Abstract:
The perception of the Divine essence is challenging in Islamic mysticism and philosophy. Ayatollah Javadi Amoli has a unique view on this subject matter, which has not yet been the topic of an independent study. This paper explains this kind of perception by using a descriptive-analytical method. Ayatollah Javadi Amoli considers the Divine essence to be "non-conditioned existence at the stage of division" and believes that the Divine essence is not perceptible due to indeterminableness and infiniteness. He provides reasons for the imperceptibility of the essence and holds that both acquired and intuitive knowledge have limitations in perceiving the hidden essence of the divine. He also does not accept the intuitive perception of the essence after mystical annihilation. Moreover, he does not acknowledge the perception of any part of the essence that is within the reach of the mystic, because the Divine essence is purely simple and indivisible. From his viewpoint, what can be perceived is the manifested essence, not the essence as it is in itself. The absolute Divine identity is the absolute unseen, and no one has a direct (unmediated) connection with it. This viewpoint is subject to critiques, which are discussed in this study.
Machine summary:
The Issue of Perceiving the Essence of the Truth Exalted from the Perspective of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli Rouhollah Souri* Sur Abstract The perception of the Divine Essence is a challenging issue in Islamic mysticism and wisdom.
1 Following the mystics, Professor Javadi Amoli considers the Divine Essence to be existence la-bi-shart al-muqassim, which is free from all constraints and is not even constrained by the condition of absoluteness.
In contrast, intuition (shuhud), because it faces the external reality directly without concepts, does not have the capacity to perceive the unseen Essence; because a limited confrontation with the simple unlimited is impossible (Javadi Amoli, Tahrir Sharh Fusus: vol.
However, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli first modifies this interpretation and says: The people of gnosis consider the perception of the core of the Divine Essence impossible as long as human determination remains, and they consider the limited perception of the Truth to be possible only through the Fana of the seeker and his absorption into Tawhid (Javadi Amoli, Raheeq Makhtum: vol.
9. General Critique and Review of the Opponents' Views From the collection of statements by Professor Javadi Amoli, it is used that he considers the perception of the Essence as Essence itself (being as it is) (existence without divisive condition) as impossible and considers it free from the scope of any judgment or determination.
Therefore, what mystics mean by the unperceivability of the essence is the negation of exhaustive knowledge of the Divine Essence (Javadi Amoli, Tahrir Sharh Fusus: vol.
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