Marefat Nafs - Lesson 3: Audio Lecture
What helps us to know the reality? Philosophy, Irfan or Hekmat Mote’aalia.
What is philosophy?
Plato / Aflatoon: Philosophy is that very valuable joy.
Will Durant: That joy is only understandable for the seekers of marefat / knowledge.
Mulla Sadra: philosophy is seeking perfection of Nafs, by knowing the reality of things the way they really are, through logic and not by imitation / taghleed .
Avicenna: Philosopher is the one who wants to explain the existence by intellect / aghl and for this he does not need any thing else such as revelation, faith and religion.
Mashshais and Ishraqis:
Mashshaie philosophers started from Aristotle/Arastoo and an important Muslim Mashshai philosopher is Avicenna or Ibne-Sina. Mashshais believe intellect is enough to understand the existence.
Ishraqis started from Plato / Aflatoon and the most important Ishraqi philosopher is Sohrevardi. Ishraqis believe personal Irfaani experience is needed to help Aghl, as aghal alone can go wrong
Irfaan
Irfaan does not rely only on knowledge and the main principal is Amal or action or performance
Irfaan says knowledge is the result of amal.
Irfaan says we need Sayro-Solook or becoming on the way of reaching Allah.
Irfan logicalize internal revelations or Irfaani experiences.
Theoretical and Practical Irfaan
Irfaan has theory as well as practice, so we have theoretical and practical Irfaan. Theoretical Irfaan explains the existence. Practical Irfaan is set of practices to reach to Towhid or oneness
Vahdat or union
Vahdat in Irfaan means there is only ONE reality in all the worlds and universes and the rest of the existence is the manifestation of that ONE.
A’aref’s ultimate goal is to reach to FANA (annihilation). In Irfaan the principal is Love of Allah or Eshgh
Hikmat Mote’aalia
Founder of Hikmat Mote’aalia is Mulla Sadra. Hikmat Mote’aalia is a big river which the waters of streams of Mashsha, Ishraagh and Irfan pours in to it. Repentance of Mulla Sadra from delving excessively in to External Knowledge and living 15 years close to qom and only doing Ebaadat. After 15 years he put together his Irfaani experiences and extensive knowledge.
Other Links:
Marefaat Nafs - Lesson 1:Audio Lecture
Marefaat Nafs - Lesson 2:Audio Lecture
