The Nature of Suhrawardi’s Metaphysics and its Philosophical Justification

he present article is seeking to answer two questions regarding Suhrawardi’s philosophy: (a) what is the subject matter of Suhrawardi’s Philosophy? And (b) what evidence can be presented in favor of Suhrawardi’s metaphysics? Metaphysics in Islamic world has witnessed three orientations called masha’i (peripatetic), ishraqi (illuminism), and Sadra’i. Each of these three orientations has determined some subject matters for their metaphysics, presenting evidences for them. In this atmosphere, questioning the subject of metaphysics and its philosophical status in Suhrawardi’s philosophy has been somehow neglected. Here, to answer the first question, we have rejected the no subject-centered approach (focus on method, the end, the philosopher, and …) regarding Suhrawardi’s philosophy, accepted the subject-centered approach and put forward numerous opinions (including non-existence, thing, virtual light, sacred light, and the absolute light) to acknowledge the dichotomy of ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ as the subject matter of Suhrawardi’s philosophy. To answer the second question, we have adopted a comparative and interactive method, and stressed on the criteria, origins, and presuppositions of the philosophical views of masha’i and Sadra’i philosophies on determining the subject matter of philosophy, to establish theoretical evidences and reasons for philosophical justification of the dichotomy of light and darkness for metaphysics. Thus, the present article is an attempt for discovering the philosophical shell of Suhrawardi’s intuitive jewel and his illuminations regarding the subject matter of metaphysics as far as its nature and philosophical status are concerned.