Kanz Philosophia: A Journal for Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism

Dehellenization vs. Islamization of Philosophy

T. Wildan — 2026-06-23

This research critically analyzes the historiographical debate surrounding the transmission of Greek philosophy to the Islamic world, polarized into two main paradigms: dehellenization and Islamization. The background of this research lies in the unresolved epistemological tension within contemporary academic discourse concerning the nature of the Islamization of philosophy, as well as the legitimacy of philosophy in the Islamic intellectual tradition. The research question posed is: how to comprehensively understand the process of the Islamization of philosophy, moving beyond the simplistic dichotomy between purification and hybridization? This research aims to offer a new, more holistic perspective on the dialectic between Islamic philosophy and Greek heritage, focusing the analysis on concrete intellectual practices. This research uses a qualitative-interpretive approach with intellectual history methods, literature, and integrates three theories, namely: the transmission of knowledge from Dimitri Gutas, the theory of cultural hybridity from Homi K. Bhabha, and the philosophical hermeneutics from Hans-Georg Gadamer. Research findings indicate that the Islamization of philosophy is a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing aspects of creative selection, transformative adaptation, and original synthesis. This process involves interconnected intellectual operations, namely filtering, embedding, and generating. Furthermore, this research reveals the distinctive methodology of Muslim philosophers, which includes tafsiriyyah hermeneutics and integrative epistemology with its various models. The theoretical contribution of this research is a new model for understanding the transmission of knowledge across cultures and a historical foundation for contemporary Islamic-Western philosophical dialogue.

Actualizing the SDGS Through Pesantren Pedagogy

Rifqi Khairul Anam — 2026-06-23

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently faces a severe motivational crisis due to its reliance on pragmatic-secular frameworks devoid of spiritual grounding. Concurrently, Islamic environmental discourse remains polarized between rigid legalism and passive mysticism. Addressing this gap, this study aims to formulate an Islamic Educational Philosophy by excavating the ecological dimension of the Indonesian pesantren tradition through an Iqbalian panentheistic lens. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, the research explores a “lived ontology” to achieve a fusion of horizons between historical pesantren pedagogy and contemporary SDG urgencies. The findings reveal a dynamic dialectic of “contextualized panentheism.” This paradigm transitions from a mystical fusion with nature into a proactive ethical stance, embodied by the awakened Iqbal’s concept of khudi as a responsible khalīfah. By perceiving nature as a living divine mirror (tajallī), this pedagogy systematically dismantles the alienated, exploitative Cartesian ego. Empirically, this educational praxis manifests in successful community-driven conservation models—such as the eco-pesantren and customary maritime laws—which consistently outperform secular technocratic policies by internalizing ecological care as a binding moral obligation. The study concludes that pesantren pedagogy provides an authentic, internally driven motivational grammar, ultimately transforming environmental stewardship from an external regulatory duty into a sacred existential expression.

Jābirī’s Three Epistemes and Ṭāhā’s Three Levels of ʿAql

Mutamakin Mutamakin — 2026-06-23

The epistemological challenge posed by generative artificial intelligence lies not only in its capacity to produce religious language that sounds persuasive but also in the risk that such fluency may be mistaken for legitimate knowledge. Recent discussions on religion and AI have examined ethics, governance, and digital mediation. Yet, they have not sufficiently explained how machine-generated sacred-style discourse can appear epistemically authoritative within Islamic traditions. This article addresses that gap through a dual-grid framework that brings al-Jābirī’s epistemic modes into dialogue with Ṭāhā’s hierarchy of reason. Using a qualitative philosophical analysis of AI-generated religious-style discourse, the study asks not whether AI is a knower, but what kind of knowledge affects its outputs generated in religious settings. The analysis indicates that AI can simulate textual authority, logical coherence, and spiritual resonance, while lacking the classical warrants that ground knowledge in Islamic epistemology, namely causal intelligibility, accountable transmission, and disciplined formation. On that basis, the study suggests that generative AI is most plausibly situated at the level of al-‘aql al-mujarrad (abstract reason) and introduces the concept of epistemic flattening to explain how distinct modes of knowing may be compressed into similar output effects. The article concludes by proposing a constructive response centered on Islamic epistemic literacy, accountability-oriented governance, and a relational understanding of knowledge within an Islamic philosophy of technology.

