The Self-knowledge and Asceticism Discourse On the Mystic-illuminationist style of life

In order to reach happiness and perfection getting the individual and social aims in the process of overcoming material and nonmaterial difficulties, humankind has since long been looking for the desired style of life. The style of life comprises a set of standardized and systematic principles of the life of mankind, individual or social material or spiritual; principles such as insights, inclinations, inner or outer behaviors in different cultural, religious, social, political, and economic fields. Accordingly, the style of life is a pattern coming from all the above and a process dealing with all man’s angles of life. The most brilliant and comprehensive style of life is the one coming from divine teachings and revealed ideas. In the course of their academic and philosophical approaches and along with their findings, Muslim intellectuals have presented their desired style of life. Referring to his ideas from Islam and his inner visions, Sheikh Ishraq al-Suhrawardi has specified some instructions helping man reach the spiritual and desired life. The style, obviously, of life deals with man’s behavior which however is determined by the findings, thoughts, and beliefs. The roots of mystic-illuminationist style of life are two significant issues I may call them as the discourse of self-knowledge and asceticism. In what follows, the author has explained the self-knowledge and asceticism (the ladder of this spiritual and inner journey) as the basis of illuminationist style of life. Referring to al-Suhrawardi’s works, he has gone to examine the warp and woof of the two above-mentioned issues ending in concrete examples of asceticism needed by the modern world.