, his s&ills and intelligence, ut he feared he would da%age hi%self one da"
ecause of his direct %annerB &ow clever this youth is' and how elo(uent' )n our time
) have not found his e(ual, yet ) fear that his excessive audacity and rec*lessness may
prove his undoing.# 4)
$fter his studies Suhrawardi went on wal&ing)trips through >ersia, $natolia and
7orthern S"ria' .uring this ti%e he joined the Sufi path and sought the co%panionship
of learned %en and Sufi sages' #is conte%porar" and iographer Shahra,uri reportsB 5)
&aving ac(uired the traits of independence of thought and solitude, he labored on his
carnal soul through ascetic practice, solitary retreat, and meditation until he reached
the final stages of the sages and revelations of the prophets. +...% &e bro*e his fast but
once a wee*, and his sustenance never exceeded fifty dirhems. )f the ran*s of
philosophers be surveyed, a more ascetic or excellent person than him will scarcely be
found.#
'''''''''''''
Suhrawardi didn2t pa" %uch attention to his e9terior' #e went in si%ple clothes and
showed his connection to the -urdish people C)' 5ehaghi gives the following
description of Suhrawardi in his oo& Sawan al)#e&%aB &is inner horse was wild and
used to be alone, united with ,od. &e wore a red hat li*e the -ur*ish and .urdish
people and the coat of the derwishes.# /)
$nd further onB Shihab al/Din was of moderate stature, wore a beard and had a ruddy
complexion. &is hair was as disorderly as his clothes. &e paid little attention to his
exterior and to his speech. 0ut at his radiance one could immediately recogni1e the
great Sufi master in him. 2ost of the scholars, theologians and 3urists loo*ed upon him
as magician.#
Shahra,uri too reports aout Suhrawardi that he preferred an unpretentious appearance'
(he iographer 0uotes a certain In @a0i0a who tells usB 4)
) was wal*ing with Shihabuddin in the mos(ue at 2ayyafari(in, and he was wearing a
short blue (uilted tunic. n his head was wound a cloth and on his feet were slippers. 4
friend of mine saw me and, approaching, as*ed, 5hy are you wal*ing with this
don*ey/driver67 75atch what you say7, ) replied, 7for this is the lord of the age,
Shihabuddin of Suhraward'7 &e expressed astonishment at this and wal*ed away.#
5ut Suhrawardi could also show contrar" traits' #e &new 0uite well how to ehave at
court' It is told that he changed his st"le as occasion de%anded and appeared once in
courtl" outfit, the ne9t da" in si%ple gar%ents'
(hough Suhrawardi preferred to e in solitude, he loved the ecstatic dances and songs
of the Sufis' Shahra,uri reportsB &e was unconcerned with cultivating people and
rather maintained silence, occupied with himself. &e loved sama7 and music.# 4)
'''''''''''''''
(he Sha"&h al)Ishra0 was not onl" a %ad derwish ut also ;&nowledgale in fi0h
(jurisprudence), hadith (dicta of the >rophet), and usul (legal principles)<, reports
Shahra,uri' #e was a rilliant logician and as well versed in the >eripatetic philosoph"
of his ti%e as in the tradition of the 7eoplatonists and the Zoroastrians' #is alert spirit,
right intellect and precise tongue %ade hi% a veritale opponent in pulic disputes'
Shahra,uri tells us aout Suhrawardi2s sta" at the court of 1ali& al)Zahir in $leppoB
0eing fran* in his discourses defending the beliefs of the philosophers, he showed how
silly his opponent7s opinions were, disputed with them, and humiliated them in public.#
9)
(his fits to a description which the Sha"&h hi%self gives us' In the introduction to his
treatise ;(he Sound of Dariel2s +ing< he tells us how he cut an ignorant person down
to si,eB 5hen his audacity reached such proportions, ) set to wor* to bring him down
a notch or two. -hrowing the mantle of retaliation over my shoulders and rolling up the
sleeves of forbearance, ) sat bac* on the heels of shrewedness and too* to cursing and
using vulgar language. 4ll right#, ) said, ) am going to set you straight on the sound
of ,abriel7s wing. )f you are a man and *now anything of manliness, you7d better
understand.# 1E)
(he Sha"&h was well aware of his s&ills' 8nce, when he was as&edB 5hich of you is
more learned, you or 4vicenna6# #e repliedB 5e may be on a par, or ) may be a little
better than he is in the discursive, but ) certainly surpass him in the revelatory and
intuitive.# 11)
Aro% Shahra,uri we &now that Suhrawardi had loo&ed for a co%panion with spiritual
insight e0ual to his, ut failed to find one' !et the 16
th
centur" was a losso% ti%e of
Sufis%, after all' In $rai was a conte%porar" of Suhrawardi just as @u%i and his
eloved teacher Sha%s)i (ari,i' (he latter see%s to have %et Suhrawardi personall",