Human Concept According to Mullā Ṣadrā and Its Contribution to the Modern Spiritual Crisis

Ali Ridho Imansyah — 2026-06-23

The background of this research departs from the reality of the humanitarian crisis in the modern era characterized by materialistic behavior, the decline of ethical values, and spiritual alienation. Previous studies of human philosophy have discussed many aspects of axiology and anthropology, but there is still a gap in offering a comprehensive philosophical-spiritual solution by referring specifically to the synthesis of Mullā Ṣadrā’s Islamic philosophy. The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of human in the perspective of Mullā Ṣadrā’s Islamic philosophy and its contribution as a solution framework for the problem of contemporary spiritual crisis. This research uses a qualitative method with library research, focusing on the analysis of primary texts such as Ḥikmah al-Muta‘āliyah, and supported by related secondary sources. The results of the study indicate that humans in Mullā Ṣadrā’s view are dynamic entities consisting of the soul (nafs) and the body, where the soul undergoes a gradual process of existential perfection through substantial movement (al-ḥarakah al-jawhariyyah). The process of soul transformation towards perfection (al-insān al-kāmil) is carried out through soul cleansing (tazkiyah al-nafs), the acquisition of knowledge—especially metaphysical knowledge about God—and spiritual practice in the four spiritual journeys (al-asfār al-arba‘ah). The conclusion of the study confirms that Mullā Ṣadrā’s thoughts are not only relevant but also become an ontological foundation for an educational character that is able to overcome the spiritual crisis of the younger generation, so that it can function as an alternative solution in answering today’s existential problems.

Essence and Existence Revisited

Patricius Neonnub — 2026-06-23

This article re-examines the relationship between the metaphysical systems of Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) and Thomas Aquinas by questioning the widespread assumption of ontological continuity grounded in their shared distinction between essence and existence. While Avicenna’s māhiyyah–wujūd distinction is often treated as the conceptual foundation later appropriated by Aquinas, this study argues that such a reading obscures a decisive ontological divergence rather than illuminating a genuine metaphysical lineage. Employing the realist metaphysical framework developed by the Lublin School, particularly its emphasis on esse as the act that constitutes being as such, the article undertakes a conceptual and historical analysis of both systems to uncover their underlying ontological architectures. In Avicenna’s metaphysics, existence is understood as a determination received by essence through causal dependence on the Necessary Being, yielding an emanative model of reality structured by hierarchical necessity. By contrast, Aquinas situates existence as actus essendi, the fundamental act through which beings participate in actuality itself, thereby grounding a participatory account of the God–creature relation. The article demonstrates that this difference is not merely semantic or theological but reflects two incompatible ontological models, emanation and participation, that entail divergent accounts of causality, contingency, and divine transcendence. By foregrounding this metaphysical fault line, the study contributes to comparative philosophy by moving beyond narratives of influence or terminological borrowing. It also shows how the Lublin School’s realist criteria provide a rigorous methodological tool for evaluating metaphysical systems across traditions. Ultimately, the article argues that an explicitly ontological approach is indispensable for clarifying both inter-traditional dialogue between Islamic philosophy and Thomism and contemporary debates concerning the nature of existence itself.

