Publication – English
The Days of Creation in the Thought of Nasir Khusraw
Nasir Khusraw: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, 2005
Abstract:
The notion of the days of creation, culminating in the hallowed seventh day, or Sabbath, is found in all three Abrahamic faiths. While some believers held to a literal understanding of these days, others insisted that the doctrine had profound esoteric import. In the Islamic tradition, those who championed the role of intellect in understanding faith and scripture advocated the use of symbolic interpretation (ta’wil). The Arabic word ta’wil means to cause something to return to its origin or source. Among the most ardent advocates of symbolic interpretation were the Ismailis, one of the two major branches of Shi’i Islam. This article explores how Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw, the famous Persian poet and Ismaili dignitary, understood the days of creation and their relationship to a hierarchy of religion (hudud-i din) who led believers to ultimate salvation.
Cite this publication:
Virani, Shafique N. “The Days of Creation in the Thought of Nasir Khusraw.” In Nasir Khusraw: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Edited by Sarfaroz Niyozov and Ramazan Nazariev, 74-83. Khujand, Tajikistan: Noshir Publishing House for Institute of IsmailiStudies and Academy of Sciences of Republic of Tajikistan, 2005.
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