An Introduction to Irfan

BOOK ID

Authors(s): Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari

Category: Spirituality

Journal: Vol.4, N.1

Topic Tags: Irfan Sufism Shia Spiritual Teachings Spirituality

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Language

English

'Irfan (Shi'i spiritual teachings) as compared to tasawwuf (Sufism), its beliefs, practices, different parts (Shari'ah, Tariqa, and Haqiqa), as well as its major practitioners throughout Islamic History.

Introduction

This short introduction to irfan is a part of the author's book Ashnai ba ulum e Islami (An Introduction to the Islamic Sciences) written in seven parts: 1) logic, 2) philosophy, 3) kalam, 4) irfan, 5) fiqh, 6) usul al fiqh, 7) hikmat e amali (ethics).

'Irfan is one of the disciplines that originated within the realm of Islamic culture and developed there to attain a high level of sophistication. But before we can begin to discuss 'irfan, we must realize that it can be approached from two viewpoints: the social and the academic.

Unlike the scholars of other Islamic disciplines - such as the Quranic commentators (mufassirun), the scholars of hadith (muhaddithun), the jurisprudents (fuqaha'), the theologians (mutakallimun), the philosophers, the men of literature, and the poets - the 'urafa' are a group of scholars who have not only developed their own science, 'irfan, producing great scholars and important books, but have also given rise within the Islamic world to a distinct social grouping. In this the 'urafa' are unique; for the scholars of the other Islamic disciplines - such as the jurisprudents, for instance - form solely academic groupings and are not viewed as a social group

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