University of Hawai'i Press

Review
Author(s): Isma'il Ragi A. Al Faruqi
Review by: Isma'il Ragi A. Al Faruqi
Source: Philosophy East and West, Vol. 15, No. 3/4 (Jul. - Oct., 1965), pp. 285-288
Published by: University of Hawai'i Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1397066
Accessed: 23-10-2015 02:54 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/
info/about/policies/terms.jsp
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content
in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.
For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

University of Hawai'i Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Philosophy East and West.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 161.139.101.201 on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 02:54:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

BookReviews
Books reviewedhereare limitedto thosein the fieldof Orientaland
comparativephilosophy.Authorsand publishersare encouragedto
booksto the Editor.
sendreviewcopiesof appropriate
THREE MUSLIM SAGES. By Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Harvard Studies in World
Religions, No. 1. Cambridge: Harvard UniversityPress, 1964. Pp. 185, including
bibliography.$3.95.
This work is an enlargementof lecturesthe author deliveredat
the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions in 1961-1962.It consists of
threestudieson Ibn Sini (d. 1037 AC), Suhrawardi (d. 1191 AC), and Ibn 'Arabi
(d. 1240 AC) ; and it is designedto introducethe readerto theirthoughtand place
in the historyof ideas in Islam. Ibn Sini and Ibn 'Arabi's importancefor Muslim
thoughtin general can hardlybe overemphasized.Suhrawardi'sthoughtis certainly
significantin itse'f,but its importanceis limitedto the Shi'ah tradition.Together,
however,the three philosophersconstitutegreat avenues to Muslim learning. The
book is well conceived and well written,and its singleness of purpose integrates
the varietyof the materialsit has presented.
successfullyand significantly
Had the author restrictedhimself to an empirical reportingof these men's
thoughts,to an underliningof such contributionsof theirsas historyand the tradition of Muslim learning have accreditedthem with, this work would have been
instructiveas well as usual. Rather, the author gave a perspectiveof these sages
which presentsthem as landmarksin a developing spiritualitywhich he identified
with Islamic philosophy,withthe Qur'in and the Prophet,with Islam itself.Moreover, this spiritualityturnsout to be a curious mixtureof esotericism,Shi'ism, and
Persian nationalistapologetics.
The author took special care to include, in his firstpages, the systemof transliterationto be followedin the book. However, he chose to violate it consistentlyin
the case of the word "Qur'in," to ignore it in the case of such properadjectives as
" 'Abbisi" and "Umawi" and such proper names as "Ibn Sin&" and "Ibn Rushd."
He misread "ra'i" for "ra'yay" in the titleof one of Al Firibi's mostfamousworks
(p. 15), "!tifiliyah"for ".tufaliyah"in the title of a work by Suhrawardi (p. 59),
"qilqah" for "qaliqah" in the title of a work by Badawl (p. 149), "tilism" for
for
(p. 72), "muti'allihin"for "muta'allihin" (p. 151), and
"ptilasmn"
"wa"
and
he
own
to
the
his
added
or
158),
Qur'inic
"shatah.iyat"
(p.
"shathiyyat"
"shata~ht"
verse "kullu shay'in halikun illJ wajhahu"--28:88 (p. 153). These are not mere
technicalities;the questionmarktheycast upon an Arabist's masteryof the language
is serious. Mr. Nasr changed the Arabicized pronunciationof Bistimi's name to
"Bastimi" on the groundsthatthe name refersto a village in Persia, the name of
which is normallypronouncedin Persia as "Bastm." Besides objecting that this
285

This content downloaded from 161.139.101.201 on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 02:54:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

