An Analysis and Evaluation of Master of Illumination's View on the Nature of Mystical Knowledge

Master of illumination regards soul's mystical knowledge as a kind of illuminative attribution. Illuminative attribution as the nature of mystical knowledge means observing the soul in relation to other lights in their abode. This knowledge and intuition is contingent upon inner striving and mystic journey. Sohrevardi uses the essence of sensual perception to analyze the reality of this illuminative attribution. By sensual perception, he means soul's direct exposure to external perceived object, which is realized through emanation of light beam from eye towards the object of perception. According to Sohrevardi's view, mystical intuition and knowledge is direct exposure to external object of knowledge, to which soul attains by shining abstract light to luminous abstract objects (the lights). Soul's irradiation to other lights shows that mystical intuition is always accompanied by a kind of scientific agency or attention and concern, in Master of Illumination's view. Master of illumination believes that this relation or attribution is not a kind of identification, because he totally rejects identification of knower and knowable. In Master of Illumination' view, therefore, mystical knowledge has a two-dimensional structure (knower and knowable) which is a kind of direct relationship (not identification) between knower and object of knowledge and is realized by a kind of soul's scientific agency about knowable.