Illuminationism is a doctrine in theology according to which the process of human thought needs to be aided by God. It is the oldest and most influential alternative to naturalism in the theory of mind and epistemology.^[1] It was an important feature of ancient Greek philosophy, Neoplatonism, medieval philosophy, and in particular, the Illuminationist school of Persian Islamic philosophy.

Early history[link]

Socrates

Socrates says in The Apology that he had a divine or spiritual sign that began when he was a child. It was a voice that turned him away from something he was about to do, although it never encouraged him to do anything. Apuleius later suggested the voice was of a friendly demon ^[2] and that Socrates deserved this help as he was the most perfect of human beings.

The early Christian philosopher Augustine (354 – 430) also emphasised the role of divine illumination in our thought, saying that "The mind needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth, because it is not itself the nature of truth. You will light my lamp, Lord ^[3] and "You hear nothing true from me which you have not first told me.^[4] Augustine's version of illuminationism is not that God gives us certain information, but rather gives us insight into the truth of the information we received for ourselves.

If we both see that what you say is true, and we both see that what I say is true, then where do we see that? Not I in you, nor you in me, but both of us in that unalterable truth that is above our minds.^[5]

Augustine

Augustine's theory was defended by Christian philosophers of the later Middle Ages, particularly Franciscans such as Bonaventura and Matthew of Aquasparta. According to Bonaventura:

Things have existence in the mind, in their own nature (proprio genere), and in the eternal art. So the truth of things as they are in the mind or in their own nature – given that both are changeable – is sufficient for the soul to have certain knowledge only if the soul somehow reaches things as they are in the eternal art.^[6]

The doctrine was criticised by John Pecham and Roger Marston, and in particular by Thomas Aquinas, who denied that in this life we have divine ideas as an object of thought, and that divine illumination is sufficient on its own, without the senses. Aquinas also denied that there is a special continuing divine influence on human thought. People have sufficient capacity for thought on their own, without needing "new illumination added onto their natural illumination".^[7]

The theory was defended by Henry of Ghent. Henry argued against Aquinas that Aristotle's theory of abstraction is not enough to explain how we can acquire infallible knowledge of the truth, and must be supplemented by divine illumination. A thing has two exemplars against which it can be compared. The first is a created exemplar which exists in the soul. The second is an exemplar which exists outside the soul, and which is uncreated and eternal. But no comparison to a created exemplar can give us infallible truth. Since the dignify of man requires that we can acquire such truth, it follows that we have access to the examplar in the divine mind.^[8]

Henry's defence of illuminationism was strongly criticised by the Franciscan theologian Duns Scotus, who argued that Henry's version of the theory led to scepticism.

Iranian school of Illuminationism[link]

Influenced by Avicennism and Neoplatonism, the Kurdish^{[9][10][11][12]} or Persian^[13] philosopher Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi (1155–1191) founded the school of Illumination. He developed a version of illuminationism (Arabic: حكمة الإشراق ḥikmat al-ishrāq, Persian حكمت اشراق hikmat-i ishrāq). The Persian and Islamic school draws on Avicennism (Ibn Sina’s early Islamic philosophy), Neoplatonic thought (modified by Ibn Sina), ancient Iranian philosophical disciplines, and the original ideas of Suhrawardi.

In his Philosophy of Illumination, Suhrawardi argued that light operates at all levels and hierarchies of reality (PI, 97.7–98.11). Light produces immaterial and substantial lights, including immaterial intellects (angels), human and animal souls, and even 'dusky substances', such as bodies.^[14]

Suhrawardi's metaphysics is based on two principles. The first is a form of the principle of sufficient reason. The second principle is Aristotle's principle that an actual infinity is impossible.^[15]

None of Suhrawardi's works were translated into Latin, and so he remained unknown in the Latin West, although his work continued to be studied in the Islamic East.

