‎“The Human Being in the Philosophy of Suhrawardi”‎

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD in Theoretical Foundations of Islam, University of Islamic Knowledge, Qom, ‎Iran (Corresponding Author). ‎

2 PhD in Islamic Theology, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.‎

10.22081/jti.2025.71724.1069

Abstract

Understanding  human  being  is a fundamental quest and a core concern of human thought, with many sciences and branches of knowledge relying on diligent inquiry and research into its various dimensions. This study with an analytical-contemplative approach examines the nature of humanity from the perspective of Sheikh Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi, the founder of The Philosophy of Illumination (Hikmat al-Ishraq). Suhrawardi, through a synthesis of philosophical, mystical, and revelatory traditions, considers human being as a luminous being. their soul (nafs), conceptualized as the "Esfahbadi Light," is an immaterial substance that is creation in time (hadith), not eternal. This luminous soul, originating from the Highest Divine Realm, connects with the body in a managing (tadbirī), rather than imprinting, manner and it acts as a manager that controls the body. Drawing upon his system of light, Suhrawardi explains the relationship between the soul and the body not as a union or indwelling, but as an "affectionate attraction (ʿalāqa shāwqi)," akin to a magnet's pull on iron. He substantiates origination of the Soul through four arguments and robustly affirms its immateriality (tajarrud) using three key proofs: the changeability of bodily organs, the indication of "I-ness" (anāniyya), and the impossibility of substantial decomposition. In Suhrawardi's philosophical system, the perfection of the soul hinges on human being  's luminous journey through asceticism, detachment, and intellectual illuminations. This process allows the soul to ascend through the stages of material intellect (ʿaql hayūlānī), intellect in possession (bi'l-malaka), actual intellect (bi'l-fiʿl), and acquired intellect (mustafād). Death is not annihilation but rather the shedding of the Esfahbadi Light from the darkness of the body and a return to the true "East" (the world of Dominant Lights). This perspective, by emphasizing the survival of the souls of the righteous and wise after death, establishes an unbreakable link between epistemology, the metaphysics of light, and practical spiritual discipline within The Philosophy of Illumination.

Keywords

References

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