The Role and Function of Light in Suhrawardi's Illuminationist Philosophy

Shahabuddin Yahya Suhravardi (1153-1191) is the first Muslim and Iranian philosopher who established his philosophical system based on Light, and calls it as Wisdom of Illumination (Hikmat Al- Ishraq). Light, in Suhravardi’s philosophy, has two ontological and epistemological roles. From ontological aspect, Suhravardi divides the whole system of being into two Light and Darkness or Shadow, and believes that Light and Shadow are as two constitutional elements of the world. He emphasizes that Light is a self-evident and indefinable reality which shadow is derived from its lack. Suhravardi divides Light and Shadow into two groups of Substance and Accident, and says there are two kinds of lights including abstract and accidental lights. Abstract lights are independent in their existence, like God, and Accidental Lights are not independent, like Ideas and Angles. Darkling existents have two kinds including Darkling Substances that have no need to place and Darkling accidents are depended on other beings and places. The very important point of Suhravardi’s division of Light and Shadow, is considering of gradual and hierarchical relations and participation of all existents by the reality of Light, that is, as much as every being is more abstract, it can participate more Light and has more independency, which God as Light of Lights is placed in the top of this gradual chain. Suhravardi, from epistemological approach, makes a real relation between Light and Illuminationst knowledge. He, first, argues that Light is very self-consciousness and Intuitive Knowledge, and then by paying attention to hierarchical levels of existents, explains their epistemic relations by using of illumination and intuition. He says the knowledge of existents to Supernal Lights is acquired by intuition and observation, while the knowledge of Supernal Lights to Lower ones is achieved by Illumination. Here, Illumination is very radiating and lightening of lower lights by supernal lights. So, Light is both the ontological and epistemological cause of things, namely, all things are originated and recognized by Lights, specially, Light of Lights who is God.