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Traces Of Mysticism In ibn Sina’s Thought

Dani Ramdani, Amsal Bakhtiar

JAQFI. Jurnal aqidah dan filsafat islam June 17, 2025 DOI: 10.15575/jaqfi.v10i1.46016 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative Peer reviewed
Topics Mysticism
Key points Argues that Ibn Sina's philosophical system, though rooted in rationalism, contains genuine mystical elements such as divine love, the gnostic (al-arif), human connection with God (al-wushul), and the doctrine of happiness. Contends that his thought represents a harmonious synthesis of rationality and spirituality, opening space for dialogue between philosophy and Sufism in the Islamic intellectual tradition.

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the dimension of mysticism in Ibn Sina’s system of thought-an Islamic rationalist thinker who in several of his works shows deep spiritual-mystical tendencies. Using the approach of falsafi Sufism and a qualitative method based on literature study, this article examines major works such as Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat, Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Risalah fi Mahiyyah al-Shalat and Risalah fi Mahiyyah al-’Ishq. The results show that although Ibn Sina was not a Sufi in the traditional sense, his thought contains traces and elements of typical philosophical mysticism, such as the doctrine of divine love, gnostic (al-arif), human connection with God (al-wushul), the doctrine of happiness, and so on. In conclusion, Ibn Sina’s system of thought is a harmonious synthesis between rationality and spirituality, between logic and intuition. Hence, these findings open a new space for dialogue between philosophy and Sufism in the Islamic intellectual tradition.