İşrâkî Gelenekte Fâil Sebep

This study aims to examine the thoughts of Suhrawardī the founder of the
Illuminationist (Ishrāqī) tradition through his work Ḥikmat al-Ishrāq (The
Philosophy of Illumination) on the concept of the efficient cause. However,
the focus is not limited to the efficient cause as one of the four physical
causes, but rather on the metaphysical dimension of the efficient cause
that explains existence in its entirety, encompassing all levels of being.
For this reason, Suhrawardī’s Illuminationist ontology has been reviewed.
To establish the necessary intellectual context and to better understand
Suhrawardī, this study also addresses the thoughts on the efficient cause
of earlier philosophers. These precursors include the philosophies of
Greek philosophers and Chaldean thought. Furthermore, the approaches
of Islamic philosophers, notably Kindî, Fârâbî, and Ibn Sīnâ, regarding the
efficient cause are included. The inclusion of these previous philosophical
systems illuminates the background against which Suhrawardī formulated
his unique perspective.
The core of study centers on the Light (Nūr) metaphysics, which defines
the Illuminationist system. Light is not simply a visible phenomenon, but
the sole reality, conceived as quiddity (haqiqa, māhiya). It is defined as
that which is self-manifest and makes others manifest, thereby inherently
functioning as the efficient power. Suhrawardī criticizes the Peripatetic
view by considering existence (wujūd) as merely a conceptual attribute
(al-Iʿtibār al-aqlī). Causality flows from the apex of the system, the Light of
Lights (Nūr al-Anwār), which is the absolute efficient cause. This emanation
is structured through a hierarchy of lights, where differentiation occurs
based on degrees of perfection (kamāl) and is dynamically governed
by the reciprocal relationship of domination and love. Key ontological
components, such as the World of Images, are also analyzed for their role
as intermediary causal layers. Additionally, the study includes supporting
comments from Şehrezûrî’s work Sharḥ Ḥikmat al-Ishrāq.
Keywords: Suhrawardī; Philosophy of Illumination; Efficient cause;
Light; Quiddity; Reality; World of images