Abstract

There are a number of people in Islamic communities, including ours, who have a superficial judgment of current philosophical discussions in the world of Islam and consider them as having been originated from Greek philosophy. One of these discussions is related to the issue of emanation or effusion with which Farabi and Ibn Sina agreed. Unfortunately, in spite of all the innovations brought about by these two philosophers concerning the above issue, a great number of teachers of philosophy agree with a Greek origin for the theory of emanation rather than an Islamic one.In this article, the writer firstly deals with the criticisms directed toward the Ibn Sinan theory of emanation, which the llluminationist school of philosophy considers as being justified from the two perspectives of religion and intellect. Secondly, he explores Suhrawardi's theory of emanation and the plan he presents for the spiritual world on the basis of this theory.The innovations of Ibn-Sina were not satisfactory and justified in Suhrawardi's eyes since he believed that the Ibn-Sinan model of emanation could not provide a comprehensive explanation for the world. He also emphasized that Ibn Sina's theory of emanation, in spite of its novelty, led to the spiritual world which possesses ten intellects, each having three intellectual modes. From the view point of Suhrawardi and his followers, the intellectual model designed by Ibn Sina for the spiritual world was not capable of justifying the revealed knowledge. Ibn Sina conjoined his model of the world of intellects in philosophy with the spiritual world in religion and the sacred law through conjoining the "intellect" with the "angel". Nevertheless, the llluminationists hold that there is no conformity or agreement between the picture of the world of invisible as presented by religion and the one presented by the simple Ibn-Sinan model which rightly suits his theory of emanation.Lastly, the writer expounds the llluminationists' theory of emanation, which is discussed at different levels as follows:1. The vertical emanation of lights2. Contemplation, bliss, and illumination3. The combination of accidental lights with directions4. The spiritual participations and new originations5. Suhrawardi's innovations concerning the theory of emanation.