ecause in his autoiograph", consisting of 0uotes gathered together " his disciples, a
whole section is dedicated to the Sha"&h 1a0tul' 5ut esides so%e rather neutral
re%ar&s aout his e9ecution we onl" co%e to &now that Suhrawardi didn2t li&e %one"B
-his Shihab ad/Din wanted to do away with dirhems and dinars, because they are the
cause of disturbances and the cutting off of hands and heads. -he people7s transactions
should be with something else.# 16)
'''''''''''''''''
$ dar& point in Suhrawardi2s life is his relationship to wo%en' In the iographical
reports there are no hints to love affairs or a %arriage, as far as I &now' Aact is that
Suhrawardi shows clear %isog"nical traits in his wor&' (he %ost e9tre%e passage of
this &ind I found in part two, fifth discourse of his >hilosoph" of Illu%inationB 1:)
-he two faculties of love and dominance are stirred so that the male desires to
dominate the female. 8rom the world of light, a love mixed with dominance occurs in
the male and a love mixed with abasement occurs in the female in the proportion of
cause and effect, +...% each desires to be united with his mate so as to lift the veil of
barriers.#
$ loo& at the $raic original shows that Suhrawardi here confronts the ter% ;0ahr<
(do%inance) with ;dhull< , which %eans ;aase%ent, sujugation<' (he devaluation of
the fe%inine is ver" clear' In other passages Suhrawardi e0uates the ;fe%ale state< with
wea&ness or lower spiritual develop%ent, for e9a%ple when he writes in his ;(he 5oo&
of @adiance<B 5omen and children are specified here because their minds are wea*.#
14)
''''''''''''''''
$nother facet of Suhrawardi2s personalit" was his political engage%ent, which has een
anal",ed " #ossein Ziai' 15) .espite Sha%s2 re%ar& aout Suhrawardi2s approach to
%one" we don2t have to i%agine hi% as a sort of social anarchist' Aor hi%, the ;polis<
(cit") was not a suject of in0uir", as it was for >lato' #e didn2t discuss the 0uestion of
justice or social fra%ewor&' 5ut he was highl" interested in the old >ersian concept of
;divine governance< that he developed further in his own specific %anner'
$ccording to Iranian tradition the &ings were illu%ined " a divine light (&harra)"i
&i"ani), that estowed the% with healing and occult powers and the s&ills the" need to
rule the countr"' 5ut unli&e his ancestors Suhrawardi held that not onl" &ings can
receive this divine light and the ailit" to rule, ut ever" person who is open for the
revelation of Dod' In the introduction to his #i&%at al)Ishra0 (>hilosoph" of
Illu%ination) he develops the idea of the divine philosopher who eco%es Dod2s
vicegerent on earth and possil" also a wordl" rulerB 1C)
!ather, the imam/philosopher may openly be in command or in occultation 9 he whom
the multitude refer to as the pole# / and he will have the leadership even if he is in
utmost concealment. 5hen earthly rule is in such a philosopher7s hands, the age will be
a luminous one: but if the age is without divine management, dar*ness will be
triumphant.#
5ut how does a "oung prince achieve the s&ills of a veritale rulerF $ccording to Ziai
Suhrawardi see%s to have felt a real %ission to give the rulers of his ti%e an insight
into the wisdo% of illu%ination' ;(he 5oo& of @adiance< for e9a%ple is a >ersian
condensation of Suhrawardi2s philosophical viewpoints, written for and dedicated to the
Selju& ruler Sula"%an Shah, a great patron of philosoph"' (he sha"&h also sought the
patronage of other Selju& rulers, na%el" prince 2$la2al).in -a")?uad, 1ali& 2I%ad al)
.in Grtu0, ruler of -harput, and the $""uid -ing Saladin2s "oung son al)1ali& al)
Zahir' 1/)
'''''''''''''''''
Gnfortunatel" these political a%itions did not ring hi% an" good' Ziai even helds that
these ver" a%itions were the reason for Saladin2s decision to enforce the sha"&h2s
e9ecution' 5ut efore I start to discuss this theor" I2d li&e to report how the Sufi %aster
ca%e to death' 14)
(he Sha"&h al)Ishra0 ca%e to $leppo in 114:, one "ear after sultan Salah ad).in 19)
had entrusted his "oung son 1ali& al)Zahir with the regenc" over the cit"' Suhrawardi
was then 69 "ears old, the prince onl" twelve "ears (it is reported that he was orn in
*g"pt in 11/1)' (he sha"&h attended the leading %adrasas (schools) of the town
initiall" the =alawi""ah, and eventuall" the 7uri""ah where he engaged #analite
jurists in deate' #e soon got access to the court and won the friendship of the prince'
$ccording to official reports Suhrawardi was accused of showing anti)Shari2ah
senti%ents and putting his own authorit" aove the divine law' It is told that he clai%ed
to e a prophet, capale of perfor%ing %iracles' $nd Shahra,uri tells usB ) have heard
that some of his companions used to call him 4bu7l/8utuh, and ,od *nows best as to
