The First Missionary and the Second Philosopher of the Illuminationist Philosophy: Šams al-Dīn al-Šahrazūrī as an Authentic Philosopher

Šams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd al-Šahrazūrī (d. c. 1288) has been conceived as a commentator of Suhrawardī (d. 1191). Although he is undoubtedly the first commentator of the Illuminationist (Išrāqī) Philosophy, he also has authentic Išrāqī innovations, which are not properly appreciated in recent scholarship, especially due to understanding him merely as a commentator. This paper aims to present a new image of Šahrazūrī, not only as the first commentator of al-Suhrawardī but also as the first missionary of the Išrāqī Philosophy and the second philosopher of this tradition. In pursuit of this aim, I will illustrate six stages of Šahrazūrī’s intellectual life, though little is known of his personal life. According to his words, both in edited and unedited works of him, Šahrazūrī was a peripatetic thinker in the first stage, becoming, secondly, an Illuminationist thinker through studying Suhrawardī’s works. In the third stage, while Suhrawardī was unknown to the scholarly atmosphere of the time (13th century), Šahrazūrī started spreading Išrāqī ideas among the talented pupils during his long and numerous travels. Fourth, when his endeavors as an Išrāqī missionary gave rise to a great enthusiasm for Išrāqī works, he started commentating on Suhrawardī’s Ḥikmat al-Išrāq to provide a resource for the students of the Illuminationist Philosophy. Fifthly, he founded his genuine Išrāqī contemplations and, finally, seems to have become the head of an Išrāqī school of philosophy, giving even practical instructions to his Išrāqī brethren (Iḫwān) to reach Illuminationist intuition (Šuhūd). Such a new image of Šahrazūrī paves the way for welcoming him as an original thinker, especially in terms of epistemology.