An Analysis of Image-Reading of Sun from Propositions of Active Intellect and Light of All Lights in Suhrawardi’s Symbolic Treatises

Mega-metaphors or central images, as propositions, contain profound thoughts originated from the mystic's personal experiences. Hence, decoding and clarifying the secondary meanings of these mega-metaphors will help to have a closer look at the mystic's worldview. These epistemological images can be represented in both superficial and intuitive levels. The present study aims to explore the connection between sun and the philosophical and mythological concepts (Active Intellect and Light of the Lights), on the one hand, and some other images like Simurgh, tree, Keykhosro, and Pir (Wise Man), on the other hand, and to explicate the function of sun image as a symbol that has become unified with meaning. One of the findings of this descriptive-analytical research is that it is the intuitive representation of the sun phenomenon which makes Suhrawardi’s symbolic stories distinct. This makes the sun transcend the language levels and turn into a conceptual perception. This study also sheds light on the interconnection between image and meaning in Suhrawardi's intellectual and linguistic doctrine and presents two key findings first, the images create meanings and not the other way round; second, phenomenal images create a mutual identity between the mental perception and the outside object. Therefore, in addition to being elusive and convoluted, such images are unconditional and ever changing, and are deployed for diverse meanings.