The influence of the Avicennan theory of science on philosophical sufism: The concept of the divine science in Qūnawī and Fanārī

Abstract

This article discusses the application of the Avicennan theory of demonstrative science on tasawwuf, or the Divine Science (al-'ilm al-ilāhī), by members of the Akbarian tradition, particularly Ibn 'Arabī's (d. 1240) stepson and most influential disciple, Sadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī (d. 1274), and his commentators, among whom the most prominent was Mullā Muhammad b. Hamza al-Fanārī (d. 1431). It aims to find out what kind of relationship was developed between Avicennan logic and Sufism by the two members of the Akbarian school in the post-classical Islamic thought. It also seeks to show that the convergence between different currents of Islamic thought - Sufism and philosophy in this case - led to some adaptation problems and internal inconsistencies for these currents.