Irfan

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Twelvers
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Other beliefs Imamate of the Family Angels Mourning of Muharram Intercession Occultation Wilayat al-Faqih Usul al-fiqh Ijtihad Taqlid Irfan
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In Islam, ‘Irfan (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: عرفان; Turkish: İrfan), literally ‘knowledge, awareness, wisdom’, is gnosis.^[1] Islamic mysticism can be considered as a vast range that engulfs theoretical and practical and conventional mysticism and has been intertwined with sufism and in some cases they are assumed identical. However, Islamic mysticism is assumed as one of the Islamic sciences alongside theology and philosophy.

Mystic[]

According to the founder of the Qadiriyya Tariqa, Sayyid Abdul Qadir Gilani Irfan is described as the acknowledgement of God´s unity. This acknowledgement is achieved by studying under islamic scholars. One method how these scholars can help in gaining acknowledgement about God´s unity is by giving more inside in the internal meaning of the practice of Islamic rituals, like the Salah. The reflection upon the practice of Islam with the knowledge of respected islamic scholars (in concreto Awliya Allah) is described by the Sayyid as "nearness to God", manifested in acknowledgement of him (Irfan).^[2]

also says in one of his books in definition of mystic as: the one that doesn't allow himself physical pleasures and overlooks this carnal world's pleasures is called "ascetic". The one that observes saying prayers and fasting, etc. is called "worshiper". The one that prevents his conscious from paying attention to the others but God and directed it to the transcendent world to be enlightened by God's light is known as "mystic". However, sometimes two or all these designations can be applied to a single person.

In Shi'ism[]

In Twelver Shiism on the other hand, the term Irfan refers specifically to gnosis. Among the most famous modern Shia proponents of Irfan were Usuli theologians Allāmah Tabatabai, Ruhollah Khomeini, Mohammad-Taqi Bāhjat, , and Allāmah Qādhi Tabatabai. The scholars taught how gnosis can be attained by adhering to Islamic teachings with love for God. The 17th-century Mulla Sadra of Iran is generally seen as the historical ideologue for Irfan in Shi'ism.

See also[]

• Hikmah
• Irfan (name)
• Ma'rifa
• Hikmat al-Muta’aliyah

References[]

External links[]

• "Sufism of Iran" - A Reference website for Sufi books
• Articles related to Irfan on Al-Islam.org