The Wisdom of Light God's Essence and Attributes in Hakim Sanāyi's View

Hakim Sanāyi Qaznavi (d. 532 AH) who is one of the most influential thinkers and poets of didactic Sufi poetry has always been followed by other poets and mystics of Iran. This paper aims at making a comprehensive study of his Hadiqah and Divān and also intends to explain his opinions about the questions of transcendence or immanence, eternality and contingency, and whether divine Names and attributes are fixed or not and God's intention of creating the universe. The researchers have attempted to compare these opinions with those of other famous theological sects. Therefore, at first the views of the leaders of the Asharites, Mutazilites, Matoridites, Karrāmits, and 12-Imam Shiites were presented on these issues and then Sanāyi's opinion was analyzed and classified accordingly. This study shows that Sanāyi has used Islamic texts and rational teachings of his era to prove his claims. He has adopted a transcendent and even a negative approach in theology and his positions, contrary to the current views, have been different from those of the Asharites, Karāmits, and adherents of hadith, and have been in harmony with those of the Mutazilites, Mātoridites, and Shiites.