Fakhruddin Iraqi: Divine Flashes (Classics of Western Spirituality (Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: Divine Flashes
Review: Fakhruddin `Iraqi (1213-1289) was already in his time a famous Sufi poet-gnostic, who was particularly gifted in expressing the mysteries of Union in the language of love. He lived during the thirteenth century at the peak of the revival of Islamic spirituality, and was contemporary with such figures as Ibn `Arabi, Jalaluddin Rumi and Shams Tabrizi, Sadruddin Qunawi, Najmuddin Kubra, and Kermani.

`Iraqi may be considered as one of the "fideli d'Amore" of Persian Sufism, gnostics who considered love as the foundation of transcendent awareness, such as Mansur al-Hallaj, Ahmad Ghazzali, `Ayn al-Qodhat Hamdhani, Ruzbihan Baqli, and Shihabuddin Suhrawardi.

"Divine Flashes" is his prose masterpiece, in which he re-wrote, in the language of love, the "Fusus al-Hikam" (lit. "The Seals of the Wisdoms") of Ibn al-`Arabi. Each "Flash" of `Iraqi corresponds with a "Seal of Wisdom" of Ibn al-`Arabi. After his death, `Iraqi was buried, at his request, beside the tomb of Ibn al-`Arabi in Damascus.

Through the "Lama'at" (Divine Flashes), the theoshophy of Ibn al-`Arabi was recreated and integrated into the Persion poetic tradition, and its influence on later poets cannot be overestimated.
Moreover, according to Sadruddin Qunawi, spiritual heir and stepson of Ibn al-`Arabi, " `Iraqi, you have published the secret of men's words. The "Lama'at" is in truth the pith of the "Fusus"!"

I like this text very much, although I had to struggle with this book. I think that the layout could be a little better. I have solved this by doing the following: type out the main text in my computer (while leaving out less important sentences); cut the sentences into a general poetry format. Only then could I more easily go through the text.

"I gaze at the glass which reveals my beauty
and see the universe but an image of that image.
In the paradise of theophany I am the Sun: marvel not
that every atom becomes a vehicle of my manifestation.

"What are the Holy Spirits? - The delegates of my secret;
and the shapes of men? - The vessels of my bodily form.
World-encircling Ocean? - A drop of my overflowing effusion;
purest Light? - But a spark of my illumination."

This book is a must-read, must-own for anyone seriously interested in its subject. I keep returning to it, and should have rated it 5 stars.


Rating:
Summary: a love theory divine
Review: Iraqi chilled with the best of 'em.
a dervish that wandered into the same konya that was home to Rumi. a student of Rumi's friend Sadruddin Qunyawi(disciple to Ibn Arabi). Iraqi's Flashes are the synthesis of Ibn Arabi's metaphysics and the love theory from Ahmed Ghazali's Sawanih(the oldest persian work on sacred love by Abu Hamid Ghazali's younger and more mystical bro). while Chittick's great prose translations may never compare to the beauty of the persian originals, the powerful ideas expressed in the poetry trigger enlightening thoughts and awaken the soul.
so...while Muslim philosophers say technical things like:"GOD IS THE NECESARRY EXISTANT" or "ALL EXISTANCE IS a Manifestation of DIVINE ATTRIBUTES". the poet Iraqi says NOTHING EXISTS BUT LOVE.
You are a LOVER, you just don't know it YET.
The book is smack in the face of all who say Islam is a religion of Hate that believes God as a distant vengeful one to obey out of fear.
peace.

Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Peer To Rumi
Review: Not only was Iraqi a contemporary of Rumi, after reading this I'm convinced he was his equal. The power and allegory of his words shines through every verse, and yet never lose site that they are not nearly as importaant as what they describe. Props to the translator for conveying this masterpiece so well.

Not only is Iraqi's poetry gifted with rare authenticity in the mystical experience, but the rest of the book is a good read too. His biography was highly interesting, and I gained my first glimpse of the Kalandars-- colorfully dressed heretics who thumbed their noses at convention, and travelled around partying and writing in God's name. Punk rock sufis?

Pick this up.