Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the ...

210 Part 3: Islamic Philosophy in History
Established by a mysterious figure named al-Mugh¥rah in the early
Islamic period, the ¡ur¨f¥ school was based on the Islamic science of
the esoteric meaning of letters corresponding to the science of the
symbolism of letters found in the Jewish Kabbalah. This science in its
Islamic form had a deep influence upon certain forms of Sufism, early
Ismå‘¥lism, and Ithnå ‘ashar¥ Shi‘ism and is said to have been first
taught by ‘Al¥ ibn Ab¥ appleålib. It is remarkable to note how Ibn Turkah
combined theology, philosophy, and Sufism with his ¡ur¨f¥ views.
The writings of Ibn Turkah include several on the esoteric
significance of the science of letters known in Arabic as al-jafr; commentaries
on works of celebrated Sufi figures such as Ibn ‘Arab¥, Ibn
al-Fåri∂, Fakhr al-D¥n ‘Iråq¥, and Ma±m¨d Shabistar¥; works on Islamic
theology and philosophy; and Quranic commentaries. His commentary
on the verse of the cleaving of the moon reveals his
acquaintance with nearly all the different schools of Islamic thought.
In this work he discusses the interpretation of this verse by literalists,
theologians, Peripatetics, Illuminationists, Sufis of the school of Ibn
‘Arab¥, the ¡ur¨f¥s, and Shi‘ite esoterists. 2 This discussion and his
other works reveal the integrating nature of Ibn Turkah’s thought and
his attempt to synthesize various intellectual perspectives into a unified
vision to accord with the inner meaning of prophecy and revelation.
In discussing Ibn Turkah, a separate word must be said about his
most popular work, the Tamh¥d al-qawå‘id (The Disposition of Principles),
which is among the most widely studied texts on ‘irfån to this
day as seen by the fact that one of the most eminent contemporary
philosophers of Persia has recently written an extensive commentary
upon it. 3 During the past few centuries those who have been students
of the school of Mullå |adrå in Persia have usually been also familiar
with the Tamh¥d al-qawå‘id, and many have studied it with a master in
order to become fully familiar with the ‘irfån of the school of Ibn
‘Arab¥, which constitutes such an important component of the “transcendent
theosophy” of Mullå |adrå and a major stage for reaching
the synthesis that one observes in Mullå |adrå’s teachings.
Ibn Turkah was a Shi‘ite thinker, but figures preceding the School
of Isfahan who sought to synthesize theology, philosophy, and Sufism
were not all Shi‘ite. A figure of note, who was a Sunni student of Jalål
al-D¥n Dawån¥ and who was in fact put to death after Shah Ismå‘¥l
conquered Persia, because he was a Sunni and opposed Shi‘ism, was
Qå∂¥ Am¥r ¡usayn ibn Mu‘¥n al-D¥n Maybud¥ (d. 910/1503–1504),
from a town near Yazd. Maybud¥ was essentially a Peripatetic philosopher
but was also deeply immersed in both theology and Sufism.
He is best known for his well-known commentaries on the ¡idåyat al-