Shihab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi

Shihab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, born in the year one thousand one hundred fifty-five, was a prominent Persian philosopher renowned for founding the Iranian school of Illuminationism. This significant school of thought within Islamic philosophy emphasizes the concept of 'light' as the ultimate source of knowledge, a theme that permeates his influential work, 'The Philosophy of Illumination.'

Revered by his followers with the honorific titles Shaikh al-ʿIshraq, meaning 'Master of Illumination,' and Shaikh al-Maqtul, or 'the Murdered Master,' Suhrawardi's life was tragically cut short due to his execution for heresy. His philosophical contributions were profound, as he sought to revive the ancient traditions of Persian wisdom, which he believed were essential to understanding the universe.

In his magnum opus, Suhrawardi positioned himself as a resuscitator of the ancient Pahlavi sages, drawing upon their insights to critique the dominant peripatetic school of Avicenna. His innovative approach encompassed various fields, including Logic, Physics, Epistemology, Psychology, and Metaphysics, offering a new Platonic perspective that challenged the prevailing philosophical norms of his time.