World of Image in Islamic Philosophy
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One of the most controversial issues that divided Islamic philosophers and theologians for many centuries was whether human beings would have a spiritual or bodily existence after death. Suhrawardi, a pivotal figure in the history of Islamic philosophy, made a crucial contribution to this debate, with his idea of a world of image.This is a world beyond our earthly existence, to be reached in sleep, meditation, or after death. This unlikely history is unravelled by Van Lit using an innovative approach, looking at a curious idea concerning eschatology proposed by Ibn Sina. He explores the ways in which this idea - refuted by most medieval thinkers - was used by Suhrawardi and Shahrazuri to construct a sophisticated system of thought which has progressed through the centuries to take its place within mainstream theological texts. The world of image remains a relevant notion for Muslim thinkers today.
L. W. C. van Lit is Lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at Yale University.