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by Akram Al-Majid (Author), Mukhtar H. Ali (Translator)
One of the most compelling and original works in Islamic mysticism, The New Creation discusses the Intellect and its related themes of light, life and the Abrahamic path of realization. For the first time, the worlds of Reality, Allusion and Expression are explored, as are the corresponding Intellectual, Imaginal and material worlds. The work not only engages numerous disciplines from philosophy, spiritual psychology, dream interpretation and Qurʾānic exegesis but intimates key elements of spiritual wayfaring as well.
The central premise of the work is that the Intellect is pure light, the first principle of existence, the fountain of life, and the source of power and volition. When the Intellect manifests in the human being, its attributes transform both soul and body. Each successively becomes a new creation, ascending the ladder of perfection after the spiritual properties of light prevail over base qualities of materiality.
The New Creation is a landmark study of the Abrahamic faiths in which its key figures Abraham and Jesus epitomize the highest station of the Intellect. God made Abraham "a leader of all mankind" (Qurʾān 2:124) and Jesus used to say to the people, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never tread in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Throughout the study, the author employs powerful passages from the Bible and relates them to canonical Islamic sources.
An indispensable feature of the present edition is the translator's introduction which is a commentary derived from the author's lectures on the text. This introduction along with the parallel English-Arabic translation is a superb contribution to the field and an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.