the veracity of this.# 6E)
(hac&ston e9plains that the word Autuh %eans miraculous apparition or con3uring of
something out of the 7other world7. 74bu7l/8utuh means 7father7, or 7possessor7, of such
apparitions.# 6E) Ziai interprets this passage as proof that also the sha"&h2s own
followers were convinced of his prophethood'
7o %atter how, it didn2t last long until Suhrawardi was loo&ed upon as infidel, ripe for
e9ecution' #is opponents advised al)1ali& to put the sha"&h to death' $nd when he
opposed, the" addressed their re0uest to his father Saladin in .a%ascus' 5ut al)1ali&
also resisted the calls of his father to e9ecute the friend' 7ot even the threat to lose the
regenc" over $leppo could change his %ind' 5ut then the sultan sent a letter de%anding
the e9ecution written " one of his judges of the land, ?adi al)Aadil, and al)Zahir had to
give in'
Hila"at Ina"at -han tells aout Suhrawardis2 e9ecution (without source), that he was
as&edB Do you thin* that there can be a prophet after 2ohammed6# -he shay*h
said: 5ell ,od is free, if he wants, to bring another prophet.# &is head was ta*en off
for having said that.# 61)
Shahra,uri reports aout the circu%stances of his deathB Some claim that he was
imprisoned and denied food: others say he starved himself until he died. Some say he
was strangled with a cord, while others say he was put to death by the sword. )t is said
that +his body% was thrown down from the citadel and burned.# 66)
$nd the historian In -halli&an clai%sB ne 8riday after prayer at the end of Dhu7l
&i33a ;<=, al/Shihab al/Suhrawardi was brought out dead from prison in 4leppo, and
his disciples dispersed.# >?%
(he end of .hu2l #ijja 54/ would %ean that Suhrawardi died in =anuar" 1196,
presu%al" =anuar" 1/th' 8ther sources clai% that he died on 69 =ul" 1191, at the age
of :C or :4' 64)
(o illu%inate the ac&ground of this e9ecution, 1ehdi $%in @a,avi 65) e9plains that
Suhrawardi lived during a turulent period when 7orthern S"ria was undergoing a
%ajor change fro% eing a strong Shi2ite center to a Sunni do%inated region' (he
sha"&h ca%e to $leppo when this transfor%ation too& place and when Saladin, who
had studied Sunni theolog", was seen as the last hope for 1usli%s to con0uer the
3rusaders' In this situation the jurists couldn2t tolerate that a "oung philosopher with
Shi2ite tendencies see%ingl" corrupted the %ind of Saladin2s son'
$s %"stic Suhrawardi tried to de%onstrate that there is onl" one universal truth at the
heart of all divinel" revealed traditions' $t a ti%e when 3hristians and 1usli%s were
fighting a lood" war, this %essage of unit" was perceived to e a dangerous and even
heretical %essage' (o that ca%e Suhrawardi2s ideas of the philosopher &ing and his
supposed clai% to e a prophet' Ziai sa"sB nly if he is the initiator of a new and
radical branch# in philosophy or mysticism, a view ardently held by many of his
contemporaries, does his execution ma*e sense.# 6C)
'''''''''''''''
(hese evidences could suggest that Suhrawardi had a polari,ing character' 8f course,
he did polari,e ecause of his for that ti%e rather radical viewpoints' 5ut at the sa%e
ti%e he had an a%a,ing ailit" to unite opposites, to see the co%%on and to deal with
contradictions' In his philosoph" Suhrawardi co%ined ele%ents fro% Zoroastris%,
>"thagoreanis%, >latonis%, #er%eticis% and Isla%' $ccording to Se""ed #ossein
7asr the sha"&h elieved, li&e %an" authors of the %iddle ages, that Dod revealed
hi%self first to the prophet Idris or #er%es' (his wisdo% then divided into two
ranches' 8ne of the% ca%e to >ersia, the other to *g"pt and Dreece and there fro% to
the Isla%ic world' 7asrB -he 2aster of )shra( therefore considered himself as the
focal point at which the two traditions of wisdom that had at one time issued forth
from the same source were once again unified.# 6/)
Suhrawardi pro%oted the idea of universal wisdo%, the 2philosophia perennis et
universalis2, a @niverse in which was revealed the transcendent unity underlying the
different revelations of the truth# +Aasr%' 64)
(he Sha"&h al)Ishra0 was a rilliant thin&er' #is philosoph" of Illu%ination and his
insights concerning ;&nowledge " presence< have great influence on Isla%ic
philosoph" up to our ti%e' 8ne of his est &nown followers is the Iranian philosopher
1ulla Sadra' So%e of the sha"&h2s wor&s even reached India' (he central figure in this
ranch of tradition is $,ar -a"van, who left Iran for India during the reign of the
1oghul e%peror $&ar and founded an Ishra0i Illu%inationist School with #indu,
3hristian, =ewish, 5uddhist and Zoroastrian disciples' 69) (here e9isted translations of
