The Lamp of Mysteries

(Misbah al-Asrar)

A Commentary on the Light Verse of the Quran by Isma'il Anqarawi

Arabic text critically edited, translated,
and annotated by Bilal Kuspinar

"Wherever we set foot, it was Your street.
     Whatever corner we turned, it was Your name in the air.
We said, ‘Surely there must be a road leading elsewhere?’
     But every road we found, it led to You."

This book unearths a hidden treasure from the golden age of Ottoman scholarship, an original Arabic commentary by Isma'il Anqarawi on the Light Verse of the Quran, presented here in English for the first time.

A devoted follower of Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, Anqarawi was a highly influential figure in the 17th-century Ottoman world. Perhaps best known as a charismatic and beloved shaykh of the Sufi Mawlawi (Mevlevi) order, he was also a renowned author. The Lamp of Mysteries reveals profound insights into the famous and mysterious Light Verse.

Bilal Kuspinar has also provided a detailed account of Anqarawi’s life and works, an analysis of the Commentary, and a critical edition of the Arabic text.

About the translator

Bilal Kuspinar specializes in medieval Islamic philosophy and mysticism, especially within the context of Ottoman intellectual history. He is Professor of the History of Philosophy in the College of Arts, Science & Education, and Director of the Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance at Ahlia University, Bahrain. He is also the author of Isma'il Ankaravi on the Illuminative Philosophy (1996).

Contents

Part I Overview
An introduction to Isma'il Rusukhi Anqarawi
A review of the Misbah al-Asrar
Part II Translation of The Lamp of Mysteries
Chapter 1: On the nature of light
Chapter 2: On the lamp, the niche and the glass
Chapter 3: On the blessed olive tree
Chapter 4: On guidance from the beginning to the end
Bibliography
Index
Part III Critical edition of the Arabic text of Misbah al-Asrar

Book details
122 pages (English), 40 pages (Arabic), 210 x 148 mm
ISBN: 978 1 905937 42 4

Published: June 2011

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