Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy Quotes

“All existence from its highest to the lowest and from its lowest to the highest is [united] in a single relationship by which some parts of it are related to some others. Everything is united in spite of their external diversity.”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition

“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].”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition

“There are four degrees of perfection [in knowing things]: the first is the refinement of one's outward state (al-zahir) by following Divine orders and Prophetic law. The second is the refinement of one's inward state (al-batin) and cleaning the heart from dark and despicable habits and behavior.73 The third is the illumination [of the soul] by the forms of knowledge and favorable qualities. The fourth is the [spiritual] extinction (fana') of the soul from itself and fixing its gaze (al-nazar) upon contemplating the First Lord and His Magnificence.”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition

“Furthermore, Sadra considers knowledge essential for performing religious duties as well as for attaining virtues. This is an important step toward assigning an ethico-spiritual function to knowledge whereby intellective knowledge becomes a further step toward spiritual realization. For instance, Sadra says that `obedience to God is not complete without knowledge and knowledge is not attained except through the intellect.'S' Obviously, this is a familiar theme in Islamic history, and one can cite numerous examples of it. Socrates, for instance, is reported to have said that `all virtues come into being only through knowledge (ma `rifah).'S1 The proposition is true also when reversed: knowledge leads to virtue insofar as virtues are seen as having a cognitive value.”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition

“It is therefore clear that the five perceptions (i.e., the five senses) just like the other kinds of perceptual powers manifest the Divine Identity, which is the First Beloved and the Perfect Goal of man. Asf r, I, 1, p. 118”
― Ibrahim Kalin, 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.”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition

“The only way there is to know God is through what he calls the `proof of existence' (al-burhan al-wujadt), which is a direct act of intuition and which does not admit any separation between the knower and the known.”
― Ibrahim Kalin, Knowledge in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mulla Sadra on Existence, Intellect, and Intuition