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)
Study at a glance
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.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |