Suhrawardi - Three Treatises on Mysticism.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

author describes it as u a few sentences written about the states
of the Brethren of Seclusion" and calls it "The Note of
Slmurgh" whom he introduces at length. The Slmurgh, here,
stands for the sufi (sdlik) who has passed
all the stages
(maqamat) on the road (tarlqa} and reached the goal (fana fil-
The author begins by saying, that,
lie who renounces the
world and gives up
all
wordly attachments and practices
sufistic exercises for a certain time becomes a sufl and acquires
the various qualities which he next sets to enumerate.
In the first chapter of the first part, entitled
Beginnings",
"About the
Suhrwerdi deals with the excellence of the acquisition
of the knowledge of God (wa'rifa) and corroborates
his reasonings by Quranic quotations; in the second chapter
gives an account of the Divine Lights that appear
to the
Sufi and guide him. In the third chapter he says that when
the Lights remain for a long time and do not pass away quickly
it is called "Tranquillity" (saklna) and describes the delights
and attainments of the man who has attained "Tranquillity".
lie
In the first chapter of the second part which is entitled
"About the Ends" Suhrwerdi describes fana-i-akbar as the
stage beyond "Tranquillity" in which the sufi becomes unconscious
of himself, and/a/ia dar fana as the stage in which he
becomes unconscious of the unconsciousness. He also enumerates
the various unifications in connection with annihilation.
In chapter two the author explains the advantages of ma' r if a
warning us, however, against exposing and divulging the
secret of "Predestination". In the last chapter he deals with
Affection (wuhabbafi and Relish (ladhdhat). He regards affection
as imperfect, and relish as leading to perfection.
On the whole, we have adopted the text of our edition
from the manuscript Fatih 5426, fol. 103a-108a replacing
it in