UDK 26-282.5
Author
Shafique N. Virani
Summary
The notion of the days of creation, culminating in the hallowed seventh day, or Sabbath, is found in all three Abrahamic faiths. While some believers held to a literal understanding of these days, others insisted that the doctrine had profound esoteric import. In the Islamic tradition, those who championed the role of intellect in understanding faith and scripture advocated the use of symbolic interpretation (taʼwīl). The Arabic word taʼwīl means to cause something to return to its origin or source. Among the most ardent advocates of symbolic interpretation were the Ismailis, one of the two major branches of Shīʻī Islam. This article explores how Ḥakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw, the famous Persian poet and Ismaili dignitary, understood the days of creation and their relationship to a hierarchy of religion (ḥudūd-idīn) who led believers to ultimate salvation.
Key words
Ismaili, Sabbath, taʼwīl, Nasir-i Khusraw, Quran, hermeneutics, creation, time, hierarchy, resurrection
URL: https://www.ibn-sina.net/en/the-days-of-creation-in-the-thought-of-nasir-khusraw/