A Reflection on Re-reading the Concept of "Self" in the Mystical Tradition and Islamic Philosophy and Its Relation to Light Self-Knowledge
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Author's Note:
I am an ordinary person with no formal academic training in psychology, philosophy, or religious studies. What follows is the fruit of personal reflection, free reading, and lived experience — not a proven theory, not a religious decree, and not a claim to authority. It is simply "notes from a thirsty soul" on the path to understanding truth. For practical decisions and actions, always consult qualified experts.
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Author: Mehdi Amirahmadi
Light Self-Knowledge
Abdul Mubin
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**Statement of Transparency**
"All the contents of this page are the author's personal interpretations derived from the Quran, Islamic mysticism, and Illuminative philosophy. I have no group or organizational affiliations. This writing is a personal roadmap for self-knowledge, not a closed organization, sect, or ideology. This writing has been compiled within the framework of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and with the belief in Islam as the most complete and final religion."
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Abstract
The question of the "Self" and its relationship with Truth has always been a central concern of Islamic philosophy. In this study, utilizing key concepts from Illuminative philosophy (light and intuition) and theoretical mysticism (annihilation and subsistence), a theory called the "Center of Gravity of Existence" is formulated. According to this theory, the "authentic Self" is neither a static identity (trapped in egoistic labels) nor an absolute nothingness (leading to existential Vain), but the "point of balance" between the two extremes of "self-founded being" and "nihilistic non-being." This point is comparable in the mystical tradition with concepts such as "annihilation," "Presence," and "inner intuition," and in this writing, with the metaphor of the "center of mass" in physics, it is introduced as the origin of the "Republic of Being" and the seat of the "inner Witness." The research method is comparative conceptual analysis, and the findings show that "Light Self-Knowledge" is not only a way to escape the duality of modern temperament but also a return to the perennial wisdom of Islam concerning the "Perfect Human."
**Keywords:** Center of Gravity, Light Self-Knowledge, Witness, Self-Centered Ego, Illuminative Philosophy, Annihilation.
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1. Introduction: From the Crisis of Identity to the Return to the Center of Gravity
Modern humanity, although having reached the peak of technology and information in appearance, is inwardly facing an unprecedented crisis: the crisis of identity. This crisis manifests itself in two extreme and seemingly contradictory forms: first, "pathological attachment to labels," known in modern psychology as "identity narcissism," and second, "drowning in existential emptiness," described by existential philosophers as "nihilism."
In Islamic philosophy, these two extremes have always been introduced as two afflictions of spiritual wayfaring: "pride" and "spiritual lethargy" (Vain). The middle path, which in the Holy Quran is referred to as "the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor" (Quran 1:6-7) and in traditions as the "station of the sound heart" (Quran 26:89), is the "Center of Gravity of Existence." This study aims to, relying on Suhrawardi's Illuminative philosophy (which considers "Light" as the principle of existence) and Ibn Arabi's theoretical mysticism (which introduces the "Perfect Human" as the comprehensive manifestation of divine names), present a new formulation of this "middle point" and introduce it as the origin of intuitive knowledge and practical ethics.
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2. Theoretical Foundations: The Center of Gravity of Existence in the Mirror of Wisdom
**2-1. From Physics to Metaphysics: Metaphorical Borrowing**
In physics, the "center of gravity" or "center of mass" is a point where, if the entire mass of an object were concentrated, its behavior in a gravitational field would not change. The precise point is that this point is not necessarily where matter is accumulated; it is a "mathematical point" that organizes the system.
Mulla Sadra, in his "Asfar," speaks of substantial motion, in which human existence is like a dynamic fluid constantly moving from potentiality to actuality. If this motion lacks a center of balance, it leads either to "transgression" (substantial pride) or to "deathly stillness" (depression and Vain). Therefore, the "Center of Gravity of Existence" can be called the "primary perfection of substantial motion"; a point where the multiplicity of faculties (intellect, imagination, anger, and desire) reach unity under the command of the "heart."
