A Comparative Analysis of the Levels of Time in the Quran, Islamic Philosophy, and Mysticism: With Emphasis on the Ontological, Educational, and Intuitive Structure of Time
Soghrā Rādān, Seyyed Mousa Hashemi Tonekaboni
Pahlavi Medical Journal April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.66224/erfan.17.2.58 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that the Quran, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic mysticism each articulate hierarchical levels of time, and proposes a four-layered model that adds the Hal-e Arfani (mystical moment) to Zaman, Dahr, and Sarmad. The author contends that this model clarifies resurrection (Qiyamah) and eschatology (Ma'ad) and offers practical guidance for the spiritual wayfarer (salik). |
Abstract
Time occupies a foundational position in the Quran, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic mysticism, and within each tradition it has been analyzed through hierarchical levels such as Zaman (sequential time), Dahr (perpetual time), and Sarmad (eternity).While various Islamic thinkers have proposed classifications of these levels, a precise mapping of Quranic concepts onto their philosophical and mystical counterparts has received insufficient scholarly attention.This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of the three principal levels of time across the Quran, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic mysticism, addressing the question of how the temporal structure of the Quran corresponds to its philosophical and intuitive counterparts.The research employs an analytical-comparative methodology grounded in the conceptual analysis of Quranic verses.The findings demonstrate that a profound understanding of the levels of time can reveal new ontological, educational, and intuitive dimensions of human existence.In the Quran, the "present moment" is presented as the pivotal axis of spiritual wayfaring and human moral development; in Islamic philosophy, time is intrinsically linked to motion and the gradations of being; and in mysticism, the Hal-e Arfani (mystical moment) constitutes a fourth dimension of spiritual experience.The principal contribution of this study is the formulation of a four-layered model of temporal levels that, beyond theoretical analysis, carries practical and spiritual implications.The findings further indicate that knowledge of these levels not only provides a more precise understanding of resurrection (Qiyamah) and eschatology (Ma'ad), but also guides the spiritual wayfarer (salik) in orienting their path of inner wayfaring and intuitive realization.
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 |