Ibn Rushd’s Rational Reconstruction of al-Ghazālī’s Critique

Nasirin Nasirin — 2026-06-23

This article examines Tahāfut al-Tahāfut by Ibn Rushd as a rational reconstruction of al-Ghazālī's critique in Tahāfut al-Falāsifah. The study aims to analyze how Ibn Rushd deconstructs, reevaluates, and systematically reorganizes the philosophical arguments questioned by al-Ghazālī, focusing on three main issues: the eternity of the world, God's knowledge of particulars, and the relationship between reason, revelation, and Sharia. The primary objective is to demonstrate that Tahāfut al-Tahāfut is not merely a rebuttal of al-Ghazālī but also a philosophical project to restore the legitimacy of reason within Islamic epistemology and to affirm the coherence between philosophy and Sharia. This study employs a qualitative method through library research, analyzing primary texts—Tahāfut al-Falāsifah and Tahāfut al-Tahāfut—and relevant secondary literature in Islamic philosophy. A critical-comparative and philosophical-hermeneutical approach is used to trace the argumentative structures of both thinkers, while evaluating the intellectual context of their debate, particularly the epistemological differences between Ash‘ari theology and Aristotelian rationalism adopted by Ibn Rushd. The findings indicate that Ibn Rushd presents a systematic rational critique, showing that many of al-Ghazālī’s objections stemmed from misinterpretations of philosophical concepts. Tahāfut al-Tahāfut functions as a reconstructive effort to reaffirm philosophy as an essential tool for understanding reality and supporting rational religious interpretation. The study concludes that the debate reflects a productive epistemological dialogue, demonstrating that reason and revelation are complementary in achieving a comprehensive understanding of truth.

Repositioning Islamic Religious Education in the National Curriculum

Husnul Haetami — 2026-06-24

The positioning of Islamic Religious Education within Indonesia’s national curriculum cannot be adequately understood without examining the epistemological legacy of colonial educational policy. During the Dutch colonial period, regulations such as the Teacher Ordinance of 1905 and its 1925 revision, along with the Wild School Ordinance of 1932, were introduced to regulate and control Islamic teaching and indigenous educational institutions. Beyond administrative control, these policies established a regulatory logic that shaped the authority, legitimacy, and scope of Islamic knowledge within the educational system. This study offers a philosophical critique of the Teacher Ordinance legacy by analyzing how its underlying logic continues to influence the epistemological position of PAI in contemporary Indonesian education. Employing a qualitative library-based method, the analysis proceeds through historical-textual examination, philosophical interpretation using a power–knowledge framework, and normative-conceptual reconstruction. The findings demonstrate that colonial policy produced an enduring epistemic structure characterized by the bureaucratic regulation of teachers, the hierarchical classification of knowledge, and the subordination of religious education to secular-rational standards. These structures persist in transformed forms within the national curriculum, contributing to the marginal epistemological position of PAI. From the perspective of Islamic philosophy of education, this condition reflects a disjunction between the integrative conception of knowledge (‘ilm) and the fragmented logic of modern curriculum design. This study argues that the problem is not merely institutional but epistemological, and proposes a philosophical repositioning of PAI as an integrative and foundational component of the Indonesian national education system.

The Controversy of Freedom in Take and Give Between Western and Islamic Civilizations in Indonesia

Nurkhalis Nurkhalis — 2026-06-24

Freedom intake and give are caused by weak self-control that desires hedonistic pleasure, jouissance, materialism, enjoyment, and libidinal drives. Conversely, the existence of freedom aggravation (the freedom to determine one’s own peculiar desires) kept within the framework of metaxy freedom will be forced towards ethics, aesthetics, and salvation. Take and give freedom leads between vice of defect and vice of excess, as seen in Indonesia in cases such as contract marriages in Puncak Bogor and interfaith celebrity couples. This study aims to deeply examine the impact of take and give freedom in Indonesia from various aspects of karmic (karma effects) and hinged (self-beating consequences) using a library research method. This article indicates that take and give freedom falls within a legal vacuum scope, but in reality, it can operate through modus vivendi (loyalty to enemies or friends) and modus ponens (illative affirmation). Freedom has two forms: positive freedom, which means there is no modus vivendi or modus ponens, and negative freedom, where both exist. Positive freedom consists of general will (the common good/shalom) and last will. Negative freedom is more dominant in free will, as the eyes of ardent libertarians are limited by a balance of interests. Thus, everything is locked in within the best interest of balance, as legal privilege aligns with legal rights. Free will tends towards “freedom from” rather than “freedom to” due to exploitation, control, oppression, and abandonment.