See also[link]

• Augustine
• Henry of Ghent
• Duns Scotus
• Iranian philosophy
• Early Islamic philosophy
• Light (theology)
• Mulla Sadra
• Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination by Mehdi Amin Razavi
• Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Augustine Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Duns Scotus Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• suhrawardi Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Illuminationist philosophy

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Danish Wikipedia. (September 2011) Don't speak Danish? Click here to read a machine-translated version of the Danish article. Click [show] on the right to review important translation instructions before translating. Google's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. After translating, {{Translated|da|Bilal Philips}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Philips in August 2010
Born	Dennis Bradley Philips (1946-01-06) 6 January 1946 (age 66) Kingston, Jamaica
Education	B.A. Islamic Studies, M.A. Aqeedah, & PhD Islamic Theology
Alma mater	B.A. - Islamic University of Medina, M.A. - King Saud University, & PhD - University of Wales
Occupation	Islamic preacher
Years active	1971-present
Religion	Islam
Website
www.bilalphilips.com

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (born Dennis Bradley Philips on 6 January 1946 in Jamaica) is a contemporary Islamic scholar, teacher, speaker, and author, resident in Qatar.^[1][2] He appears on Peace TV, which is a 24-hour Islamic satellite TV channel broadcasting to many countries around the world.

Biography[link]

Education[link]

Philips was born on 6 January 1946^[3] in Jamaica, but grew up in Canada, where he converted to Islam in 1972. He received his B.A. degree from the Islamic University of Medina and his M.A. in Aqeedah (Islamic Theology) from the King Saud University in Riyadh, then to the University of Wales, where he completed a PhD in Islamic Theology in the early 1990s.^[4] Philips comes from a family of educators, as both his parents were teachers and his grandfather was a Christian minister and Bible scholar.^[5]

Islamic Information Center[link]

In 1994 he founded (and continues to direct) an Islamic Information Center, now known as Discover Islam, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.^[5]

Islamic Online University[link]

The Islamic Online University has been founded by Dr. Bilal Philips as a completely tuition-free institution that is offering an online intensive, undergraduate, and graduate courses in Islamic Studies. The university offers a four year bachelor of arts degree in Islamic studies program.^[6]

The IOU was initially launched in 2001 from UAE with an offering of a few short courses. After a five year interlude, it was restarted in 2007 from Qatar with a greater offering of completely free short courses.^[7]

Controversies[link]

According to Steven Emerson, Executive Director of Investigative Project on Terrorism, he follows a strong anti-Western agenda and is connected to radical and terrorist Islamists.^[8] Bilal has made statements against suicide bombing and other terrorist tactics as un-Islamic. He has also suggested that once violent conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims can be better solved with education.^[9]

Bilal Philips (left) and Pierre Vogel speaking on a rally in Frankfurt in 2003.

In an interview given, Philips accused the Australian authorities of "blindly following American allegations and unsubstantiated false accusations" claiming that investigations in the UK, Canada and Australia had found no evidence that he was in any way connected with terrorism.^[2] In this interview, he also pointed out that he had not entered the USA since 1995, characterizing media claims that he had been deported in 2004 as an "outright lie". Philips also called the statement that he was an "unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing "really a joke", claiming that it was based on a "supposedly leaked report" of over 100 prominent Muslims who were never charged. In April 2011 he has been banned from re-entering Germany as persona non grata.^[10]

At a conference in Toronto during the city's Pride Parade on July 3, 2011, Philips briefly reiterated his view that homosexuals caught in the act should be executed in countries governed by Islamic law.^[11]

Publications[link]

Books[link]

• Fundamentals of TAWHEED (Islamic Monotheism) International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 9960-9648-0-9^[12]
• The Evolution of Fiqh (Islamic Law & The Madh-habs) International Islamic Publishing House (Edited by Bradley Philips); ISBN 9960-672-86-7^[13]
• True Message of Jesus Christ Islamic Book Services 2006; ISBN 81-7231-360-8^[14]
• Purpose of Creation 84pp, Islamic Book Services 2002; ISBN 81-7231-358-6^[15]
• Funeral Rites International Islamic Publishing House; ASIN 9960850846^[16]
• Polygamy in Islam Islamic Book Services; ISBN 81-7231-715-8^[17]
• Islamic Studies Al-Basheer 2002; ISBN 1-898649-19-7^[18]

