Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Abstract: (142 Views)
The present study aims to elucidate Kayumars's position in Shaykh al-Ishrāq's spiritual genealogy and to answer the question of why he is considered the originator of the Khusrawānī mystics. The main question of this article is: based on which components found in ancient texts and Islamic historiographies did Suhrawardī introduce Kayumars, with the epithet "Mālik al-Ṭīn" (King of Clay), as the originator of Khusrawānian theosophy? The research method is descriptive-analytical, based on library studies with a comparative approach. For this purpose, Kayumars's character has been examined and analyzed in three domains: the Avesta and Pahlavi texts, Islamic-era historiographies, and Suhrawardī's works.
The findings indicate that attributes such as being shadowless, connection with the sun, possession of sacred intellect (khirad-i qudsī), and life-giving death in ancient texts, and above all, possessing Kayanian Glory (khwarrah), laid the groundwork for the Illuminationist interpretation of Kayumars as the "Perfect Human" (insān-i kāmil). By selecting the epithet "Mālik al-Ṭīn" from Islamic sources, Suhrawardī introduces him as possessing the station of "Nūr al-Ṭāmis" (the Eclipsing Light) and "Fanā' fī Allāh" (annihilation in God), which in the Illuminationist master's noetic system represents the ultimate stage of spiritual journey, leading the seeker to "minor death" (mawt aṣghar) and the effacement of individual identity in the Divine Essence. The correspondence of this station with Kayumars's death in myth—which results in the emergence of the human race—demonstrates the interpretability (ta'wīl-pazīrī) of this character within the framework of Illuminationist thought.
Thus, from Shaykh al-Ishrāq's perspective, Kayumars stands at the apex of Khusrawānian theosophy, and mystics such as Bāyazīd, Ḥallāj, and Kharraqānī are considered the inheritors of this spiritual tradition. The innovation of this research lies in the systematic connection among the three domains of myth, history, and Illuminationist theosophy to explain the transformation and interpretation of Kayumars's character in Suhrawardī's genealogy.
The findings indicate that attributes such as being shadowless, connection with the sun, possession of sacred intellect (khirad-i qudsī), and life-giving death in ancient texts, and above all, possessing Kayanian Glory (khwarrah), laid the groundwork for the Illuminationist interpretation of Kayumars as the "Perfect Human" (insān-i kāmil). By selecting the epithet "Mālik al-Ṭīn" from Islamic sources, Suhrawardī introduces him as possessing the station of "Nūr al-Ṭāmis" (the Eclipsing Light) and "Fanā' fī Allāh" (annihilation in God), which in the Illuminationist master's noetic system represents the ultimate stage of spiritual journey, leading the seeker to "minor death" (mawt aṣghar) and the effacement of individual identity in the Divine Essence. The correspondence of this station with Kayumars's death in myth—which results in the emergence of the human race—demonstrates the interpretability (ta'wīl-pazīrī) of this character within the framework of Illuminationist thought.
Thus, from Shaykh al-Ishrāq's perspective, Kayumars stands at the apex of Khusrawānian theosophy, and mystics such as Bāyazīd, Ḥallāj, and Kharraqānī are considered the inheritors of this spiritual tradition. The innovation of this research lies in the systematic connection among the three domains of myth, history, and Illuminationist theosophy to explain the transformation and interpretation of Kayumars's character in Suhrawardī's genealogy.
Keywords: Kayumars, Shaykh al-Ishrāq (Suhrawardī), Kayanian Glory (Khwarrah), Nūr al-Ṭāmis (Eclipsing Light), Mālik al-Ṭīn (King of Clay), Khusrawānian Wisdom
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