Certainty in the Illuminative Philosophy

The problem of certainty is one of the most fundamental problems of epistemology, to the extent that there is no important epistemological school, which, affirmatively or negatively, do notdiscuss on the definition of certainty and its possibility and conditions. In general, Islamic epistemology, including Suhravardi’s epistemology, is a certainist school, so that it does notconsider uncertain knowledge as a true knowledge. At a glance, certainty has two types: epistemological certainty and psychological certainty. By epistemological certainty I mean whatlogically and philosophically considered as certain. Epistemological certainty has also many types: Rational certainty and intuitive certainty. Rational certainty is the result of reasoning and argumentation, and intuitive one is the result of human’s direct experiencing of objective or subjective reality, without mediate any mental form. But the nature of psychological certainty is mainly a sort of conviction and it is not considered as certainty logically and philosophically. This article discusses about epistemological certainty and its sorts in Suhravardi’s thinking, with a glancing mention to his view about psychological certainty. Suhravardi speaks of both epistemological and psychological certainty. He, in perpetetic stage of his thinking, similar to otherperpetetic philosophers, regards certainty as a result of reasoningandargumentation (Al burhan). However, he finally, in Illuminativestage of his thinking, regards certainty as a result of hearty intuition (Al Shohud). Some of thinkers criticize Suhravardi’s view, but this criticism can be answered by attention to his writings.