286

BOOK REVIEWS

the reader
is a rule whichwouldrendermanyArabicizednamesunrecognizable,
mayrejoin: "Tu quoque."Nasr shouldrelearnhow to spellhis own Arabicfirst
he adoptsforthebook
to thestyleof transliteration
and middlenamesto conform
as a whole.
Whateverthereasonsforchoosingthe"ThreeSages," it is theauthor'sconnectionof themwith'All ibnAbi Talib and by thismeansto the Prophetas theadvocatesof Muhammad's"esotericmessage"thatis new in this book. That the
Prophethad sucha messageat all,andthathe passedit on to 'All,andto himalone
as far as the historyof Islamicideas is conconstitute,
amonghis companions,
to
a
the
claim
confined
cerned,
Shi'ah (and notall of themby anymeans),who
in the Islamic streamof men and ideas. This
constitute
a verysmallminority
or evenexamined.
themepervadesthewholebook;butit is nowhereestablished
In orderto fitIbn Sinkintothisscheme,Nasr pleadsthatthe"Islamic... point
is thatoftheSemiticnomad"demandsthatitscosmology
ofviewwhosespirituality
and alphabetological
be interpreted
in numerological
terms(p. 31). That Ibn Sink
of
But to say thatin
one
minor
works
is
in
his
in
this
recognized.
sport
indulged
all his philosophicalendeavor"the masterof Peripateticswas seekingfor an
'Oriental'wisdom"in the sense of "esotericphilosophy"and "illuminationist
intoa concrete
in which"rationalistic
symbolic
languageis transformed
theosophy"
with'Ali ibn
one and where... thetravelerlearnsfromtheGuide.. . identified
Abi Tilib, or theMahdi" (pp. 31, 44-45) is to imputeto themasterthatof which
he was
he couldhave been--andif thegreaterpartof his writingis to be trusted,
Nasr's argument
is thatone couldreadall thisintoIbn Sink's
--utterlyinnocent.
thesecond"Sage" understudy,has well done.Eisegesis,howtext,as Suhrawardi,
a textideasremovedfromitscommon-sense
into
or
ever, reading
meanings--which
butphilosophy--is
is anything
accordingto theilluminationistlegitimate
perfectly
of whichis
schoolto whichour authorbelongsand the propounding
theosophist
and eisegesis,Nasr (not
thereal objectiveof thisbook.In defenseof theosophy
whattheysay,
Ibn Sing) arguesthatlettersand wordsdo notmeannecessarily
initiates(pp.
hidden(ba.tin)whichis knownonlyto theprivileged
butsomething
... such'esoteric'or
that"it was essentially
103-104).The authorthencontinues
'Orientalphilosophy'of Avicennathat had the greatestimportin the Orient"
(p. 50), arguingthatMir Dimid andMull Sadri hadgivenIbn Sin&an illuminathat"gnosishas alwaysbeenheldas
tionistinterpretation
(p. 47), and concluding
in Islam" (p. 51).
thehighestformofknowledge
of "theIslamicartsand sciences,""theintellectual
Thus,forNasr,thetradition
of
"thedoctrines
lifeofIslam,""theOrient,"and "Islam" itselfmean,respectively,
of thehumanintellect
"illumination
bytheangel. . . as
gnosisand illumination,"
wereprothesedoctrines
of gnosisand illumination
gnosis,"Persia or "wherever
fantastic
Such
esotericist
Shi'ism
and
50-51).
and,
studied,"
(pp.
finally,
pounded
to
and theyrestupona lackof sensitivity
claimsstrikethereaderas uninstructed;
thedominant
and ubiquitous
throughout
thinking
problemof Islamicphilosophical
and ratheequivalenceof prophetic
how to establishcritically
theages--namely,
the
of
truth.
demanded
an equivalence
tionalknowledge,
by unity
the subjectof thenextchapter,fitswell intotheauthor'sscheme.
Suhrawardi,
Islamictradition.
to attackthe rationalist
However,Nasr seizes the opportunity
he writes,"did notend in Averroesbut
in its truemeaning,"
"Islamicphilosophy

This content downloaded from 161.139.101.201 on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 02:54:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

BOOK

REVIEWS

287

really commencedafterhis death as the teachings of Suhrawardi began to be disseminatedin the Eastern lands of Islam" (p. 56), that is, in Persia. To this wholesale condemnationof Islamic philosophy,which hardlybelongs in a philosophical
book, Nasr adds an erroneoushistoricaljudgment."$alih al Din," he writes,"had
no choice but to yield to ... the demand . . . of the doctors of the law" against
Suhrawardi in order "to maintainhis authority"(p. 57). This event took place in
587 A.H./1191 A.C., when Saldh al Din was at the apex of power afterhis victory
over the Second Crusade and before the beginning of the Third. Actually, the
"sage" was taken into custodyby Salih al Din's son, the Emir of Aleppo, where
Suhrawardi resided,in protectionfromthe Muslim public which he had infuriated
by his theosophic blasphemies.Finally, in what appears to be an exhibition of
temper,Nasr accuses the historiansof Islamic philosophyof omittingSuhrawardi
fromtheirserious considerationon the groundsthat theyare eitherWesternersor
Muslims educated and influencedby Western scholars (p. 55). The theosophist
natureof Suhrawardi's thoughtand its tangentialstatuswith respectto the Islamic
stream of ideas never occurred to our author as a possible explanation of this
omission.
The third sage is Ibn 'Arabi, the most speculativeMuslim thinker.His thought,
however,is not treatedas Islamic speculation; nor are its many facets given attention. Rather, only one aspect of Ibn 'Arabi's thoughtis elaborated,namely, Sifi
illuminationist
knowledge,and this to bolsterthe author's general thesis regarding
the so-called theosophistand esotericnature of all true Islamic thinking."Silfism,"
he writes,"is an intrinsicaspect of the Islamic revelationof which it is in fact the
heart and inner,or esotericdimension" (p. 83). Siifismwas undeniablya moment
of colossal importancein Islamic development,and its connectionwith Ibn 'Arabi
is all too obvious. But the authordoes not seem to be aware that Islam had other
moments,that the Islamic traditionwaged against Sfifismsome of its greatest
spiritualbattles fromthe age of Al Ghazili to that of Ibn Taymiyyahto modem
times,when the Islamic traditionsucceeded in disentanglingitselfcompletelyfrom
the Silfi clutches, and when Muslim reformerseverywherelaid every cause of
decay, retrogression,and weakness at Sfifism'sdoorstep.The only evidence Nasr
is able to furnishfor the claim that Silfismis the essence of Islam is an identical
assertion by two contemporaryIndian theosophists(p. 156, n. 2). To bring
illuminationisminto relationwith the Prophet,with 'Ali and with the Shi'ah,.Sifi
the
authorwrites: "For a personwho participatesin Sfifism,
the firstand most perfect
was the ProphetMuhammad... and afterhim the representative
par excellence
of
Islamic esotericism,'All ibn Abi Tdlib" (pp. 83, 85). Thus Silfism,esotericism,
.Slfi
and the central tenetof Shi'ism are here imputedto every Sfifias such--a claim
which Ibn 'Arabi himselfwould be the firstto refute.There can be no contention
on the part of anyonethateverySilfi holds the Prophetto be his masterand guide.
Otherwise,he would not be a Muslim. But those Sfifiswho held 'Ali to be the heir
of an occult knowledge received from Mulhammadare only a group within the
Shi'ah minority.The overwhelmingnumberof Silfis in historyhave held 'Ali to
be no such heir at all and have held that Muhammad had no such secretknowledge
to give. The traditionhas establishedthe Prophet's career as public,and his revelation, the Qur'in, as equally public. Rather than withdrawalto the monk's cell, the
ecstasy of mysticalunion, or the contemplationof esoteric truths,Muhammad's

