Deus_Absconditus_in_Islamic_Mysticism (1).pdf
Deus Absconditus in Islamic Mysticism
Abstract:
This paper tries to explain the roots of a perplexity which has been faced by a number of mystics who have wholeheartedly devoted their lives to seeking the love of
God. In the first part I explain the Sufi interpretation of the hadith of the Hidden Treasure. In the second part, I describe the problem that arises when a perfect human being passes through several steps toward becoming a lover of God and afterward encounters a deeper level of divine hiddenness in his religious experience. In the third part, I try to explain this paradox in the context of Islamic mysticism. The end of perfection, according to Sufism, is that the human being becomes the worthy object of divine love. I conclude that Deus Absconditus is required for mystics to reach that final point.
Keywords: Sufism, Divine Hiddenness, Annihilation, Islamic Mysticism
Abstract:
This paper tries to explain the roots of a perplexity which has been faced by a number of mystics who have wholeheartedly devoted their lives to seeking the love of
God. In the first part I explain the Sufi interpretation of the hadith of the Hidden Treasure. In the second part, I describe the problem that arises when a perfect human being passes through several steps toward becoming a lover of God and afterward encounters a deeper level of divine hiddenness in his religious experience. In the third part, I try to explain this paradox in the context of Islamic mysticism. The end of perfection, according to Sufism, is that the human being becomes the worthy object of divine love. I conclude that Deus Absconditus is required for mystics to reach that final point.
Keywords: Sufism, Divine Hiddenness, Annihilation, Islamic Mysticism