The Philosophical Prison in the Philosophy of al-Suhrawardi al-Maqtul

Abstract

A person may appear free on the surface, while his actions and thoughts move within limits he did not choose. At this point, what can be called the philosophical prison takes shape, where confinement is not related to place, but to the way one perceives the world. The philosophical prison occupies a central position in Suhrawardi’s philosophy. It appears clearly in his writings, both poetic and prose, through different levels of expression, ranging from direct statement to symbolic suggestion. This diversity reflects Suhrawardi’s deep awareness of imprisonment as a fundamental existential problem, an awareness that is clearly expressed in his Illuminationist philosophy.