Suhrawardi2s wor&s into #erew' 8nl" in the +estern world Suhrawardi sta"ed 0uite
un&nown ecause of the lac& of a Iatin translation'
Knowledge by presence
(here is a lot of authors who discussed Suhrawardi2s wor&s and %ade su%%aries of his
%ost i%portant ideas and principles' @eco%%ended readings are Zia Ina"at -han2s
article ;Illu%inative presence< and 1ehdi #a2iri !a,di2s oo& ;(he principles of
*piste%olog" in Isla%ic >hilosoph"<' #enr" 3orin e9a%ines the Zoroastrian heritage
in Suhrawardi2s wor&s, =ohn +alridge e%phasi,es Suhrawardi2s connection with the
#er%etic and 7eoplatonic tradition (see references)'
8ne of the central insights of Suhrawardi, perhaps the ver" asis of his philosoph" and
episte%olog", was his e9ploration of the 0uestion of &nowledge and especiall" self)
&nowledge' (he initial inspiration was a drea% he had during a long and deep retreat'
#e drea%t of $ristotle (it is li&el" that he drea%t of the author of ;(he *nneads<, a
oo& that at this ti%e was ascried to $ristotle, ut in fact was written " >lotinus) and
shared with hi% his prole% of &nowledgeB :E)
B.: &ow can we as human beings ever have *nowledge at all6
4.: -hin* introvertively of yourself. )f you do so, you will certainly find out what truly
answers your (uestion.
B.: 0ut how6
4.: )f ) introvertively consider myself, ) will find in all certainty that ) am truly aware of
myself in such a way that ) can never miss myself. -his state of self/certainty convinces
me that my awareness of myself does not mean anything but the awareness of myself#,
by# myself, not by anyone or anything else. )f ) were aware of myself by# anyone or
anything else, it would obviously mean that the awareness of myself belonged to
another active power which is not myself. )n this case there would be a *nowing sub3ect
operating in myself in *nowing myself. -hus it would not be myself that *nows myself.
0ut it has been assumed that it is the very performative 7)7 as the sub3ect reality of
myself who *nows myself.#
(his drea% eca%e the seed for a whole new philosophical vision, the philosoph" of
&nowledge " presence or 2il% al)huduri<' Suhrawardi distinguished etween
&nowledge " correspondence and &nowledge " presence' 1ost of our &nowledge
conventionall" elongs to the categor" of &nowledge " correspondence which %eans
that one creates in the %ind an i%age that corresponds to an outer oject' +e &now the
outer oject " &nowledge of the inner oject' 5ut how do we &now this inner ojectF
Inner &nowledge or self)&nowledge, Suhrawardi argues, can never ta&e place through a
corresponding i%age, a representationB :1)
4 thing that exists in itself +al/(a7im bi7l/dhat% and is conscious of itself does not *now
itself through a representation +al/mithal% of itself appearing in itself.
-his is because, if, in *nowing one7s self, one were to ma*e a representation of oneself,
since this representation of his 7)/ness7 +ana7iyyah% could never be the reality of that 7)/
ness7. )t would be then such that, that representation is 7it7 in relation to the 7)/ness7, and
not 7)7. -herefore, the thing apprehended is the representation. )t thus follows that the
apprehension of 7)/ness7 would be exactly what is the apprehension of 7it/ness7 +huwa
huwa%, and that the apprehension of the reality of 7)/ness7 would be therefore exactly
the apprehension of what is not 7)/ness7.
-his is an absurdity.
n the other hand, this absurdity does not follow in the case of apprehension of
external ob3ects, for the representation and to which that representation belongs are
both 7it7s.#
$ further argu%ent, that Suhrawardi stresses, is the one that also occurs in one of the
7asruddin tales (a sort of $raic 21Jnchhausen2) if I &new %"self through a
representation, how could I &now that this representation is %"selfF 8r as 7asruddin
as&s the shop&eeper, how he could state that he had seen 7asruddin co%ing in, if he
never had seen hi% efore' In Suhrawardi2s wordsB :6)
4gain, assuming that it +i.e., self/*nowledge% is by representation, then if one does not
*now that that representation is one7s own, one thus never *nows that one has ever
*nown oneself. 0ut if one supposedly *nows that the representation belongs to himself,
one must then already have *nown himself with no representation. &owever, it is
inconceivable that one apprehends himself by means of something superadded to
himself, since this superaddition would serve as an attribute to one7s self. )f this is so,
then, one decides that every attribute associated with one7s reality, no matter whether it
is *nowledge or another attribute, belongs to one7s own reality, and it then implies that
one has *nown himself before *nowing these attributes and even without them.