The Epistemological Crisis of Ḥuḍūr in Digital Tafsir

Lufaefi Lufaefi — 2026-06-24

Digital qur’anic exegesis emerges at the intersection of classical interpretive traditions and the fast-paced, fragmented, and algorithm-driven logic of online media. This transformation not only reshapes how tafsir is delivered but also shifts the reader’s epistemological experience from the presence of meaning (ḥuḍūr) toward the dominance of representation (ḥuṣūlī). This study aims to critically analyze the epistemological crisis of ḥuḍūr in digital tafsir while proposing a conceptual framework grounded in Islamic mysticism to understand this shift within the context of online media. Employing a qualitative conceptual-empirical approach, the study applies philosophical analysis and mystical hermeneutics to exegetical texts published on NU Online and Detik.com as strategic case studies. The analytical framework integrates the thought of al-Ghazālī (ḥuḍūr al-qalb), Ibn ‘Arabī (tajallī), and Mullā Ṣadrā (‘ilm ḥuḍūrī vs. ḥuṣūlī) to evaluate five operational indicators of ḥuḍūr: intentionality, attention structure, interpretive ethics, existential engagement, and ethical transformation. The findings reveal that digital tafsir tends to exhibit fragmented attention, reduced hermeneutical depth, and a shift from inner transformation toward informative and normative functions. Algorithmic mediation and speed-oriented content structures reinforce representational knowledge, thereby weakening experiences of tajallī and dhawq in engaging the Qur’an. The study concludes that the crisis of ḥuḍūr is not merely a consequence of the digital medium but arises from the interaction between media logic and the epistemic disposition of the subject. It calls for a reorientation of tafsir as an existential experience integrating ethical, ontological, and epistemological dimensions.

Animus Digitus

Suhermanto Ja'far — 2026-06-24

This article explores the conceptual transformation of human existence in the digital era through the debate between Homo Digitus and Animus Digitus within the framework of digital humanities and Islamic philosophical–theological anthropology. The main problem addressed in this study concerns the growing tendency toward reductionism in digital discourse, where human beings are increasingly understood as data entities, algorithmic functions, or objects of technological optimization. Such perspectives risk overlooking the dimensions of meaning, faith, and moral responsibility that constitute the core of human existence. This study employs a qualitative conceptual approach grounded in philosophical analysis, digital humanities perspectives, and Islamic theological reflection. The analysis compares the descriptive concept of Homo Digitus—which portrays humans as actors within digital socio-technological systems—with the normative–theological concept of Animus Digitus, which emphasizes humans as subjects endowed with soul, intention, and moral accountability in front of others, the environment, and God. The findings show that while Homo Digitus is analytically useful at the sociological level, it is insufficient to explain the ethical and spiritual dimensions of digital human life and the transcendental aspects that accompany it. The novelty of this research lies in the aspect of proposing the concept Animus Digitus as a normative–theological framework that integrates digital humanities with Islamic anthropology, thereby offering a more holistic interpretation of human existence in the digital age and provide an ethical basis for the development and use of digital technology that is oriented towards human dignity.

Reconstructing the Ontological Structure of Wujūd in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Philosophy as a Foundation for Contemporary Islamic Ecological Ethics

Syahrul Kirom — 2026-06-24

The global environmental crisis not only reflects technical and policy failures but also reveals an ontological problem in understanding the human–nature relationship. The discourse on Islamic environmental ethics remains predominantly normative-textual, centered on the concepts of khalīfah and mīzān, without sufficient metaphysical grounding, thereby creating a gap between normative sources and the ontological legitimacy of ecological ethics. This study aims to reconstruct the concept of wujūd in the philosophy of Mullā Ṣadrā as an ontological foundation for the formulation of contemporary Islamic ecological ethics. This research constitutes a qualitative study based on library research, employing philosophical and hermeneutical analysis of texts. Data was collected through documentary study encompassing relevant primary and secondary sources. Data analysis was conducted systematically through stages of conceptual identification, thematic reduction and classification, and the formulation of conclusions grounded in argumentative coherence. The findings demonstrate that the reconstruction of wujūd as a graded and dynamic ontological reality reconfigures the conceptual basis of the human–nature relationship, shifting it from an anthropocentric dualism toward an integrated existential continuum. The results further indicate that ecological ethics can be formulated as an ontological consequence of the structure of reality rather than as an external normative system. The reinterpretation of the concepts of khalīfah and mīzān within the horizon of existential yields principles of participation, ontological responsibility, and cosmic harmony as the foundation of environmental ethics. This study contributes to strengthening the metaphysical basis of Islamic environmental ethics and to advancing Islamic philosophical discourse in response to the global ecological crisis.

