In
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, irfan (
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
/
Persian/
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
: ; ), literally 'knowledge, awareness, wisdom', is a concept in
Islamic mysticism akin to
gnosis
Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where ...
, or spiritual knowledge.
Sunni mysticism
According to the founder of the
Qadiriyya Sufi order,
Abdul Qadir Gilani ''irfan'' is the acknowledgement of God's unity. This acceptance is achieved by studying under
Islamic scholars
In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam.
"Ulama ...
who give insight on the internal meanings of Islamic rituals, such as the
salah
''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as ''rak'ah'', include a specific s ...
. Reflection upon the practice of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
with the guidance of respected Islamic scholars is a form of "nearness to God".
Shi'ite mysticism
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani (; born 4 August 1930) is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza of Najaf in Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims. After the invasion of ...
defines true ''irfan'' as the practice of reciting prescribed
duas (prayers) taught by the
Twelve Imams, praying the
night prayer, and seeking God's pleasure through
mustahabb
''Mustahabb'' () is an Islamic term referring to an action or thing that is recommended and favoured.
''Mustahabb'' actions are those whose ruling ('' ahkam'') in Islamic law falls between '' mubah'' (neutral; neither encouraged nor discouraged ...
(recommended) actions.
Among the best-known modern Shia proponents of ''irfan'' were
Usuli theologians
Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (; 16 March 1903 – 15 November 1981) was an Iranian scholar, theorist, philosopher and one of the most prominent thinkers of modern Shia Islam. He is perhaps best known for his '' Tafsir al-Mizan'', a twenty-seven-vol ...
,
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...
,
Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani,
Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli, and
Ali Tabatabaei.
See also
*
Hikmah
*
Irfan (name)
*
Ma'rifa
*
Hikmat al-Muta’aliyah
References
External links
"Sufism of Iran" - A Reference website for Sufi booksArticles related to Irfan on Al-Islam.org
{{Authority control
Islamic mysticism
Shia Islam
Islamic terminology