Beginning of Contemplation in Sight of St. John of the Cross and Ala Al-Dawla Semnani
Abstract
Contemplation is a central topic in the gnostic customs of Christianity and Islam. Christian and Islamic mystics, however, dissent on whether or not contemplation is a kind of position or an emotional mood. St. John of the Cross and Ala Al-Dawla Semnani are among the mystics of Christianity and Islam who have talked on contemplation, and comparison of views of these two can bring new sights on the subject. According to Ala Al-Dawla Semnani, disciples must strive to reach gnostic excellence by praising verbally and heartily. That is, the disciple must schedule praising around the clock and give all his or her attention to the God and heartily pray for the gloriousness of the exalted God. According to John of the Cross, however, one must keep going forward only and only by heeding the God without doing anything else. Both mystics have different views about how to enter the course of contemplation. Ala Al-Dawla Semnani has covered this topic by outlining more features and in a more transparent manner. But according to John of the Cross, entry to a course of contemplation is a vague experience of the God that we receive passively not as a result of our efforts.
References
Chowning, Daniel. “Lecture.” In John of the Cross: A Spirituality of Wisdom. Saint Mary College Notre Dame Indiana, 2009.
Dubay, Thomas. Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel-on Prayer. San Fransisco: Ignatius, 1989.
Heli, Tibur. “St. John of the Cross’ Teaching on Contemplation.” 南山神学 40, no. 3 (2017): 153–176.
Hosseini Tehrani, Seyed Mohammad Hossein. Labalbab: Mysticism, Self-Creation (Islam), Sufism, Mystical Ethics, Etiquette of the Path. Tehran: Allameh Tabatabai, 2016.
Kavanaugh, Kieran. John of the Cross: Doctor of Light and Love. New York: A Crossroad Book, 1999.
Kinn, James W. “Beginning Contemplation According to John of the Cross.” Review for Religious 66, no. 2 (2007).
———. “The Central Paradox of John of the Cross.” Review for Religious 68, no. 3 (2009).
Magdalene, Father Gabriel of St. Mary. St. John of the Cross: Doctor of Divine Love and Contemplation. Translated by A Benedictine of Stranbrook Abbey. The New Man, 1946.
Myladil, Thomas. St. John of the Cross and The Bhagavad-Gita: Love, Union, and Renunciation. Cross Cultural Publications, Inc. Cross Roads Books, 2000.
Najmuddin Razi, Abdullah bin Muhammad by Riahi Mohammad Amin. Mersad al ‘Ebad menal Mabda elal Ma‘ad. Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company, 1994.
Nasrillahi, Meysam. The Survey of Ala-Al-Dawle Semnani’s Mystical Views and Thoughts. Adyan, 2011.
Semnani, Ala-al-Dawla. Chehel Majles. Edited by Sistani Amir Eghbali and Haghighat Abdorafi. Tehran: Asatir publication, 1979.
———. Farsi Mosnefat. Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company, 1990.
St. John of the Cross. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez. Washington DC: ICS Publications, 1991.
Stein, Edith. The Science of the Cross. Translated by Joesephine Koeppel. Washington DC: ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, 2002.
Welch, John. An Introduction to John of the Cross: When God’s Die. Mahwah JN: Paulist, 1990.
Fulltext PDF downloaded: 324
Copyright (c) 2021 Ulumuna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.