Today, we speak of one of the treatises penned by the acclaimed Iranian mystic, Sheikh Shahab Ed-Din Sohravardi.

This week, we continue to study the works and services rendered by the celebrated and outstanding Iranian philosopher and mystic of 6th Century AH, Sohravardi. This distinguished figure highly contributed to development of Islamic philosophy and mysticism and is the founder of one of the most important Islamic philosophical schools of thought referred to as “Illuminism”, while earning the title of “Sheikh Ul-Eshraq”.

As a reminder, it was said that Sohravardi was born in Sohravard Village in the vicinity of city of Zanjan, in the year 549 AH. He was murdered at the age of 38 in the year 587 AH, upon the conspiracy of some scholars in the city of Aleppo, by the order of Founder of Ayoubi Dynasty, Salah Ed-Din Ayoubi. During his short life, he authored several works, some of which have remained to this day. Some of the works of this famed philosopher and mystic are treatises and allegories authored in a cryptic writing style; which in the view of researchers depict a true image of Sohravardi. This group of his works has been written in a beautiful, delicate, and cryptic style, which present and display the spiritual and inner experiences of this renowned mystic. In the past two weeks, we introduced two of the treatises of this acclaimed philosopher, namely “The Chant of Gabriel’s Wing”, and “Loghat-e Moran”, which are two of the works of this great figure in Farsi, written in figurative and cryptic style. Today, we brief you on another treatise of this preeminent mystic, referred to as “Fi Haqiqat al-Eshq”.

According to critics, this treatise is one of the most beautiful and delicate works which have been written about love. It maintains a delicate writing style, coupled with poems, in a symbolic framework. Although the apparent subject of this tale revolves round Joseph, Zolaikha, and Jacob; it maintains a pure mystical and philosophical aspect, which Sohravardi has presented in a poetic and literary form in a cryptic style.

This treatise is completely different to the other treatises penned by Sohravardi in figurative speech. Some of his treatises revolved round the loneliness of mankind in the material world. However, this treatise pays attention to the topic of love, and pivots round the creation of love and its two related topics, goodness and sadness.

It can be said that this treatise is in fact a tasteful and poetic interpretation of Surat al-Yousef in Holy Quran. In regard to this treatise, Sohravardi has initially focused upon the literary-mystic Islamic and Iranian tradition and a number of Hadiths and Islamic narrations, to create this work.

Sohravardi points out that God initially created wisdom, and then granted three characteristic features to wisdom; one of which was used to know and recognize God; the other for man to know himself, and the third one for knowing others. Meanwhile, these three characteristic features of wisdom respectfully led to creation of goodness, love, and sadness. According to Sohravardi, all of these developments took place prior to emergence of mankind.

In this treatise, Sohravardi also elaborates and delineates on the terms and notions that he has presented in the text. He first speaks of love, and then remarks on lover and the beloved. In his view, man should only realize and perceive love in this world and should hand it over to the beloved. In Sohravardi’s standpoint, love is a bridge which links the lover to the beloved.

He then speaks of kindness and studies the roots and etymology of this term. He believes that mankind’s roots originate from ethereal heavens.

In his opinion, the main goal and destination for mankind is to love. This is because mankind knows or should know that the material world is mortal and the Hereafter is eternal. The key for establishment of a bond with Hereafter and ethereal heavens is to love and worship the one and only creator of the world, God Almighty.

In fact, in his view, love of God purifies mankind’s soul and spirit so that he would chastely reach out and form a bond with the one and only creator of the world.

RM/ME