Shiykh Mahmūd Shabistarī and Pluralism

The aim of this essay is not judging about exclusivism, inclusivism or pluralism as such, rather, it tries to explain the ideas of the well-known Iranian Muslim mystic, Shiykh Mahmūd Shabistarī, on pluralism. Moreover, by employing phenomenological method, this essay is going to deal with the concept of pluralism and its relation with religious experiences. Shiykh Mahmūd is a famous mystic and also a distinguished theorist in the field of religious-mystical thoughts. He takes a mystical approach to religious ideas and expresses his views through concise treatises in prose and verse. Like many mystics he frequently deals with different aspects of the multiplicity of religions. This essay attempts to survey his exact opinion on pluralism, so that it may throw new light on Shabistarī’s view in particular and Islamic mysticism in general.