**2-2. The Witness and the Self-Centered Ego: Two Agents of the Republic of Being**
Islamic philosophers have used terms such as "practical intellect" and "the commanding ego" to explain the inner agents of the human being, but in this writing, inspired by Quranic verses (such as "And thus We showed Abraham the dominion of the heavens and the earth that he might be among the certain" - Quran 6:75) and the concept of the "Witness" in Ibn Arabi's mysticism, we speak of two main agents:
a) The Self-Centered Ego (The Narrative Self): This is the "I-ness" that is nourished by social labels, memories, and personal desires. The Quran refers to it as the "commanding ego" (Quran 12:53) which always commands to "evil." This ego is captive to time: it regrets the past and fears the future. It is not the "center of mass of existence," but a "weight" on one side of the scale that disrupts balance.
b) The Witness (The Light-Based Self): The Witness, in this framework, is not a psychological concept, but a "metaphysical truth." It is the "non-judgmental observer" within. Suhrawardi, in Illuminative philosophy, considers true perception to be based on "Presence"; meaning that the soul, through presential knowledge of its own essence, is a "Witness" to its own existence. This Witness neither accepts labels nor drowns in emptiness; it is the "heart" that in the Sacred Hadith is introduced as the "house of God." The Witness is the center of gravity; because in it, "being" and "non-being" reach balance.
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3. Methodology of Spiritual Wayfaring: Steps to Pass from Illusion and Vain to the Light of Presence
In Ibn Arabi's philosophical system, spiritual wayfaring is a "journey from the self toward Truth" and a "return from Truth to the self." In this writing, this journey is formulated in four practical steps, which are consistent with the teachings of Ghazali's "Ihya Ulum al-Din" and Khwaja Abdullah Ansari's "Manazil al-Sa'irin":
**1. Diagnosis of the Two Extremes (Distinguishing Illusion from Truth):**
The first step is "differentiation" between the "present Reality" and "mental constructs." Illusion is believing in something that is not, but you assume it is. Vain is assuming the emptiness of existence in the absence of Light. Recognizing these two, in the language of mysticism, is called "insight." As Ali (AS) said: "Whoever knows themselves, knows their Lord"; but this knowledge is impossible without distinguishing the "illusory I" from the "true Self."
**2. Practice of Presence in the Now (Anchoring in Time):**
The Quran considers human success to depend on "remembrant presence": "Those who remember God standing, sitting, and lying on their sides" (Quran 3:191). The center of gravity never resides in the regretful past or the anxious future. The practice of presence is the same "practical remembrance" that transfers the seeker from linear time (which generates Illusion and Vain) to "qualitative time" (which is the "eternal now").
**3. Releasing Labels (Annihilation in Roles):**
From the perspective of transcendent philosophy, any identity other than "pure existence" is "quiddity," and quiddity is the very limit and restriction. Releasing labels means exiting the limitation of "I am so-and-so." This is the meaning of the hadith "Die before you die"; not physical death, but the death of "virtual identity" and the life of the "true Witness."
**4. Accepting Existential Poverty (Annihilation in Light):**
What is meant by "poverty" in Islamic mysticism is not financial poverty, but "essential poverty." The human being, in relation to the "Necessary Being," is the very essence of poverty and dependency. Accepting this poverty means emptying the vessel of existence from the "self-centered ego" so that "Light" may shine within it. This is the "annihilation" that Ibn Arabi considers the condition for true subsistence; because after annihilation, "subsistence" is with Truth, not with the ego.
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4. Ethical Applications: The Center of Gravity in Facing Suffering and the Other
**4-1. From Wound to Forgiveness; Liberation from the Chain of Revenge**
The self-centered ego, in facing a wound (suffering that comes from another or from fate), commands "revenge." Revenge, in philosophical analysis, is an attempt to "restore lost balance"; but since this effort is made at the level of the "narrative self," it never reaches balance and traps the individual in the black hole of resentment.