-he conclusion is that one does not *now one7s self through one7s superadded attributes
among which is one7s representation of one7s self.#
(hus Suhrawardi concludes that 5eing and -nowing are ulti%atel" indistinguishaleB
::)
Since you are not absent from your own reality +dhatu*% and from your awareness of
that reality, and it is not possible that this awareness be by a representation or any
superaddition, it thus follows that in this awareness of your reality you need not have
anything besides the very reality of yourself, which is apparent to yourself or, if you
wish, not absent from yourself.
Conse(uently, it is necessary that the apprehension of the reality of the self itself, is
only by itself, according to what that self 7is7 in its being, 3ust as it is necessary that
you are never absent from your reality, and from whatever your reality may consist on.
n the other hand, whatever your reality is absent from, li*e those organs, vi1. heart,
lungs, brain and all intermediate forms and modes, no matter whether they are modes
of dar*ness or of light, it is not implied in that constant awareness of your reality.
Your constant conscious reality is therefore not a material organ, neither is it an
intermediary transcentental one. &ad your reality consisted of any of these things, you,
as the constant and unfading consciousness of yourself, would never become absent
from it.#
$ccording to Suhrawardi self)&nowledge, the self)&nowing suject and the self)&nown
oject are all the sa%e' (his is a rather intuitive for% of &nowledge' 5ut ulti%atel" all
&nowledge is grounded in &nowledge " presence' Zia Ina"at -hanB :4)
)n the case of conceptual *nowledge, an external ob3ect is conceived by
correspondence to an internal representation. 5hile the external ob3ect remains
absent, the internal representation is *nown by its presence within the mind
+Suhrawardi, $DD?a, p.=>%. therwise, to *now a representation conceptually would
re(uire another representation, which would in turn re(uire another, ad infinitum.
-hus even when something is *nown by correspondence, the representation by which it
is *nown is *nown by presence.#
Philosophy of Lights
(he theor" of &nowledge " presence is closel" interwoven with Suhrawardi2s
illu%inative philosoph" or science of lights' $s in his theor" of &nowledge " presence
the Sha"&h here too %ade visile the shortco%ings of the %ethods of the >eripatetics
and transcended the%' #e first discussed the 0uestion of definition and stated that
definition ulti%atel" depends on the identification of a self)evident realit"' (his self)
evident realit" he found in light ($raicB 2nur2)B 4nything in existence that re(uires no
definition or explanation is evident. Since there is nothing more evident than light,
there is nothing less in need of definition.# :5)
$s Zia Ina"at -han e%pha,ises in his article :C), this does not auto%aticall" %ean
ph"sical light' 5" apparenc" is %eant the ;&nowailit"< of things, and this is not
restricted to visile things' ?uite the contrar", ph"sical light according to Suhrawardi is
onl" light in a derivative sense' Its apparenc" is dependent on a sustratu% and thus a
%atter of accident'
5ut Suhrawardi concludes that this ph"sical light has a distinct and sufficient cause for
its e9istence which %ust e pure light or i%%aterial light (see his co%parison with a
picture in a %irror, 0uoted elow)' (his light does not onl" %a&e things apparent, ut is
also apparent to itself' Iight in its i%%aculate state is thus identical with consciousness'
$ll i%%aterial lights var" onl" in degree of intensit", ut are fro% the sa%e lu%inous
realit"' +ithin this hierarch" of lights the %ost intense light is the ;Iight of Iights<
(nur al)anwar), the necessar" eing that is the ulti%ate sufficient cause' *ach light is
illu%inated in proportion to its ontological pro9i%it" to this Iight of Iights'
$nd here the theor" of &nowledge " presence and the science of lights co%e together,
ecause the ver" self that &nows itself is e9plained " Suhrawardi as i%%aterial light,
as lu%inous entit" that is ale to &now itself and others'
Hurqalya or the World of the Image
(he theor" of &nowledge " presence also opens the possiilit" to co%prehend and
e9plain %"stic e9periences' 8ne of the %ost i%portant e9a%ples is the doctrine of ;the
+orld of the I%age< (2ala% al)%ithal), which >ir Zia calls ;one of the %ost distinctive
contriutions of the illu%inative philosoph"<' :/)
In %ost of his wor&s Suhrawardi, although so%eti%es onl" indirectl", alludes to a sort
of spiritual interworld' In his %"stical treatises he calls it ;na)&oja)aad< or ;the land of
nowhere<, a world of the i%age that is neither identifiale with the world of astract
ideas nor the sensile world of ph"sical for%s' It is a sort of ar,a&h, an interworld, that
intervenes and %ediates etween the two' In this world spirits eco%e corporeali,ed
and odies spirituali,ed'
(o e9plain the pheno%ena of this world, Suhrawardi uses in his ;>hilosoph" of
Illu%ination< the co%parison with a picture in a %irrorB :4)
-he truth is that forms seen in mirrors, 3ust li*e imaginative forms, are not imprinted
materially, either on the mirror or on the imagination. Ao, they are bodies in
suspension#, not depending on a substratum +...%. -hey certainly have places where
they appear, epiphanic places +ma1ahir%, but they are not materially contained in them.
