Published in 1969, Knowing the Spirit (Marefat ol-Rouh) is the culmination of Ostad Elahi's extensive theological and philosophical research, as well as his profound exploration of the various dimensions of the human spirit. Considered to be among his theoretical works, its publication in the second half of the 20th century suggests that Ostad Elahi was seeking to revive the discursive tradition of philosophical-theological discourse. Yet the purpose of the book reaches far beyond such theoretical discussions. Using logical argumentation and the customary methodology of the metaphysical tradition in which he was fully versed, Ostad Elahi links Neoplatonism to Avicenna and Mulla Sadra and integrates the findings of his own research and intuitive discoveries with those theoretical and logical discourses. Ostad Elahi's accounts derive from his inner experiences, which are afforded the same validity as rational argumentation in the Islamic tradition and are known as kashf or "unveiling": the intuitive and concrete perception of intelligible or invisible realities.
The originality of Knowing the Spirit results from a dual structure that combines logic and rational argumentation with revelation and spiritual knowledge: in the former, Ostad Elahi's intellectual argumentation implicitly points to the limits of a purely rational and philosophical discourse, whereas the latter opens up such limited discourse to broad spiritual horizons on the soul's process of perfection.
As indicated by its title, Knowing the Spirit addresses questions pertaining to the spirit, such as proof of its existence and immortality, while setting forth the different stages the soul must traverse throughout the course of its successive lives before reaching its ultimate destination, which is perfection. The book also covers other topics, including the existence of God, the intermediate world (interworld), and eschatological matters such as the Return and Resurrection. Ostad Elahi presents the various positions and arguments traditionally associated with each of these topics, refuting several of them in the process, especially the theory of transmigration.
Among these various discussions, chapter seven merits special consideration as it constitutes the very heart of this work. Here, Ostad Elahi presents a precise commentary on the general doctrine of perfection and the various modalities of the spirit's process of perfection, as well as a novel description of the intermediate world and the modes of the spirit's existence in that spiritual environment. It is also in this chapter that Ostad Elahi discusses the cycle of ascending successive lives within the framework of the conditions governing the spirit's process of perfection both in this world and the next.
Through his description of the principle of successive lives, Ostad Elahi presents another fundamental concept within his system of thought, as it is on the basis of this principle that he sets forth logical explanations for the apparent injustices that are perceived in the world. The principle of successive lives poses a challenge, however, for on the one hand it is not accepted by all religious orthodoxy, and on the other it has been conflated with certain aspects of transmigration theory that contradict the philosophy of the process of perfection.
Ostad Elahi also examines the metaphysical constitution of human beings and describes the role of the terrestrial and celestial spirits in the process of perfection and the manner of their interaction with one another.
Throughout this work, the use of rational, religious, and intuitive arguments both in parallel and in conjunction with one another results in a discourse that is philosophical within the Greek sense of the word, while at the same time retaining a strong connection to the spiritual discourse rooted in the religious traditions. One of the goals of Knowing the Spirit is to demonstrate that the theory of the process of perfection is not only compatible with the principles of the divine religions, but that it can also be considered as the logical outcome of these very principles.
Excerpts from Knowing the Spirit |