But the Witness (the center of gravity), in facing a wound, commands "forgiveness." Forgiveness here is neither "forgetting" nor "justifying injustice," but "entrusting judgment to the Best System." Quranic verses such as "And let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that God should forgive you?" (Quran 24:22) connect this witnessing forgiveness to the peak of Islamic ethics.
**4-2. Mirror-like Relationship; Seeing the Other in Light**
In Illuminative philosophy, every existence is a "manifestation of the Light of Truth." From the perspective of the center of gravity, the "other" is not a rival for survival (in the system of the self-centered ego), but a "mirror" for the intuition of Truth. This view is exactly consistent with Mulla Sadra's interpretation of the verse "And in yourselves, do you not see?" (Quran 51:21), which says: "There are signs within yourselves; do you not see?" Seeing the other is a prelude to seeing the true Self, and seeing the self is a gateway to the intuition of Truth.
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5. Teleology: "This is it" as Pure Presence
In mystical logic, every name (I am, I am not, I am the manager, I am the sinner) is a kind of "limit" and "restriction." But the ultimate goal of wayfaring is to reach a station in which none of these names can encompass the "truth of existence." This station, in this writing, is formulated with the expression "This is it":
- "I am" (excessive being) -> saying "I am" relying on oneself.
- "I am not" (excessive non-being) -> saying "I am nothing" with despair.
- "This is it" -> meaning "I am here, but not relying on myself; I am here to see 'Him' and for 'Him' to see me."
This "This is it" is the "annihilation in intuition" which in Islamic mysticism is comparable with expressions such as the "station of excellence" (Ihsan, which is "to worship God as if you see Him") or the "station of the heart" in the Sacred Hadith ("My earth and My heaven cannot contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant can contain Me").
At this point, "being" and "non-being" as opposing concepts dissolve, and space opens for "pure Presence." Presence is not self-assertion, but the "capacity to be seen"; just as the mirror, through its own "nothingness," makes it possible to see the "other side."
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6. Conclusion: Return to Perennial Wisdom
What has been formulated in this article as the "Center of Gravity of Existence" is in fact a return to the same "Perennial Wisdom" (Sophia Perennis) that has always been emphasized in the teachings of prophets and saints: the human being is a being who, through "self-knowledge," reaches "knowledge of God," and this self-knowledge is realized not in clinging to roles nor in fleeing from them, but in finding "being-in-the-middle."
In today's world, which is caught in identity extremism and nihilistic excess, the proposal of such a "point" can be a refuge for the bewildered human being. This point not only opens a new theoretical horizon but also offers a "way of life"; a way in which, at every moment, the "Witness" sits on the throne of awareness and the "ego" recedes to the margins.
And the final word we end with a hadith from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
"Whoever knows themselves, knows their Lord."
And this knowledge is realized not in the arrogant "I am," but in the witnessing "This is it."
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📚 Sources and References
- The Holy Quran.
- Suhrawardi, S. (2001). Majmu'a Musannafat Shaykh al-Ishraq (Hikmat al-Ishraq, Vol. 2). Tehran: Institute of Humanities.
- Ibn Arabi, M. (1946). Fusus al-hikam. (A. Affifi, Ed.). Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi.
- Mulla Sadra. (1981). Al-Hikma al-Muta'aliya fi al-Asfar al-'Aqliyya al-Arba'a. Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath.
- Al-Ghazali, A. H. (2003). Ihya Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.
- Ansari, K. A. (1997). Manazil al-Sa'irin. Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi.
- Avicenna. (1981). Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat (Namat 9: Maqamat al-Arifin). Tehran: University Press.
- Tamimi Amidi, A. (1987). Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalam. Qom: Islamic Publishing.
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Short Note
This article has been compiled within the framework of "Islamic philosophy" and with adherence to the principles of theoretical mysticism and Illuminative philosophy, and has no affiliation with any specific group or current. Its aim is to open a window for deeper thinking about the "Self" in relation to Absolute Truth. Everyone is free to read it or not, accept it or not.
