Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels’ hierarchies? and even if one of them pressed me suddenly against his heart: I would be consumed in that overwhelming existence. For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we
...more
“Shiism is already and of itself the spiritual way, the ṭarīqah —that is to say, initiation.”
― History Of Islamic Philosophy
― History Of Islamic Philosophy
“When we complete the state of animal [soul] in a gradual manner, we receive the lights of the intellect and the powers of the rational soul capable of perceiving universals and disembodied intellective [forms].”
― Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition
― Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition
“sense-perception is not only the `weakest' form of perception but also corresponds to the lowest level of existence.”
― Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition
― Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition
“Through his devotion to the holy Imāms, the Shiite is predisposed to receive this initiation from them, and such initiation provides him with a direct and personal link with the spiritual world in its 'vertical dimension' without his having to enter formally into an organized ṭarīqah, as is the case in Sunnism.”
― History Of Islamic Philosophy
― History Of Islamic Philosophy
“Those who dared criticize Serra and his Franciscans for their treatment of the Native Americans risked being crushed by the power of the Roman Catholic Church, with its power of excommunication, or being literally torn to pieces by the Inquisition, which could conduct an investigation using horrendous means of torture against anyone who dared challenge the church or its hierarchy.”
― A Cross of Thorns: The Enslavement of California’s Indians by the Spanish Missions
― A Cross of Thorns: The Enslavement of California’s Indians by the Spanish Missions
Altaf Ali’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Altaf Ali’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Altaf Ali
Lists liked by Altaf Ali





























