The Impact of Illuminative Relation on Faith Increase

Abstract

Suhrawardī has explained the relation between beings and god or the relation between detached lights, especially the intellective soul, and the Light of lights, using the concept of illuminative relation. In the illuminative relation, the related which is the same as the relation, has a dependent existence, that is, existence by something else which is a self-existent unique reality. Suhrawardī deems the essence of this relation as light. He holds that the intellective human soul can reach high levels of cognition and faith in God, in the light of illuminative relation. This faith is demonstrated in the soul’s love for the higher world. In the light of the illuinative relation to the higher lights, the soul finds itself in need to God, and then reaches the state of annihilation and then the state of immortality after annihilation and then the state of servitude and then the state of the peaceful soul. When thw human soul is immortalized by the light of intellect, it is transferred from the state of need, imperfection and ignorance, to richness, perfection and knowledge. This is why the illuminative relation is the noblest relation.

Keywords

• illuminative relation
• tasted wisdom (al-hikmat al-dhawqiyyah)
• faith
• shaykh al-ishraq