{"product_id":"9780934893701","title":"The Elixir of the Gnostics: A Parallel English-Arabic Text","description":"\u003cp\u003eSadr al-Din Muhammad Shirazi (1572-1640), more commonly called Mulla Sadra, was one of the grand scholars of later-period Islamic philosophy and has grown to become one of the best-known Muslim philosophers. \u003ci\u003eIksir al-'arifin\u003c\/i\u003e, or \u003ci\u003eElixir of the Gnostics\u003c\/i\u003e, is unique among Sadra's writings in that it reworks and amplifies an earlier Persian work, the \u003ci\u003eJawidan-nama\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003eBook of the Everlasting\u003c\/i\u003e) by Afdal al-Din Kashani, or Baba Afdal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe underlying theme of Sadra's amplification is emblematic of Muslim philosophy: the importance of self-knowledge in an individual's journey of \"Origin and Return,\" the soul's origins with God and its eventual return to Him. Everything, Sadra says, is on such a path, gradually disengaging from the material world and returning to a transcendent essence—all leading to a final fruition in which everything in the universe returns to God and finds permanent happiness. Philosophy, Sadra argues, is the most direct means to self-knowledge—and thus the best tool for navigating this journey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brigham Young University","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47033991692528,"sku":"9780934893701","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780934893701_p0.jpg?v=1763859007","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780934893701","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}