Qur’anic, Sufistic, and Philosophical Foundations of a Love-Based Curriculum

Ikhlas Budiman — 2026-06-24

This study investigates the concept of love in the works of Ibnu Arabi and al-Fakhr al-Rāzī to elucidate the Qur’anic, Sufistic, and philosophical foundations of the Love-Based Curriculum (KBC). The research seeks to develop an integrative model by analyzing Ibn ‘Arabī’s Sufi-metaphysical perspective and al-Rāzī’s philosophical-exegetical approach, as well as their respective contributions to the KBC. Employing qualitative library research, the study analyzes data using content and comparative methods. The comparative analysis centers on the five pillars of the love-based curriculum: (1) love of God and His Messenger, (2) love of knowledge, (3) love of the environment, (4) love of oneself and others, and (5) love of the homeland. The findings indicate that Ibn ‘Arabī conceptualizes love as an ontological principle of divine self-disclosure (tajallī) that connects al-ḥaqq and creation, while al-Rāzī interprets love within a rational, psychological, and ethical framework aimed at human perfection. Although their approaches differ, both thinkers assert that love is intrinsic to the structure of existence and the primordial nature (fiṭrah) of humanity. This convergence is evident in their epistemological, ecological, social, and spiritual perspectives. Consequently, the KBC is presented as a transformative model that integrates Qur’anic, Sufi, and philosophical sources to foster spiritual awareness, ethical responsibility, ecological consciousness, and social harmony by establishing love as a foundational principle in education and human development.

Confronting Flexing Society in the Digital Age Through Muhammad Iqbal’s Philosophy of Morals

Naupal Asnawi — 2026-06-24

This research aims to explain that in the digital age, society is confronted with a flexing society. This phenomenon occurs because the moral and value system governing social life has been reduced to mere commodities measured primarily by the ownership of goods. This study identifies an interconnectedness between contemporary capitalism, social media, and consumerism and their collective role in eroding moral foundations and individual self-determination. A primary consequence of consumerism is the erosion of moral standards and the emergence of a culture of conspicuous consumption. This flexing society, facilitated by social media, subsequently degrades morality and autonomy, as individuals become trapped in the pursuit of illusory goals shrouded within a world of hyper-reality. Through the lens of Jean Baudrillard’s simulacra and the moral philosophy of Sir Muhammad Iqbal, this study specifically constructs a unique normative philosophical argument regarding the restoration of existential selfhood amidst the encroachment of hyper-reality. Using qualitative methods and hermeneutic interpretation of Gadamer’s philosophy, this study demonstrates that Iqbal’s concept of khudī is not merely a theological idea, but rather an instrument of ontological resistance capable of deconstructing the entrapment of individuals within the algorithmic image, as their lives are trapped in the pursuit of an illusory reality veiled within the world of hyperreality. This research concludes the importance of a moral framework that is holistic, integral, and objective through Iqbal’s framework, which offers a solution to digital alienation while repositioning the autonomous human being as a creator of meaning, not merely an object of simulated consumption.

Naquib al-Attas’s Philosophy in Pesantren Learning

Ridwan Ridwan — 2026-06-24

This study aims to reconstruct the concept of Islamic educational philosophy from the perspective of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas and to analyze its implications for the motivation of Generation X parents to continue their children’s education through higher education. This study employs a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, utilizing in-depth interviews and participatory observation within a Muslim community rooted in the pesantren tradition in the mountainous region of Batang Regency, Central Java. Research findings indicate that educational and religious practices in Islamic boarding schools reflect the concept of ta’dīb (religious guidance), the integration of knowledge and faith, and an awareness of the Islamic worldview as developed by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas. Collective traditions such as the study of Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn (Islamic teachings), bahtsul masail (religious discourses), manaqiban (religious recitation), and khataman (religious recitation) shape the spiritual orientation of underprivileged communities, allowing religion to be understood not merely as a ritual but as a source of serenity, social solidarity, and resilience. The attitude of nrimo (respect for God), accompanied by effort, gratitude, and mutual support, demonstrates the internalization of adab (good manners) in daily life, particularly in respect for knowledge, scholars, and education. This awareness is also evident in the motivation of parents who continue to strive to send their children to Islamic universities despite facing economic constraints. They understand education as a continuous charity, a path of worship, and a means of developing civilized individuals with a future orientation and moral responsibility. The choice of sharia, da‘wah, and Islamic education demonstrates the belief that knowledge must bring blessings and social benefits. This finding challenges the habits of modern society which views happiness through material accumulation, but through inner peace, strengthening of faith, and the pursuit of knowledge as a spiritual path to God’s pleasure.

