The Elixir of the Gnostics A Parallel English-Arabic Text |
|
| Author:
| Sadra, Mulla |
| Translator:
| Chittick, William |
| Series title: | Brigham Young University - Islamic Translation Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-934893-70-1 |
| Publication Date: | Oct 2002 |
| Publisher: | Brigham Young University
|
| Imprint: | Brigham Young University Press |
| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | USD $39.95 |
Book Description:
|
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...
More DescriptionSadr 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.