Fisafat Ishraqiyyah (iluminatif) Suhrawardi al-Maqtul (The Illuminative Philosophy of Suhrawardi al-Maqtul)

Abstract

The Ishraqi is oriental as well as illuminative philosophy. It is to shine, for it comes from the Orient; and it is oriental, because it shines. Colored with its distinct language, this philosophy constitutes an alliance between the "speculative" philosophy (al-hikmah al-bahthiyyah) which is a fusion of the Hellenistic, Persian and Islamic philosophy, and the "intuitive" one (al-hikmah al-dhawqiyyah) that represents mystical spiritualism and is a combination of the Islamic sufi tradition, Zoroastrianism and Neo-Platonism. Shuhrawardi, who was accustomed with perennial Islamic philosophy (al-hikmah al-'atiqah), is considered not only as a great mystic, but also an Ishraqi philosopher. His Ishraqi thought is a synthesis of several philosophical notions which eventuated in the classical Islam. His ideas are recognized as a set of universal teachings, which is a long lasting oriental thought and has actual significance for the modern period.