From Representation to Presence

Loekisno Choiril Warsito — 2026-06-24

This article explores the shift from representational to presential knowledge in Islamic epistemology by examining Suhrawardī’s concept of ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī (knowledge through presence). Drawing on his critique of the Peripatetic tradition in Ḥikmat al-Ishrāq, this article aims to examine two things: Suhrawardī’s study of the epistemological foundations of representative knowledge in the Peripatetic tradition, as well as its weaknesses in achieving the essence of the truth of knowledge. Using a qualitative, literature-based, and analytical approach, this study argues that Suhrawardī challenged the Peripatetic model—especially that developed by Avicenna—because it reduced knowledge to mental representations formed by definitions and logical reasoning. In his view, such knowledge is indirect because it relies on abstractions that cannot fully capture reality. Sensory perception is also limited, as it cannot grasp intangible or universal truths. In response, Suhrawardī developed ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī as a direct, non-discursive form of knowledge based on immediate presence. Knowledge here is not constructed through concepts or inference, but is revealed through insight (ishrāq), where the soul directly encounters reality. This shift from representation to presence reshapes how knowledge relates to existence and self-awareness. Ultimately, ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī lies at the heart of Suhrawardī’s philosophy of illumination, offering a critique of Peripatetic epistemology and a more integrated vision of knowledge, existence, and spiritual insight. Suhrawardī’s formulation of ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī as an alternative to conceptual-representational knowledge (‘ilm ḥuṣūlī).

Epistemological Peacebuilding in Mohammed Arkoun’s Dialogical Ethics

Tita Rostitawati — 2026-06-24

Religious conflict in plural societies is often addressed through value-based approaches that emphasize tolerance, harmony, and moderation. However, these approaches do not sufficiently explain the epistemological structures through which religious truth is produced, authorized, circulated, and defended. This research reconstructs an epistemological peacebuilding model from the perspective of an Islamic philosopher, namely Mohammed Arkoun, by examining how reasoning closed religious reasoning generates exclusion and how open reason can support dialogical peace. The study applies a qualitative critical-philosophical method with a historical-hermeneutic orientation to Arkoun’s major works, especially Critique of Islamic Reason, The Unthought in Contemporary Islamic Thought, and Rethinking Islam. The analysis focuses on la raison close, la raison ouverte, l’impensé, orthodoxy, and interpretive authority. The analysis shows that religious conflict becomes epistemological when interpretive authority is monopolized, inherited interpretations are treated as final truth, and alternative voices are excluded from legitimate discourse. Conversely, la raison ouverte enables peacebuilding by reopening religious reasoning to historical critique, epistemic humility, dialogical recognition, and ethical public reasoning. This article proposes an epistemological peacebuilding model comprising the diagnosis of closed reason, the deconstruction of absolute claims, and the dialogical construction through open reason. Peacebuilding should therefore be understood not merely as a moral appeal or a procedural conflict-resolution technique, but as a transformation of the epistemic conditions that shape religious truth, authority, and recognition in plural societies.

