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 Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

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 Sufism ( or ) is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, and asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as "Sufis" (from , ), and ...

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 The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...

Sufi order,

Abdul Qadir Gilani Abdul Qadir Gilani (; ; c. 1077/78 – 1166) was a Hanbali scholar, preacher, and Sufi leader who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders. He was born c. 1077/78 in the town of Na'if, Rezvanshahr in Gilan, Persia, ...

''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

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

dua In Islam, ( , plural: ' ) is a prayer of invocation, supplication or request, asking help or assistance from God. Duʿāʾ is an integral aspect of Islamic worship and spirituality, serving as a direct line of communication betwe ...

s (prayers) taught by the

Twelve Imams The Twelve Imams (, '; , ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi. According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemp ...

, 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 Usulism () is the majority school of Twelver Shia Islam in opposition to the minority Akhbarism. The Usulis favor the use of (reasoning) in the creation of new rules of jurisprudence; in assessing hadith to exclude traditions they believe u ...

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 Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani () (24 August 1916 – 17 May 2009) was an Iranian Twelver Shia Marja'. Biography Ayatullah Mohammad-Taqi was born on 24 August 1916 in the Fouman, Gilan province in the north of Iran. Mohammad's ...

Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli Hasan Hasanzade Amoli (: 10 February, 1927 – 25 September, 2021) was an Iranian Schools of Islamic theology#Shia schools of theology, Shi'ite theologian known for his Mysticism, mystical tendencies and Islamic philosophy. He was among clerics w ...

, and

Ali Tabatabaei Ali Qazi Tabatabai, also known as "Allamah Qadi" and "Ayatollah Qazi" (1866–1947 CE; 1285–1366 AH), was an Iranian Ulama, alim (Islamic scholar) and mystic. He was the son of Husseyn and was born in Tabriz, Iran. He was born on 29 April 1866 ...

References

External links

"Sufism of Iran" - A Reference website for Sufi books

Articles related to Irfan on Al-Islam.org
{{Authority control Islamic mysticism Shia Islam Islamic terminology

Sunni mysticism

Shi'ite mysticism

See also

References

External links