Videos[link]

• Sundry videos at LightUponLight.com

See also[link]

• List of Da'ees
• Dawah
• Islam in Canada
• Zakir Naik
• Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
• Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bilal Philips' official website
• Bilal Philips' Blog
• Bilal Philips audio and video lectures
• Interview with Bilal Philips on Famous Muslims
• Lecture: Hardening of the Heart
• Bilal Philips' Islamic Online University

Zulfiqar Ahmed (born November 22, 1926, Lahore, Punjab, died Lahore, October 3, 2008^[1]) was a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1952 to 1956. He was educated at Islamia College Lahore.

He was primarily an off-spin bowler, but was also a very useful late-order batsman. His finest hour was when he took 11 for 79 in the match in a Test against New Zealand in Karachi in 1955.

References[link]

This biographical article related to Pakistani cricket is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since July 2011. It includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Tagged since September 2011. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since September 2011.

Maulana Tariq Jameel (Urdu: مولانا طارق جمیل) (born 1953) is an Islamic scholar from Pakistan.^[1] His native town is Tulambah near Mian Channu. His father was an agriculturist who belonged to the Muslim Rajputs community.^{[citation needed]}

Tariq Jameel was born and raised in Mian Channu. In his childhood he lived a relatively modest life but religion was not a major part of his life and his family in particular. It wasn't until he pursued his M.B.B.S. in Lahore that his focus shifted towards Islam. After completing his Higher Secondary School education (a.k.a. F.Sc in some regions of Pakistan) in pre-medical (equivalent to A 'levels') from Government College, Lahore, he took admission in King Edward Medical College in Lahore. He intended to do his M.B.B.S., but he soon switched to Islamic education. He then went on to receive Islamic education from Jamia Arabia, Raiwind (near Lahore), Pakistan where he studied Quran, Hadith, Sharia, Tasawwuf, logic and Fiqh.^{[citation needed]}

Transition towards Islam[link]

His proclivity towards Islam grew during hostel life in Lahore and can mainly be attributed to the group members of Tablighi Jamaat who he became friends with during his college life.^{[citation needed]}

Rise to prominence[link]

He has a simple style of elaborating the purpose of human life and its creation and often uses scientific examples to support his argument. He has delivered lectures to all types of communities in the society with the attendees being doctors, engineers, professors, businessmen, landlords, government officials, TV/film artists, ministers/politicians and sports celebrities.^{[citation needed]}

Islamic teachings[link]

Tariq Jameel’s lectures incorporate a wide range of issues of Islam and social concern. He especially emphasizes on self-purification, avoidance of violent ways, observance of Allah’s orders and to follow the Prophet [[Muhammad PBUH's sunnah. He is a staunch critic of moral degeneration, indecent practices and shamelessness.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

Maulana Tariq Jameel Latest Bayan

External links[link]

• Maulana Tariq Jameel Video Bayan
• Maulana Tariq Jameel (Also Molana Tariq Jamil) Urdu MP3 Islamic Lectures Bayans
• Latest Lectures of Maulana Tariq Jameel from in HQ MP3 Format
• A complete list of all of Maulana Tariq Jamils speeches. Over 1250 Lectures
• Tariq Jamil Web Site

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since June 2010. It may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable information. Tagged since June 2010.

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (March 2012)

Ashraf Ali Thanwi

Born	(1863-08-19)19 August 1863
Died	July 4, 1943(1943-07-04) (aged 79)
Era	Modern era
Region	Islamic scholar
Main interests	Fiqh, hadith, tassawuf

Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi (August 19, 1863 – July 4, 1943) (Urdu: اشرف علی تھانوی) was an Indian Deoband deobandi Hanafi scholar of the Deobandi school.

