The Persian philosopher Ibn Sina (d. 1037), known in Europe as Avicenna, was arguably the greatest master of Aristotelian thought in the Muslim world. The symbolical 鈥楶oem on the Soul鈥 (蚕补峁Ｄ玠补t al-nafs), which portrays all earthly human souls as in temporary exile from heaven, is traditionally attributed to him. Renowned for his encyclopaedic treatments of philosophy, Avicenna also experimented with a variety of intellectual genres and discourse styles, including a small number of mythopoeic texts. Among those, the brief 蚕补峁Ｄ玠补 drew the particular attention of commentators on account of its aesthetic impact, popularity and the ostensibly esoteric character of its teachings. It depicts the human soul as a strayed dove, which can only return home after retrieving awareness of its celestial origin. The text therefore expresses metaphorically the need for a philosophical perspective in life and for philosophy as a path to salvation.
One of the most important commentaries on the 蚕补峁Ｄ玠补 was written by 士Al墨 b. Mu岣mmad b. al-Wal墨d (d. 1215), a major early representative of the Tayyibi Ismaili tradition, which emerged and flourished in medieval Yemen. In his view, the poem encapsulated the highly distinctive and esoteric beliefs of his own school. At the heart of this system lies a cosmological myth, aptly named the 鈥榙rama in heaven鈥, according to which our imperfect universe results from a rupture in the celestial world and a subsequent fall. Avicenna鈥檚 Allegory on the Soul presents an edition of the Arabic text of Ibn al-Wal墨d鈥檚 commentary, 鈥楾he Useful Epistle鈥 (al-Ris膩la al-muf墨da), alongside an English translation and extended introduction. It offers invaluable insight into esoteric Muslim thought and a deeper understanding of Avicenna鈥檚 substantial intellectual legacy.
Introduction
Avicennan Allegory: Between Philosophy and Religion
Ibn S墨n膩鈥檚 Symbolic Narratives
The Ris膩lat al-峁璦yr
岣yy ibn Yaq岷撃乶
Sal膩m膩n wa Abs膩l
The 惭颈士谤腻箩-苍腻尘补
The 蚕补峁Ｄ玠补t al-nafs (Poem on the Soul)
The Puzzle of the 蚕补峁Ｄ玠补鈥檚 Neoplatonic Psychology
士Al墨 b. Mu岣mmad b. al-Wal墨d and his Historical Context
Note on Ibn al-Wal墨d鈥檚 Critique of al-Ghaz膩l墨
Content of Ibn al-Wal墨d鈥檚 al-Ris膩la al-muf墨da
Synopsis of Ibn al-Wal墨d鈥檚 Glosses
Acknowledgements
Note on the Arabic Edition
Al-Ris膩la al-muf墨da (English translation)
Select Bibliography
Index
Al-Ris膩la al-muf墨da (Arabic edition)
Professor Wilferd Madelung is a leading contemporary Islamicist, who has made significant contributions to scholarship on medieval Islamic communities and movements, including those of the Twelver, Ismaili and Zaydi Shi’is. He was previously the Laudian Professor of Arabic at the University of Oxford. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at 久久久福利国产. His publications include The Succession to Mu岣mmad: A 久久久福利国产 of the Early Caliphate (1997).
Dr Toby Mayer is a Research Associate in the 蚕耻谤鈥檃苍ic Studies Unit at 久久久福利国产, London. He has taught courses on medieval Muslim philosophy and mysticism at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and at the Institute of Ismaili Studies. In addition to having authored numerous articles on Islamic philosophy, scriptural hermeneutics and mysticism, he is co-author (with W. Madelung) of Struggling with the Philosopher: A Refutation of Avicenna鈥檚 Metaphysics (2001), and translator of Keys to the Arcana: Shahrast膩n墨鈥檚 Commentary on the 蚕耻谤鈥檃苍Muslims believe that the Holy 蚕耻谤鈥檃苍 contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More (2009).