Lisan al-Hikma

Lisan al-Hikma
لِسان الحِكْمة
Information
Religion	Esoteric Shi'ism
Author	Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim
Language	Riysan
Period	C. 1070
Chapters	12
Verses	2,495

The Lisan al-Hikma is one of the central religious texts of Esoteric Shi'ism. Written in 1070 by Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim, dubbed 'The Teacher' by early Esoteric Shias, the Lisan al-Hikma contains theological expositions, essays, prayers, parables, jurisprudential ordinances, mystical treatises and historical accounts. The book is written in the form of a direct address to the reader, as demonstrated by the constant use of exhortative phrases such as "O thou!", "O people!", "O beloved of the All-Merciful!" and so on. Esoteric Shias consider the Lisan al-Hikma to be second only to the Qur'an of Muhammad and the Nahj al-Balagha of the First Infallible Imam, although in certain areas such as jurisprudence, the Lisan al-Hikma supersedes the two texts as it serves as one of their definitive exegeses, the other being the Ta'wil al-Kabir. It is divided into 12 kalimas, each consisting of varying numbers of verses, totalling at 2,495 verses.

Esoteric Shia tradition narrates that the Lisan al-Hikma was written by Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim, the then-leader of the Esoteric Shia community in Maqtajer, to safeguard the basic tenets of the faith in light of the Shia Schism of Sythith in 1068. Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim was widely recognised by Esoteric Shias of Maqtajer to be a deputy of the Hidden Imam and thus the recipient of the Hidden Imam's wisdom and teachings. For this reason, the Lisan al-Hikma is considered to be divinely-inspired, although occupying a lesser station than that of the Qur'an, the Gospels, the Psalms of David and the Torah — religious texts considered sacred in Islam.

The Lisan al-Hikma presents itself as a book of mystical revelation, intended for the believer as a guidance towards attaining true gnosis, or Irfan. The chapters of the book all begin with doxological verses and end with a formulaic salutation addressed to Abraham, past prophets, the Infallible Imam and to the Lady Fatima.

Originally written in Riysan, the Lisan al-Hikma was translated into the Maqtajeri language sometime in the 1080s, a decade after its first publication. In the 12th century, it was translated into the Anjanian language for the first time. The Anjanian translation served as the source for its subsequent translation into the Latin language during Exponential rule, a period which saw the translation of the Qur'an in Latin. The first English translation of the Lisan al-Hikma was published at Pulamula in 1834 and has since been re-translated from the original Riysan numerous times, the most recent being the authoritative Mount Ilias Edition of 2021 translated by Tahira Visser and Samuel Amatmoekrim.

Interpretation

Exegeses

The Lisan al-Hikma has been an object of many works of interpretation, a great number of which is considered authoritative by Esoteric Shias. The most prominent exegesis of the Lisan al-Hikma is the Elucidation of the Saying of Wisdom (Al-Bayan fi'l-Lisan al-Hikma) by the ninth Auxiliary Imam, Siyyid Mustafa. Interpretations on individual chapters and verses of the Lisan al-Hikma have also been produced throughout Esoteric Shia history by scholars and theologians.

External links

• Mount Ilias Authoritative Translation (English translation of the Lisan al-Hikma)