The Symbolism of Ancient Iranian Concepts in Suhrawardī s Persian Treatises

the Iranian philosopher, Sufi, martyr and the founder of Ishrāqī theosophy. He could be considered as the restorer of the theosophy of Fahlawīyūn or the Khusrawānī theosophy of ancient Iran. By using the Zoroastrian sources and focusing on Greek philosophy, Suhrawardī combines these two eastern and western currents of philosophy in Islamic mysticism. He interprets these teachings not only in his important Arabic works such as Hikmat al-ishrāq (Theosophy of Illumination), but also in his Persian works which are mostly symbolicmystical treatises. In these Persian treaties, he presents the principals of Khusrawānī theosophy by using the symbolic functions of mythical characters of ancient Iran, such as Firiydūn, Kaykhusru, Sīmurgh, Zāl, Rustam and Isfandīyār. His narrations of these mythical characters are based on the previous works such as Shāhnāmah. However, in some points there are great differences between his narrations and theprevious ones, so much so that we can mention him as the creator of these new narrations. The climax of this innovation is in the story of the struggle between Rustam and Isfandīyār. This change helps Suhrawardī to express his ideas through the symbolic functions of these characters, and these symbols are only understandable to those who are acquainted with Ishrāqī theosophy and mysticism. This article deals with these symbols and interprets their roles in Persian treatises of Shaykh-i Ishrāq such as ‘Aql-i surkh, Alwāh-i ‘Imādī, Lughat-i Mūrān and Safīr-i Sīmurgh.