Sheikh Ishragh’s Life and Philosophy

A review on the occasion of World Day of Suhrawardi, July 30, 2007

By Yahia Jahangiri Suhrawardi

Shahab al-Din, Abul Fotouh Yahia Suhrawardi, known as Sheikh Ishragh, the founder of the School of Illumination(philosophy of Ishragh), was born in 1155 AD/549 AHL in the town of Suhraward in North-West-Iran.

Suhrawardi is one of the most important intellectual figures in the history of  Iran and the region in general.

Sheikh Ishragh  learnt  philosophy and Usul-e-fiqh( the principles of Islamic jurisprudence)  in Maraghah, with Majdud din Jili, the mentor of Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi. Then he moved to Isfahan to continue his studying.

During his life which spanned a period of less than forty years, he became  conversant and thoroughly proficient in philosophy. He proceeded for meditation spent some time in Iraq and Damascus in touring and studying.

In 1183 Suhrawardi  moved to Aleppo where  he became a friend of  al-Malik al-Zahir (son of the Ayyubid Salah al-Din, better known in European literature as Saladin). He was accused by Foghaha( jurists) in this city. By order of Salah al-Din, he was arrested and executed in 1191 at the age of 36 or 38. Because of the injustice, he is  known as al-Maqtul (the Slain).

Sheikh Ishragh’s written works:
1- Hikmat al-ishraq (The Philosophy of Illumination),
2- Al-muqawamat,
3- Al-mashari' wa-'l-mutarahat,
4- Al-talwihat,
1- Hayakil al-nur (The Temples of Light)
and others numerous treatises in Arabic & Persian.

Hikmat-ol Ishragh Philosophical System

The system of Ishragh philosophy, its basic principles, was founded by Suhrawardi, and constitutes one of the most valuable system of Islamic philosophy
The effect of Ishragh philosophy on evolution of the philosophy in Iran, particularly its influence in theoretical mysticism, perhaps is more than other philosophic system.

Suhrawardi, produced a series of highly assured works which established him as the founder of a new school of philosophy in the Muslim world, the school of Illuminationist philosophy.
Suhrawardi's Illuminationist philosophy is critical of several of the positions taken by Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and radically departs from the latter through the creation of a symbolic language to give expression to his metaphysics and cosmology, his 'science of lights'.
Suhrawardi also elaborated the idea of an independent, intermediary world, the imaginary world (alam al-mithal). His views have exerted a powerful influence down to this day, particularly through Mulla Sadra's adaptation of his concept of intensity and gradation in existence.

He is also renowned   for his attempt at integrating aspects of Zoroastrian thought into his works. Suhrawardi was able to appreciate the rational dimension of Zoroastrianism.

Other intellectual figures of Suhraward:
Sheikh Ishragh is sometimes mistaken for other personalities known as Suhrawardi. I’d like to point out that many distinguished intellectual figures, were born in Suhraward, including:
1- Diya al-din Abu al-Najib al-Suhrawardi (1097 – 1168 AD) was an Iranian Sufi. He studied Islamic law in Baghdad, then eventually came to be the Sufi order of Suhrawardiyya. His famous book is "Adab al-moridin".
2- Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi (1144 - 1234AD) was an Iranian Sufi too. He expanded the Sufi order of Suhrawardiyya that had been created by his uncle Abu al-Najib al-Suhrawardi. "Avaref al-maref" is his great book.
Suhrawardiyya is the name of a Sufi order founded by Abu 'n-Najib Suhrawardi. Many Sufis from all over the Islamic world joined the order, under the founder's nephew Umar Suhrawardi. Later the Order spread into India.