The Ontological Transcendence of the Sacred Essence of the Divine in the Mystical Thought of Imam Khomeini

Document Type : Scientific-research

Author

Department of Islamic Mysticism and Imam Khomeiniʿs Thought, Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The term “essence” (dhāt) and the expression “the station of the Essence as the Unseen of the Unseen (ghayb al-ghuyūb)” refer to the consideration of the Essence qua Essence (min ḥaythu hiya). By contrast, “manifestations” or “multiplicities” signify the Essence insofar as it is viewed through the specific conditions of ontological loci and levels of existence. The mystics describe the Essence qua Essence as an utterly indeterminate horizon which, by reason of its absolute (genus‑level) unconditionedness, admits of no name, description, or determination. Consequently, the doctrines advanced by the mystics concerning the Essence are fundamentally apophatic in character. In this vein, Imam Khomeini holds that human knowledge of the Essence—and awareness of that absolute Reality—is restricted to knowledge of the Divine Names and Attributes. In order to clarify what it means to consider or “take into account” the Essence qua Essence, Imam Khomeini enumerates certain apophatic features or components within a broader ontological system. Remaining faithful to the implications of his own position, he maintains that the station of the Divine Essence in its most hiddenness—ghayb al‑ghuyūb—is not even the object of worship for the worshippers. Furthermore, he regards the acknowledgment of the Essenceʿs unknowability and the admission of the insufficiency and incapacity of human cognition to grasp it as the foundational principle of spiritual wayfaring. This study analyzes these apophatic components and elucidates his ontological perspective on this question.

Keywords

References

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