Entries by simar

The Sufi Doctrine of Man – Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī’s Metaphysical Anthropology

Abstract: “Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī (d. 673/1274) was the foremost disciple of the great Andalusī mystic, Muḥyī-l-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240) and played a pivotal role in disseminating his teachings. Although less famous than his master, Qūnawī has traditionally been recognised both as a key interpreter of Ibn ʿArabī’s work and as a sophisticated metaphysician in […]

The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy – Taylor and Lopez-Farjeat

Abstract: “This valuable reference work synthesizes and elucidates traditional themes and issues in Islamic philosophy as well as prominent topics emerging from the last 20 years of scholarship. Written for a wide readership of students and scholars, The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy is unique in including coverage of both perennial philosophical issues in an […]

Islam and Secularism – Syed Muhammad Naquib Al – Attas

Abstract: “About ten years ago* the influential Christian philoso­pher and one regarded by Christians as among the fore­ most of this century, Jacques Maritain, described how Christianity and the Western world were going through a grave crisis brought about by contemporary events arising out of the experience and understanding and interpretation of life in the […]

Ahmad Ghazali, Inspirations from the World of Pure Spirits (trans. Pourjavady)

Abstact: “The present volume is a complete translation of the Sawani!J, written by the Persian Sufi master Ahmad Ghazzali with a commentary by the translator. The fame of the author, as A.J. Arberry rightly states, “has been overshadowed by that of his illustrious brother” 1 Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazzili (4-50/I058-505/1 l I l). The exact […]

Understanding the Qur’an – Muhammad Abdel Haleem

Abstact: “Understanding the Qur’an is intended to help the general reader, and also the scholar, to understand the Qur’an by combining a number of ap- proaches: thematic, stylistic and comparative. Many English studies of the Qur’an tend to regard it as nothing more than a jumble of borrowed and rambling thoughts with no sense of […]

Al-Kindi, On the Device for Dispelling Sorrows

Abstract: “Although less technical philosophically than many of al-Kind¯‡’s known treatises, this Epistle remains basic for understandin g the spirit that underlies his thinking. Socratic, yet very Kindian in spirit, this Epistle displays its author’s tendency to harmonize Greek philosoph y and Islam, particularl y as this relates to ethics, and his belief in man’s […]

An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia 4

Abstract: “The series “An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia” is a massive multi-volume project that seeks to give coverage to Persia’s rich philosophical heritage, from its pre-Islamic past down to the end of the nineteenth century CE. Etymologically, the word “anthology” refers to a “gathering” or “selection” of flowers. The Persian sensibility to flora notwithstanding, […]