Education[link]

Thanwi graduated from the Darul Uloom Deoband in 1884.It is claimed that when Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, one of the founders of the institution, arrived for the graduation ceremony, Maulana Mehmud Hasan informed him Thanwi, an especially intelligent student was about to graduate. Gangohi wanted to test this student by asking the most difficult questions that he could think of. Thanwi's answers reportedly amazed and pleased Gangohi, who himself conducted the Dastārbandī Jalsa, the turban-tying ceremony marking graduation.

Spiritual training[link]

During his studies at Darul Uloom Deoband, Thanwi asked Gangohi to train him in the spiritual disciplines as well. Gangohi, however, advised him to wait until the completion of his traditional studies. Thanwi remained restless and looked for a way to ask Haji Imdadullah Muhaajir Makki, the spiritual guide of Gangohi, to recommend him to Gangohi. When Gangohi departed for Hajj, Thanwi sent a letter with him to Imdadullah, requesting him to persuade Gangohi to initiate him into his spiritual order (tariqah).

Career[link]

After his graduation, Thanwi taught religious sciences in Kanpur for fourteen years. Over a short period of time, he acquired a reputable position as a religious scholar, of Sufism among other subjects.^[1] His teaching attracted numerous students and his research and publications became well known in Islamic institutions. During these years, he traveled to various cities and villages, delivering lectures in the hope of reforming people. Printed versions of his lectures and discourses would usually become available shortly after these tours. Until then, few Islamic scholars had had their lectures printed and widely circulated in their own lifetimes. The desire to reform the masses intensified in him during his stay at Kanpur.

Eventually, Thanwi retired from teaching and devoted himself to reestablishing the spiritual centre (khānqāh) of his shaikh in Thāna Bhāwan. Upon this transition, Imdadullah remarked, "It is good that you have arrived in Thāna Bhāwan. It is hoped that people will benefit from you spiritually and physically. You should engage yourself in revitalizing our madrasah and khānqāh once more in Thāna Bhāwan. As for myself, I am always praying for you and attentive towards you."^{[citation needed]}

Students and disciples[link]

Thanwi’s students and disciples constitute a generation of leading scholars of South Asia. Ashraf Ali Thanwi's disciples settled in all parts of South Asia. Among his disciples are:

• Abdul Hai Arifi
• Molana Zafar Ahmed Usmani
• Qari Muhammad Tayyib Qasimi, grandson of the founder of Dar al- ‘Ulum Deoband, Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi, and head principal of Dar al- ‘Ulum Deoband for over 50 years, from the early 1930s to the early 1980s
• Muhammad Maseehullah Khan Sherwani (founder of Madrasa Miftah al- ‘Ulum in Jalalabad, India, and a leading spiritual figure of the past century)
• Muhammad Shafi, head mufti of Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband and later founder of Dar al-‘Ulum Karachi
• Abdul Bari Nadvi (renowned theologian and philosopher in India who taught modern philosophy at Osmania University in Hyderabad and translated the books of Western philosophers such as Descartes, into Urdu and left behind many literary tracts)
• Allamah Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, researcher and student of Shibli Nu ‘mani who turned to Thanwi for spiritual reformation
• Molana Faqir Muhammed, Peshawar, Pakistan
• Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi Rehmatullahialai (founder of the Tablighi Jammat Movement)
• Qazi abdusalam of nowshera
• Hafiz Tanweer Ahmed Khan Khalifa Majaz Molana Muhammed Masihulah Khan, Hyderabad, Pakistan
• Mulana Abraruhaq Hardoi, last and youngest caliph of Ashraf Ali Thanvi who founded Ashraful Madaris Hardoi and lead the movement of Dawatul Haq, founded by Ashraf Ali Thanvi
• khawja Aziz ul Hassan Majzuoob
• Syed Inayat Ali Shah Gujranwala, Pakistan Wrote a Book Bagh-e-Jannat

Literary contribution[link]

Ashraf Ali Thanwi was a prolific author. His literary contributions are in the order of eight hundred to one thousand in number, including sermons, discussions, discourses, treatises, and books. Syed Sulaiman Nadvi said, "Hazrat [Ashraf 'Alī Thānwī] was a translator and exegete (mufassir) of the Quran; he explained its injunctions and wisdoms. He removed doubts and answered questions pertaining to it." Thānwī was a scholar of hadīth (muhaddith) as well, and expounded its intricacies and subtleties. He was a jurist (faqīh) who issued thousands of legal rulings (fatwa) and addressed numerous legal problems in contemporary issues in Islamic law (fiqh). He was described as a moving orator (khatib) and hundreds of his speeches have been published and widely circulated.