The Metaphysics of Pan-Islamism

Rahmad Hidayat — 2026-06-25

This article deconstructs the contemporary crisis of Pan-Islamism, which has undergone a desacralization from the metaphysical essence of unity (waḥdah) into a pragmatic instrument of the nation-state. The research objective is to re-evaluate the spiritual foundation of Islamic political solidarity amidst global secular hegemony. Utilizing the framework of theopolitics of the absolute and neo-Sufism, this study performs a comparative-ontological analysis of two polar orientations: Iran’s ontology of resistance and Indonesia’s epistemology of moderation. This study asserts that Indonesia represents a desacralization crisis, where its moderation model acts as an epistemic hijab that reduces Islam’s transcendental energy into sociological harmony compromised by Western-liberal narratives. This decline is analyzed through the malady of al-wahn—excessive love for materiality—which erodes the ummah’s ontological courage. Conversely, Iran actualizes irfān-i siyāsī, a transformative mysticism grounded in waḥdah al-wujūd and futuwwah, integrating tazkiyah al-nafs with revolutionary struggle. The primary finding affirms that authentic Pan-Islamism is a logical consequence of theological negation (lā ilāha), suggesting that true Sufism is not an escapist retreat but zuhud-activism—a manifesto of liberation against modern idols of power. This spirit resonates with Malāmatiyyah-anarchism, a chivalrous courage (al-fatā) to resist structural injustice. The conclusion offers a re-orientation of Pan-Islamism rooted in ontological sovereignty, restoring politics as a sacred stage for Divine justice through a fusion of inner depth and concrete socio-political action.

The Ontology of Mysticism as the Foundation of Deliberative Rationality in the Thought of Abdolkarim Soroush

Taufik Hidayatulloh — 2026-06-25

The crisis of religious authority, identity polarization, and informational disruption in the contemporary public sphere indicate a tension between religious truth claims and the demands of deliberate rationality within plural societies. Abdolkarim Soroush’s thought offers a conceptual distinction between religion as a transcendent reality and religious knowledge as a historical construction, thereby opening the possibility for a reinterpretation of the relationship between mysticism and political rationality. This study aims to analyze how the ontology of mysticism in Abdolkarim Soroush’s thought establishes a normative foundation for deliberative rationality and inclusive political ethics in contemporary society. The research employs a qualitative design using normative-critical philosophical analysis. Data was collected through library research and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The findings indicate that Soroush’s ontology of mysticism generates an awareness of epistemic limitation that develops into epistemic humility as the basis of dialogical ethics. This awareness becomes the foundation of deliberative rationality, rejecting the absolutization of interpretation and affirming intersubjective argumentative validation. Within this construction, mysticism provides a normative orientation for inclusive political ethics that upholds interpretative pluralism and equality of arguments. It can be concluded that Soroush’s ontology of mysticism offers a philosophical basis for integrating spirituality and public rationality. Epistemic humility strengthens deliberate legitimacy in plural societies and contributes to the development of deliberative democracy grounded in metaphysical awareness and argumentative responsibility, while encouraging more inclusive, reflective, and ethically oriented public dialogue efforts.

Bridging the Existential Gap Toward an Islamic Eco-Spiritual Synthesis of Phenomenology and Deep Ecology

Didi Supandi — 2026-06-25

The ecological crisis is commonly described through technical vocabularies of emissions, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and conservation policy. This article argues that such a description is necessary but philosophically insufficient, because ecological breakdown also discloses an existential dislocation: the loss of dwelling, the erosion of ecological identity, and the desacralization of nature as a meaningful cosmos. Using a philosophical-hermeneutic method, the study analyzes selected texts in phenomenology, deep ecology, contemporary eco-anxiety research, and Islamic philosophical-spiritual thought. The article develops an integrated relational ontology that connects three levels of diagnosis: modern enframing turns nature into standing-reserve; anthropocentrism narrows moral community and ecological selfhood; and secular-immanent ethics often lacks a transcendent ground for restraint, responsibility, and reverence. Islamic eco-spirituality, especially the concepts of āyāh, amānah, khilāfah, mīzān, tazkiyah, and the metaphysics of tajallī and tashkīk al-wujūd, is then proposed as a normative-metaphysical grammar for ecological recovery. The study also critically notes that Islamic concepts do not automatically produce ecological transformation without pedagogy, institutions, and social practice. By engaging in recent studies on climate emotion, ecological literacy, eco-pesantren, and religious environmental education, the article shows how metaphysical vision can be translated into communal formation. It concludes that ecological restoration requires more than policy correction. It requires existential conversion toward relational dwelling, moral humility, and spiritually grounded responsibility for the more-than-human community.