Certainly the mirror is the place of the apparition of forms seen in it, but the forms
themselves are in suspension# there: there they are neither li*e material things in a
place in a space, nor li*e an accident in its substratum. Certainly the active
imagination is the place of apparition of imaginative forms, but the forms themselves
are in suspense#: they are neither in this place, nor in the substratum. Aow if in the
case of mirrors we accept the existence of an autonomous image, even though it is only
on the surface, without depth or anything bac* of it, and even though that of which it is
the image is an accident +for example, the accidental form of Eayd, immanent in his
matter%, then one will admit a fortiori the existence of a substantial (uiddity, that of the
archetype +substantial, in fact, since independent of any substratum% having an
accidental image +the form of Eayd immanent in his matter%. -hus imperfect light is
analogous to perfect light. @nderstand.#
Suhrawardi2s co%%entator ?utuddin Shira,i (1:
th
centur") adds to this passageB :4)
+...% 7@nderstand7, the author says to us. &ere, indeed, we have a magnificent secret,
something of supreme importance. )t means that the totality of the things which exist in
the higher world have their nadir and their analogue in the lower world. 4ll these
things are *nown by their nadir and their analogue. -hen, when you have learned to
*now, as is necessary, the reality of ephemeral lights, your *nowledge helps you to
*now the immaterial, substantial "ights. -he purpose of all this is that you should *now
that the imperfect, accidental light which is that of the sun of the sensory world is the
image of the perfect substantial light, which is the sun of the world of the )ntelligence,
the "ight of "ights. )n the same way, the light of each ephemeral state is the image of
an immaterial substantial light. -his is an immense sub3ect, offering many mystical
experiences. &ence the author7s imperative: 7@nderstand'7#
Aor ever" thing in our world e9ists a counterpart in this world of #ur0al"a' (hese
i%ages, or angels, are also palpale to the inner senses of active i%agination, and
interaction with the% is possile' (his is the world of drea%s, especiall" of lucid
drea%ing, of %"ths and poetr"' $%ongst the figures of #ur0al"a Suhrwardi ascries
special i%portance to #ura&hsh, angel of the sun, who as ?utuddin Shira,i
e9plained is seen as direct correspondence to the Iight of Iights' 5ut Suhrawardi also
%entions contacts to ;souls of the past<B :9)
-he experience of authentic raptures in the world of &ur(alya depends on the
magnificent prince, &ura*hsh, the most sublime of those who have assumed a body, the
greatly venerated one who, in the terminology of the riental theosophy, is the
Supreme 8ace of ,od. )t is he who sustains the meditation of the soul by lavishing light
upon it, and he is witness of its contemplation. -here are also visitations and
communications from other celestial princes. Sometimes the visitation consists of the
manifestation of certain of these celestial princes in epiphanic forms or places
appropriate to the moment when they show themselves to the perfected recluse.
Sometimes it is the souls of the past which induce an awa*ening or an inner call.#
(he %ore activel" the self is ale to direct these i%aginations, the clearer these visions
and drea%s eco%e' $s Zia Ina"at -han statesB 4E)
-he authority of the self over its faculties of perception and cognition is ultimately a
function of its presence to itself, since they are *nown by their presence to it. 0y
disidentifying with matter, and in this way intensifying and deepening its apprehension
of itself, the self stands to enhance all of its direct perceptions, which are in fact
effusions of itself.#
In Suhrawardi2s own wordsB 8or the see*er, this way consists first of all in
investigating his *nowledge of himself, and then in raising himself to the *nowledge of
that which is above him.# 41)
(hus the world of i%age can e entered through &nowledge " presence, and this ailit"
increases with the degree to which the self apprehends itself and accordingl" parta&es
of the illu%ination of the Iight of Iights' Zia Ina"at -hanB 46)
2ystical perception, or witnessing/illumination +mushahada/ishra(% ta*es place in
this context, when a luminous sub3ect comes into direct contact with a luminous ob3ect,
and both sub3ect and ob3ect are bathed in the light of the "ight of lights +Eiai, $DDF, pp.