Quran recitation[link]

While teaching in Kanpur, Thanwi was reported to have seen `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas, the cousin of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, in a dream. In this dream, he indicated to him that tafsir should become his primary task. Sayyid Sulaimān Nadwi said:

He not only memorized the words of the Quran but also memorized the deeper significance of these words. He was an exceptional reciter (qari) of the Quran, who had mastered the art of recitation. The uniqueness of his recitation of the Quran was such that each letter was uttered from its proper place of pronunciation (makhraj). There was no imitation or overly exertive effort to make his voice melodious. He would rather recite in his normal voice, which was full of inspiration and absorbed in reflection.^{[citation needed]}

Discourses[link]

The propagation of Islam was an essential part of Thānwī’s life. He would be highly organized and would plan his tours well in advance. Thousands of people would attend his lectures, which usually lasted between two and five hours. Once he visited Gajner, a village in the Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, when the Arya Samaj had started to preach Hinduism among the Muslims of that area. Thanwi was able to persuade the Muslims there to promise that they would not commit "apostasy" by converting. To prevent the spread of apostasy, he wrote the treatise, Al-Insidād li-Fitnat-il Irtidād ("Putting a Stop to the Temptation of Apostasy").

Opposition to Barelvi practices[link]

Thanwi opposed a wide variety of religious practices in South Asia, which he saw as bidah, unacceptable innovation within Islam. These practices, often derived from Sufism, were common among the Sunni Muslims of India, specially the Barelvis. Ashraf Ali Thanwi wrote a number of books that dealt with this subject. One such, Hifzul Imān ("Protecting Faith"), denounced such common acts as worshipping at tombs, asking for intercession from other than God, and believing in the omnipresence of Muhammad and Muslim saints.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Fatwa of kufr and its refutation

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (March 2012)

Ahmad Raza Khan issued a fatwa of kufr against Thanwi.^[2] .^{[3] [4] [5]} Deobandi scholars refuted this allegation in the book al-Muhannad ‘ala l-Mufannad ("The Sword against the Disproved"),^[6] authored by hadith scholar Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri.^[7]

Views on politics[link]

Ashraf Ali Thanwi argued, using mainly verses of the Quran, that political rule is only a means of instituting Islam in people's lives and not the purpose of life itself. All modern political notions that contradict the Quran and Hadith would have to be forsaken, and the "pure" political thought reflected in Quranic sources should guide Muslims in organizing and structuring their governments.^{[citation needed]} He was the Murshid of Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani and Mufti Muhammad Shafi who supported Mohammad Ali Jinnah during Pakistan movement

Death[link]

Thanwi died in Thāna Bhāwan on July 4, 1943. His funeral prayer was led by his nephew, Zafar Ahmad Uthmānī, and he was buried in the graveyard of 'Ishq-e-Bāzān.

Desecration of Grave[link]

On December 17, 2006 the graves of Ashraf Ali Thanwi and three others were leveled and desecrated in Thana Bhawan, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.^[8][why?]

See also[link]

• Deobandi
• Bahishti Zewar
• Shah Waliullah
• Mufti Muhammad Shafi
• Muhammad Taqi Usmani
• Muhammad Rafi Usmani

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Zaman, Muhammad Qasim, Ashraf `Ali Thanawi: Islam in Modern South Asia (Makers of the Muslim World), Oneworld, 2007.

External links[link]

• A Short Bio on Ashraf Ali Thanwi at Haqislam.org
• Collection of Ashraf Ali Thanwi in PDF-format
• [1] themajlis.co.za Muhannad