Here is the English abstract of Majid Mollayousefi (Associate Professor at Imam Khomeini International University)'s presentation at the 10^nd pre-con meeting of the conference “Imam Reza (PBUH) and Interreligious Dialogue" which was held in Imam Khomeini International University (Qazvin, Iran) on  December 18, 2023.

ʾAnwārīyyah; A Historical Example of the Interaction of Religious Wisdoms

Comparative philosophy in the West compared to the East is a relatively recent phenomenon. The history of comparative studies in the East, especially in the field of philosophy, dates back to many centuries ago. For instance, one can refer to the spread of Buddhism from India to China as an example, during which Buddhism engaged in dialogue with Confucianism and Taoism. In the Islamic context, there are various examples of such dialogues as well. The book ʾAnwāriyyah, a Persian translation and commentary on the Ḥikmat al-Ishrāq (The Philosophy of Illumination) by Suhrawardi, written by Nizam al-Din Ahmad ibn al-Hirawi in 1008 AH, is one of these examples. Al-Hirawi, due to his familiarity with Indian philosophical schools, especially the Advaita Vedanta, compares the views of Suhrawardi with Indian philosophers, whom he considers divine philosophers. He delves into various topics such as cosmic cycles, reincarnation, the connection of some souls to celestial bodies, and presenting the perspectives of Indian philosophers and incorporating them into the discussions within the Islamic tradition. Al-Hirawi’s commentary focuses on the mystical taste or, in other words, the spiritual aspect of Suhrawardi's philosophy. Therefore, he did not translate or comment on the first part of Hikmat al-Ishraq. This selection can be attributed to his mystical inclinations on the one hand and his recognition of Suhrawardi's philosophy as divine on the other. In his view, Suhrawardi's philosophy had the potential to be compared and correlated with Indian religious philosophies. Although al-Hirawi does not exhibit descriptive and normative chauvinism in his comparative method, there seems to be a form of normative skepticism as he refrains from evaluating different perspectives during the comparison.

Translator: Mahdi Qasemi