In the late twelfth century, the Persian philosopher and mystic Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi composed a work that would transform Islamic thought: The Philosophy of Illumination. Rejecting the dry abstractions of his day, Suhrawardi argued that the deepest knowledge comes not from argument alone but from a direct, luminous vision of reality — a knowing of the heart as much as the mind. At the center of his vision stands a single, dazzling insight: that all being is light, and that the human soul, purified and attentive, can ascend through the hierarchy of lights toward the Light of Lights itself. This modern-English edition renders Suhrawardi's classic in clear, inviting prose while remaining faithful to its meaning and spirit. It includes an introduction to the author and his world, a glossary of key terms, and notes for today's readers. Part of The Sacred Wisdom Library.