Analysis of Interpretive Approaches to Suhrawardi’s Allegorical Tales from the Perspective of the Relationship Between Story and Truth

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the status of Suhrawardi’s symbolic tales within his philosophical system from the standpoint of four major interpreters. Using a descriptive–analytical and critical approach, the research seeks to analyze the position of allegorical narratives in Suhrawardi’s intellectual framework based on fundamental concepts in Islamic philosophy and Illuminationist wisdom (ḥikmat al-ishrāq). The study explores the interpretive intent behind Suhrawardi’s adoption of an artistic form—namely the story—as a medium for expressing his philosophical and mystical ideas. Various views have been proposed regarding the role of the tale in Suhrawardi’s philosophy: some thinkers regard these tales as mere disguised expressions of his philosophical system; others interpret them as distinct mystical phenomena; while still others consider them purely artistic and independent of his philosophy. In this study, the views of four prominent Suhrawardi scholars—Dīnānī, Nasr, Corbin, and Pournamdarian—are philosophically analyzed and examined concerning the relationship between truth and story in Suhrawardi’s allegorical narratives. The findings indicate that each of these four interpreters, according to his own intellectual horizon, presents a unique explanation of the relationship between story and truth in Illuminationist wisdom. Dīnānī perceives the story as a symbolic and rational manifestation of Illuminationist philosophy; Nasr interprets it as a symbolic language for conveying mystical knowledge and sacred truth; Corbin views it as the epiphany and manifestation of truth in the imaginal (mithālī) level of existence; and Pournamdarian regards the tale as an artistic experience and literary expression of the philosopher’s inner journey. Ultimately, the perspective of this research aligns with Corbin’s interpretation—namely, that Suhrawardi’s symbolic stories are not rational representations of truth but rather its very manifestation within the realm of imagination and allegorical language. From this viewpoint, symbolism in Suhrawardi’s works is not merely a means of explanation but the very event of the manifestation of meaning itself.