$;;/$G$%. -he sub3ect ma*es its ob3ect *nown in the light of its own self/consciousness,
which is purely an epiphany of the presence of the "ight of "ights, within which the
ob3ect is immersed. .nowledge in this presential mode utterly transcends the sub3ect/
ob3ect dichotomy that chara*teri1es representational *nowledge.#
Ingrid .engg, Hienna 6EE/
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Notes
1' (hac&ston 1999, p' /1'
6' @a,avi 199/, p' 1'
:' 3orin 19/5, p' 6E'
4' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9ii'
5' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9'
C' I don2t &now if he reall" was of -urdish origin' 3ertain is that he was orn in the
-urdish part of Iran and enjo"ed living in -urdish areas li&e .i"ara&ir,
Southeastern $natolia'
/' -aveh 6EE:, p' Cf', translation %ine'
4' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9'
9' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9i'
1E' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9'
11' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9iii'
16' 3hittic& 6EE4, p' C5L -aveh 0uotes in his introduction to ;.er (rost der
Iieenden< also %ore friendl" state%ents of Sha%s, ut these are clearl"
adressed to another Shiha, na%el" Shiha #ariwa or 7ishaur"'
1:' >hilosoph" of Illu%ination 1999 (part II, fifth discourse), p' 14/
14' 5oo& of @adiance, chapt' 1E, p' 46
15' Ziai 1996, il', s'a' +alridge 6EE1, p' C: f'
1C' Ziai 1996, p' :6:
1/' 5oo& of @adiance, p' 9iv f'
14' $ surve" over the reports concerning Suhraward2s death see Ziai 1996 p' ::Cff'
19' Salah ad).in !usuf in $""u (11:/M:4 119:), ruler over *g"pt, !e%en and
S"ria, of -urdish originL after he had defeated the 3rusaders in the attle of
#attin on 4 =ul" 114/, he con0uered =erusale% on 6 8ctoer, sa%e "ear'
6E' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9iiL
61' Hila"at Ina"at -han, p' ::'
66' (hac&ston 1999, p' 9ii'
6:' +alridge 6EEE, p' 611'
64' 3orin 19/5, p' 6E'
65' @a,avi 199/, p':
6C' Ziai 1996, p' :4E
6/' 7asr 19/C, p' C6
64' 7asr 19/C, p' 46
69' In this surrounding the ;.aistan< was written, proal" the first ever
enc"clopedia of religions that reall" tried to understand different religions' (he
author was $,ar -a"van2s son who wrote under a pseudon"%'
:E' !a,di, p' 56
:1' !a,di, p' /4 f'
:6' !a,di, p' 4: f'
::' !a,di, p' 4/
:4' Zia Ina"at -han 6EEE, p' 156
:5' >hilosoph" of Illu%ination 1999, p' /C
:C' Zia Ina"at -han 6EEE, p' 149
:/' Zia Ina"at -han 6EEE, p' 15:
:4' In this 0uote (>hilosoph" of Illu%ination, par' 665) I follow the translation of
3orin 1949, p' 16/ f', which also includes the co%%entar" of ?utuddin
Shira,i'
:9' 5oo& of 3onversations, 0uoted " 3orin 1949, p' 16:
4E' Zia Ina"at -han 6EEE, p' 154 f'
41' 5oo& of *lucidations, 0uoted " 3orin 1949, p' 119 f'
46' Zia Ina"at -han 6EEE, p' 155
Wor!s
Suhrawardi2s wor&s consist of three groups or t"pesB
"# $he philosophical wor!s
1ost of these wor&s are written in the scientific language of his ti%e, i'e' $raicL two
of the shorter one2s, which are addressed to Selju& rulers, are in >ersian these are <(he
5oo& of @adiance< and ;I%adin (alets<'
) Inti%ations (al)(alwihat)
) $pposites (al)1u0awa%at)
) >aths and #avens (al)1ashari2 wa al)1utarahat)
) >hilosoph" of Illu%ination (#i&%at al)Ishra0)
) 2I%adin (alets (al)$lwah al)2I%adi""ah)
) (e%ples of Iight (#a"a&il al)7ur)
) (he 5oo& of @adiance (>artaw)na%a)
) 8n -nowledge of Dod (!a,dan Shina&ht)
%# $he allegorical treatises
IanguageB >ersian or $raic'
) $ (ale of the 8ccidental *9ile (?issat al)Dhurat al)Dhari""ah
) (he (reatise of the 5irds (@isalat al)(a"r)
