The Origin of Islamic Mysticism in the Light of the Personal Unity of Existence

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Ahl al-Bayt and Quranic Studies, University of Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Philosophy and Islamic Theology, University of Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The question of the origin of Islamic mysticism has been one of the major concerns of many researchers in the field of mysticism in the recent decades. Some have maintained that Islamic mysticism is an imported product: a combination of Eastern spiritual traditions or a mixture of Manichaeism and Alexandrian philosophy. However, in order to find out the real origin of Islamic mysticism, the best way is to investigate the main questions of Islamic mysticism and to trace them in the Islamic culture and tradition. Reflecting on the personal unity of existence, the most important principle of Islamic mysticism, the author shows that Muslim mystics have been so inspired by the teachings of the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet and the Imams that there remains no need to look for the origin of Islamic mysticism outside the Muslim tradition.

Keywords

References

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