Ibn Sina has been the object of many contemporary studies, all of which have attempted to examine various angles of the possible connection between Ibn Sina and mysticism. These studies, however, have not fully explored Ibn Sina's understanding of mysticism; he is generally seen as the most rational philosopher who ever lived and, therefore, unlikely to have been a mystic in any sense. In response to this claim, the present study aims to reconsider Ibn Sina's connection with mysticism and to examine his own perception of this tradition. / This thesis first looks at the various factors which may possibly have contributed to Ibn Sina's mystical thought. Two of these were his spiritual consciousness and the Shi'ite milieu of his times. The intellectual tradition in which Ibn Sina lived, and his exposure to different aspects of Islamic intellectual tradition, were another factor that shaped his mystical thought. This thesis also attempts to reread Ibn Sina's mystical works in order to reveal his methodological perspective on mysticism. Ibn Sina incorporates mystical experience in a symbolic narrative into his work. He also theorized about mystical experience, using S&dotbelow;ufi terms like mystical knowledge ('irfan) and love ('ihsq), and tried to explain these experiences in a systematic fashion. / Ibn Sina's main contribution to the field of mysticism is his attempt to reconcile and to connect the different traditions of Neoplatonism, gnosticism, and S&dotbelow;ufism. It is remarkable how these ideas fit into a common framework---that of mysticism. These ideas may possibly stem from his close understanding of and sympathy with S&dotbelow;ufi discourse. Ibn Sina also contributed to a new literary genre in S&dotbelow;ufi literature, most notably in his visionary recitals, which express a sort of mystical experience.

This study examines Fazlur Rahman's understanding of Islamic philosophy by analyzing his attitude towards the works of Muslim philosophers and his belief in the value of the Qur'an's precepts. It pays specific attention to the relationship between his understanding of philosophy and his method of interpreting the Qur'an, since in Rahman's understanding, this method is the only means to satisfy the changing needs of society. It explores Rahman's definition of Islamic philosophy, which is strongly characterized by three religious terms, iman, islam, and taqwa. / The thesis furthermore looks at the reasons why Rahman borrowed certain philosophical expressions of the Muslim philosophers in his works when, at first glance, their doctrines contradict Rahman's own position. Special attention is paid to his book Major Themes of the Qur'an, wherein Rahman discusses human existence and his final destiny through his interpretation of the Qur'an. The thesis concludes that Rahman's Islamic philosophy is a moral one, which is practically oriented and based on his understanding of the Qur'an.

This thesis focuses upon the artistic and poetic subject of the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang, from its origin in the Xiao-Xiang region in the Hunan province of China throughout its dispersal in East Asian countries such as Korea and Japan. Certain aesthetics and iconography were retained from the early examples, throughout the Eight Views’ transformation from the eleventh to the nineteenth century. The subject‟s close associations with poetry, atmospheric phenomena and the context of exile were reflected in the imagery of the painting and the accompanying verses. This thesis will discuss the historic, geographic and poetic origins of the Eight Views, along with a thorough investigation into the artistic styles which various East Asian artists employed in their own interpretations of the series. Furthermore, the dispersal and diaspora of the subject throughout East Asia are also investigated in this thesis. The work of Japanese artist Ando Hiroshige will serve as the concluding apogee. The Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang is an important East Asian artistic subject in both poetry and painting and contains many pervasive East Asian aesthetics.

This thesis examines how Aristotle's theory of friendship deals with differences between persons, given that his paradigm case is that of friendship between men who are excellent without qualification. I argue that because of his teleological understanding of human virtue, Aristotle believes that such men will share a comprehensive set of affective and rational apprehensions of the good; true friends will love and understand each other because of their identity in virtue. / I establish my interpretation against a rival view, which sees Aristotle as sensitive to the need for attentiveness to and valuation of differences between friends: while I show this latter view to be exegetically untenable, I suggest that it is informed by modern understandings of individual uniqueness which provide the basis for a critique of Aristotle. Finally, I explore the implications of a 'difference' critique of Aristotle for his understanding of the bonds which unite political communities.

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This thesis examines the political thought of Dr. Israr Ahmad and the organizations founded and led by him, namely, Markazi Anjuman-i Khuddam al-Qur'an, Tanzim-i Islami, and Tahrik-i Khilafat. He is an intellectual and reformer born in the Indian subcontinent who witnessed the struggle for independence and migrated to Pakistan. During his medical studies he was a member of the Jam'iyat-i Talabah, and after becoming a doctor, he joined the Jama'at-i Islami formed by Mawlana Mawdudi but later left it. The objectives of this thesis are to analyze the main influences on him. This study focuses particularly on Dr. Israr Ahmad's contribution to political thought, that is, his derivation of the process of Islamic Revolution from the sirah, and his modification of this process to suit the present times. He has not only articulated and communicated his thought widely but also formed three organizations to implement the process in Pakistan. The aims, modes of operation, and achievements of the Anjuman and Tanzim are discussed and compared with the Jama'at-i Islami at times. Since Tahrik-i Khilafat is a recent addition, it is discussed only briefly.

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Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-170). / Electronic reproduction. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / vi, 170 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Computer Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-119). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19668