The Elixir of the Gnostics (Hardcover)

Mulla Sadra

ISBN 10: 0934893705 / ISBN 13: 9780934893701

Published by FARMS (imprint of Brigham Young University), Utah, 2002

About this Item

Hardcover. Sadr al-Din Muhammad Shirazi (1572-1640), more commonly called Mulla Sadra, was one of the grand scholars of later-period Islamic philosophy and has grown to become one of the best-known Muslim philosophers. Iksir al-'arifin, or Elixir of the Gnostics, is unique among Sadra's writings in that it reworks and amplifies an earlier Persian work, the Jawidan-nama (Book of the Everlasting) by Afdal al-Din Kashani, or Baba Afdal.The underlying theme of Sadra's amplification is emblematic of Muslim philosophy: the importance of self-knowledge in an individual's journey of "Origin and Return," the soul's origins with God and its eventual return to Him. Everything, Sadra says, is on such a path, gradually disengaging from the material world and returning to a transcendent essenceall leading to a final fruition in which everything in the universe returns to God and finds permanent happiness. Philosophy, Sadra argues, is the most direct means to self-knowledgeand thus the best tool for navigating this journey. This work is unique among Sadra's writing in that it reworks and amplifies an earlier Persian work, the "Jawidannama". by Baba Afdal. The underlying theme of the work is the importance of self-knowledge in an individual's journey of origin and return. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780934893701

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Elixir of the Gnostics (Hardcover)
• Publisher: FARMS (imprint of Brigham Young University), Utah
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0934893705
• ISBN 13: 9780934893701
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Sadr al-Din Muhammad Shirazi (1572-1640), more commonly called Mulla Sadra, was one of the grand scholars of later-period Islamic philosophy and has grown to become one of the best-known Muslim philosophers. Iksir al-'arifin, or Elixir of the Gnostics, is unique among Sadra's writings in that it reworks and amplifies an earlier Persian work, the Jawidan-nama (Book of the Everlasting) by Afdal al-Din Kashani, or Baba Afdal.

The underlying theme of Sadra's amplification is emblematic of Muslim philosophy: the importance of self-knowledge in an individual's journey of "Origin and Return," the soul's origins with God and its eventual return to Him. Everything, Sadra says, is on such a path, gradually disengaging from the material world and returning to a transcendent essence—all leading to a final fruition in which everything in the universe returns to God and finds permanent happiness. Philosophy, Sadra argues, is the most direct means to self-knowledge—and thus the best tool for navigating this journey.

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic (translation)
Original Language: Arabic