Origins of Episteme in the Eternal Vow of Yawm-i-Alast and its Sameness to Platonic Anamnesis Theory with an Emphasis on Mawlānā's Masnavi

Muslim mystics seek the roots of episteme in the Vow of Yawm-i-Alast. Mawlānā is undoubtedly one of the prime figures in such an attempt. The present study focuses on the origins of episteme in the Vow of Yawm-i-Alast and its similarity to Platonic anamnesis theory. The analytical method used in this study traces Mawlānā’s view of this concept. On the basis of this theory, those who were provided with a sketchy intuitional episteme in the Vow of Yawm-i-Alast and prior to the 'certainty of existence' have the potential to be trained by sharia and tariqa although sometime in this world's life they forget the original wisdom and knowledge and fall in oblivion and negligence; and by remembering the eternal Vow of Yawm-i-Alast to eagerly search their way towards God. The Vow of Yawm-i-Alast has been a universal truth and if there are souls deprived of that eternal wine, living as if they have nothing to seek, it is because of oblivion and negligence. Thus, Mawlānā holds that no creature is devoid of episteme; every creature has had, since Yawm-i-Alast, within itself a level of the sketchy intuitional episteme and the eternal loved one (God) is what everyone seeks.