This content downloaded from 161.139.101.201 on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 02:54:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

288

BOOK REVIEWS

retreatand mysticalvisionsenthimbackto the roughand tumbleof the market

and vestedhimwiththedutyto warnpublicly,
to
place,of politics,of space-time,
teachand to convincemenrationally,
and to remoldthe universeintothe divine
ofIslam-rationaland practical
Godhadrevealed.It was thisunderstanding
pattern
throughand through-whichthe Prophetinculcatedin the mindsof his comthe
panionsand in pursuitof whichhis followerselaboratedthe law, crystallized
and tookhistoryitselfintotheirownhands.
doctrine,
Our authorhas takeninordinate
Arab or nonpains to show thateverything
either
rational
or
was
best
bestpracnon-occultist,
understood,
preceded,
Shi'ah,
Persian and Shi'ah. We may
ticed,or equalledif not surpassedby something
butits theaterbelongselsewherethanin
applaudthisnascentPersiannationalism;
contribution
to
the
The
of the Islamictradition
studies.
philosophic
understanding
ofthought
is meager.The chargeof "apologetics,"
whichis
whichthisbookoffers
so oftendirectedby Westernscholarsat theirMuslimstudents,
has donemuchto
bentof mind.Nasr standsto benefit
cleansethelatterofthisunfruitful
verymuch
fromthesamekindof advice.The rationalist
whichhe has so flagrantly
tradition
-omitted
fromhisconsideration
words,
maywelladvisehim,in Ibn Rushd'simmortal
willonlyteach."
well
philosophers
preach;
may
"Theologians
ISMA'IL RAGI A. AL FARUQI

SyracuseUniversity

introTHE THREE PILLARS OF ZEN. Compiledand edited,withtranslations,

Huston
Foreword
Smith.
and
ductions, notes,by PhilipKapleau.
by
Tokyo: John
Weatherhill,
Inc.,1965.Pp. 3 + 350.
In his foreword,
ProfessorHustonSmithof M.I.T. calls this"a
remarkable
bookthatis certainto assumea permanent
place in thelibraryof Zen
in Westernlanguages"(p. xiv). To thismaybe addedthatit is also an
literature
excellentbook.It will in timebe rankedwithWilliamJames'sThe Varietiesof
of the religiousand mysticallife.In the
ReligiousExperienceas an exploration
lattercategoryitwillrankhigherthanJames'swork.
The ThreePillars is dividedintothreeparts.Part I centersaboutzazen,Zen
lectureson thistrainIt includesYasutaniR6shi'sintroductory
training.
mind-body
to Zen Buddhismyet
ing, called by Ruth Fuller Sasaki "the best introduction
Part I
this statement.
written"(p. xiv). A readingof theselecturesconfirms
on thekdanmu,his privateinterfurther
YasutaniR6shi'scommentary
includes.
and Bassui's Sermonon One-mindand his lettersto
viewswithten Westerners,
his disciples.
It containseightreportsof experiences
of enlightenPartII is on enlightenment.
lettersof a remarkable
ment,and the enlightenment
youngwomanof the 1930s,
literature.
Yaeko Iwasaki.These lettersare an amazingadditionto mystical
Zen master;the ten
Part III has foursections:D6gen,the thirteenth-century
of zazen postures;and noteson Zen vocabulary
ox-herding
pictures;illustrations
and Buddhistdoctrine.

This content downloaded from 161.139.101.201 on Fri, 23 Oct 2015 02:54:43 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions