Shihab al-Din Suhravardi

Suhrawardi, Abu al-Futuh Shihab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash (1154-executed in 1191), a philosopher, Sufi, theologian, and belletrist bearing the titles al-Mu’ayyad bi-‘l-Malakut and Shaykh Ishraq. He was born in Suhraward or Qara Qush Khudabanda, Zanjan, and studied philosophy and principles of jurisprudence with Majd al-Din Gili, Fakhr Razi’s professor, in Maragha and excelled others in philosophical sciences. Talented in early years, he was eager to learn sciences. He received his education in his childhood and early youth in his hometown. Shihab al-Din studied al-Basa’ir al-Nasiriyya by ‘Umar ibn Sahlan al-Sawi, an authority in logic and philosophy, with Zahir Parsi, sciences, like philosophy and principles of jurisprudence, with Majd al-Din Jili in Maragha, and received his higher education in Isfahan from Tahir al-Din Qari. In his student years, he embarked upon different activities. He ate very frugally and broke his fast once a week. He was uninterested in mundane affairs, food, clothing, social position, and material positions, and at times, aiming at breaking social standards, wore a long and red hat and clock or wore other Sufi garb. He was mainly fasting during the day and spent his nights in invocations to God. He loved elegant lyrics, musical tones, and appealing Sufi dances. He was brave in his speech. Having completed his formal education, he traveled in Persia and visited many a Sufi Shaykhs and became quite interested in them. It was at that time that he trod the Sufi path and spent a long time in seclusion, prayers, and meditation. Then, he traveled far and wide in time and made journeys to Anatolia and Sham where he was deeply absorbed in the scenery in Sham (Syria). It was on one of these journeys that he departed Damascus for Aleppo and visited Malik Zahir, the son of the Ayyubid Salah al-Din. Holding a great affection for Sufis and scholars, Malik Zahir became quite interested in this young philosopher and invited him to stay at his court in Aleppo. Quite in love with the scenery of that land, Suhrawardi happily accepted Malik Zahir’s invitation and it was in that city that he completed his magnum opus, Hikmat al-Ishraq, but the daring utterances of his inward beliefs in public, his intelligence and ingenuity which led to his superiority in debates, and his mastery of philosophy and Sufism were among the factors leading to gaining many an enemy from among dogmatic scholars who finally requested Malik Zahir to execute him on the charge of his anti-religious words. When Malik Zahir declined their request, they complained to the Ayyubid Salah al-Din. The religious fanatic accused him of apostasy and religious scholars of Aleppo permitted his execution. Having recently seized Syria from the Crusaders, Salah al-Din was in need of legitimacy accorded by religious scholars and surrendered to them. Therefore, his son, Malik Zahir was pressured to imprison Suhrawardi on 29 July 1191 and he was executed there at the age of 38.

Suhrawardi is the founder of the Illuminationist school of philosophy that posthumously was disseminated far and wide. He is titled the leader of the Platonists of the Islamic world. He termed his philosophical system as the philosophy of Ishraq, i.e. illumination and sunrise. Nonetheless, such particular philosophical system is not Platonic, rather it intertwines the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Neo-Platonists, Zoroaster, Hermes, and earliest Sufis. Suhrawardi’s school may be regarded as philosophical or otherwise, in that it may be considered philosophical in that it believes in intellect, but not as the only authority of gnosis. It may be regarded as mysticism, as it recognizes intuitive knowledge and illumination as the noblest and most exalted degree of gnosis. He attacks Avicenna and defends Platonic Archetypes and universals. Suhrawardi critiques Avicenna’s epistemology and the latter’s claims that there is an actual imperative in any existent being and quiddity is a mentally posited imperative whose actualization requires existence; whereas, according to the Illuminationist philosophy, quiddity is an actual imperative and existence is mentally posited. Suhrawardi terms his epistemology as ‘Light of Lights’ (nur al-anwar), the same divine truth that blinds human eye through its luminosity. Light may not be defined by means of anything else, since all things become clear through light and they must be naturally defined by it. ‘Light of Light’ or ‘Absolute Light’ is the Absolute Existence from which all existent beings derive their existence. The world of existence is but different degrees of light and darkness. Therefore, the hierarchy of existent beings depends on the degrees of their proximity to the ‘Light of Lights’, namely, the degree of ‘Illumination’ and light emanated to them from the ‘Light of Lights’. According to the lists provided by Shahrazuri and Ritter, the Persian and Arabic works by Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi include: al-Mashari’ wa ‘l-Mutarahat, on logic, physics, and metaphysics; al-Talwihat; Hikmat al-Ishraq in two parts: the first in three chapters on logic, the second on metaphysics in five chapters (the work is Suhrawardi’s most significant work clearly reflecting his philosophical school); al-Lamahat, a brief treatise on three branches of philosophy – physics, metaphysics, and logic; al-Alwah al-‘Imadiyya, on philosophical terminology and disciplines; al-Hayakil al-Nuriyya or Hayakil al-Nur, including his philosophical views and ideas, reflecting his Illuminationist school, originally written in Arabic but later translated by him into Persian; al-Muqawamat, a short treatise written by Suhrawardi as a supplement to al-Talwihat; al-Ramz al-Mumi (Ramz-i Mumi), of which mention is only made by Shahrazuri among those writing lists of Suhrawardi’s works; al-Mabda’ wa ‘l-Ma’ad, the Persian work is only mentioned by Shahrazuri; Bustan al-Qulub, a brief treatise on philosophy written in Isfahan for some of his companions and followers of his philosophical school; Tawariq al-Anwar, mentioned by Shahrazuri, though Ritter makes no mention of it; al-Tanqihat fi ‘l-Usul, mentioned in Shahrazuri’s list, though Ritter makes no mention of it; al-Kalimat al-Tasawwuf, mentioned by Shahrazuri in his list, though Ritter makes mention of it by the title Maqamat al-Sufiyya; al-Bariqat al-Ilahiyya, mentioned in Shahrazuri’s list, but missing in Ritter’s; al-Nafahat al-Masawiyya, mentioned by Shahrazuri, but not by Ritter; Lawami’ al-Anwar; al-Raqam al-Qudsi; I’tiqad al-Hukama’; Kitab al-Sabr, the last four titles are attested in Shahrazuri’s list, though missing in Ritter’s; Risala fi Haqiqat al-‘Ishq, a Persian work mentioned by Shahrazuri, though titled by Ritter as Munis al-‘Ushshaq; Risala fi Halat al-Tufuliyya, in Persian; Risala-yi Ruzi ba Jama’at-i Sufiyan, in Persian; Risala-yi ‘Aql-i Surkh, in Persian; Risala-yi Avaz-i Par-i Jibra’il, in Persian; Risala-yi Partuwnama, a short treatise in Persian on philosophy treating of some philosophical terminology; Risala-yi Lughat-i Muran, allegorical tales written by Suhrawardi in Persian; Qissat al-Ghurba al-Gharbiyya, a symbolic tales in Arabic written on the model of Avicenna’s Risala Hayy ibn Yaqzan;  Risala-yi Safir-i Simurgh, in Persian; Risalat al-Tayr, a Persian translation by Suhrawardi of Avicenna’s Risalat al-Tayr; Alwah-i ‘Imadi, written in Persian and Arabic or originally written in one of them and later translated into the other. He occasionally made poetical compositions in Persian.

Tarikh-i Adabiyyat dar Iran (2/ 297-305); Tarikh-i Falsafa (368-381); Riyaz al-‘Arifin (211); Wafayat al-A’yan (6, 268-274).