) (he Sound of Dariel2s +ing ($va,)i >ar)i =ira2il)
) (he @ed Intellect (2$0l)i Sur&h)
) $ .a" with a Droup of Sufis (@u,i a =a%a2at)i Sufi"an)
) 8n the State of 3hildhood (Ai #alat al)(ufuli""ah)
) 8n the @ealit" of Iove (Ai #a0i0at al)2Ish0)
) (he Ianguage of the $nts (Iughat)i 1uran)
) (he Si%urgh2s Shrill 3r" (Safir)i Si%urgh)
In these treatises Suhrawardi presents different aspects of the %"stic journe"L he uses a
ver" s"%olic language which see%s to e not onl" due to tradition ut also an atte%pt
to %a&e hi%self less vulnerale overfor narrow%inded conte%poraries'
&# Prayers and in'ocations
IanguageB $raicL so%e of the pra"ers were sist translated " =a%al $talla and
pulished in the esoteric %aga,ine ;*li9ir< (see references)'
(ditions and $ranslations of Suhrawardi)s Wor!s
Sohrai, =ila, -aveh .alir $,ar und $9el 1onteB .er (rost der Iieenden' AJnf
%"stische (ra&tate von Schaha ad).in Sohrawardi, Herlag -aveh .alir $,ar, -Nln
6EE:
al)Suhrawardi, Shiha al).in !ah"aB $ 3elestial >ra"er)5oo&B Selected 8risons fro%
the +aridat wa (a0disat, translated " =a%al $talla' InB *li9ir, Issue Aour, 7ew
Ieanon, Spring 6EE/, p' /6 ) /4'
SohrawardiB (he 5oo& of @adiance' $ >arallel *nglish)>ersian (e9t, edited and
translated with an introduction " #ossein ZiaiL 3osta 1esa, 3alifornia 1994'
SuhrawardiB (he >hilosoph" of Illu%ination' $ new critical edition of the te9t of
#i&%at al)ishra0 with *nglish translation, notes, co%%entar" and introduction " =ohn
+alridge O #ossein Ziai' >rovo, Gtah 1999'
Suhrawardi, Shihauddin !ah"aB (he >hilosophical $llegories and 1"stical (reatises'
$ >arallel >ersian)*nglish (e9t, edited and translated with an Introduction " +heeler
1' (hac&ston =r'L 1a,da >ulishers, 3alifornia 1999
SuhrawardiB (he Shape of Iight' #a"&al al)7ur' Interpreted " Sha"&h (osun 5a"ra&
al)=errahi al)#alveti' Iouisville, -entuc&" 1994'
*ther references
3hittic&, +illia% 3'B 1e O @u%i' (he $utoiograph" of Sha%s)i (ari,i' Iouisville,
-entuc&" 6EE4'
3orin, #enr"B Suhrawardi d2$lep' 3ollection #er%es' Aata 1organa 19/5'
3orin, #enr"B Spiritual 5od" and 3elestial *arth' Aro% 1a,dean Iran to Shi2ite Iran'
(ranslated " 7anc" >earson' >rinceton, 7ew =erse"B >rinceton Gniversit" >ress
(@eprint) 1949'
3orin, #enr"B (he 1an of Iight in Iranian Sufis%' (ranslated " 7anc" >earson' 7ew
IeanonB 8%ega >ulications (@eprint) 1994'
Ina"at -han, Hila"atB Iight and *cstas"' (he Drand Illu%ination' Seattle, +ashington
1994'
Ina"at -han, ZiaB Illu%inative >resence' InB (ranspersonal -nowing' *9ploring the
#ori,on of 3onsciousness, edited " (oin #art, >eter I' 7elson, -aisa >uha&&a, State
Gniversit" of 7ew !or& >ress 6EEE, p' 14/ ) 159'
7asr, Se""ed #osseinB (hree 1usli% Sages, 3aravan 5oo&s, 7'!' 19/C'
@a,avi, 1ehdi $%inB Suhrawardi and the School of Illu%ination' Iondon 199/'
+alridge, =ohnB (he Science of 1"stic Iights' ?ut al).in Shira,i and the
Illu%inationist (radition in Isla%ic >hilosoph"' 3a%ridge, 1assachusetts 1996'
+alridge, =ohnB (he Ieaven of the $ncients' Suhrawardi and the #eritage of the
Dree&s' $lan"B State Gniversit" of 7ew !or& >ress 6EEE'
+alridge, =ohnB (he +isdo% of the 1"stic *ast' Suhrawardi and >latonic
8rientalis%' $lan"B State Gniversit" of 7ew !or& >ress 6EE1'
!a,di, 1ehdi #a2iriB (he >rinciples of *piste%olog" in Isla%ic >hilosoph"' -nowledge
" >resence' $lan", State Gniversit" of 7ew !or& >ress 1996'
Ziai, #osseinB (he Source and 7ature of $uthorit"' InB (he >olitical $spects of Isla%ic
>hilosoph"' *ssa"s in #onor of 7uhsin S' 1ahdi, edited " 3harles *' 5utterworth'
3a%ridge, 1assachusetts 1996, p' :E4 :44'