Banquet of the Brethren: An Ismaili Guide to Spiritual Hermeneutics

Rahim Gholami is a Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK. He received his PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter, UK, in 2021. He has translated over 100 articles for Encyclopaedia Islamica (2008- ), an abridged and edited translation of the Persian Da'irat al- Ma'arif-i Buzurg-i Islami, which is a comprehensive reference work on the Muslim world, with a focus on Shi'i Islam. His research interests include Shi'i esoterism and poetics, Ismaili intellectual traditions, and esoteric hermeneutics and literature.

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• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction to the editionPersian edition of Khwan al-IkhwanIn the Name of God Whose Remembrance Brings Blessings Exordium The List of the One-Hundred Courses that Are Laid out in this Book Course 1Discourse On the Method of Receiving Knowledge .Course 2Discourse On the Signifier and the SignifiedCourse 3Discourse On the Name and the Named ThingCourse 4Discourse On the Proof of Reality Course 5Discourse On Truth and Falsehood and Reasons for an Excess of Falsehood in People’s Speech Course 6Discourse On the [Nature of People’s] Return Course 7Discourse On the Degrees of Reward Course 8Discourse On the Proof of the Immateriality of the Soul: Hence the Necessity of Incorporeal Nature of the Soul’s Reward and Punishment Course 9Discourse On the Proofs, Discerned by the Intellect, Why the Wrong-Doer Is the Enemy of God? Course 10Discourse On the Universal Intellect, That It only Contemplates Its Essence Course 11Discourse On Reward and Punishment Course 12Discourse On the Finiteness of all Beings and Their Ultimate Limit Course 13On the Manner in Which Humankind Began Course 14On Explaining the World of Intellect and of Soul Course 15On Why the Universal Soul Shares Its Benefit of Knowledge Only with People, But Not with the Rest of the Animals Course 16On Why the Prophets Require Their People to Bear Witness to the Oneness of [the Lord] Course 17That Anything the Prophet, Peace Be upon Him, Allowed and Did It Himself Is Reasonable, Whereas Anything That He Forbade and Did Not Do It Himself Is Unreasonable Course 18Why Do the People of Paradise Enjoy Lasting Bliss, While the People of Hell Suffer Enduring Pain? Course 19That People’s Deeds are Eternal, And God Will Not Be Indifferent to Their Deeds Sinful and Virtuous Course 20Discourse On the Soul: Having Been Purified, It Finds Subtle Realities and Beings Within Itself Course 21On the Origination of the World and the Parts of which Are Subtle and Dense Course 22That It Is Necessary to Follow the Religious Law and Proof That It Is Not Right to Abandon It Course 23On the Pure Ipseity of the True Originator Course 24Discourse On Allah That Is the Greatest Name of God Course 25Discourse On the Characteristics that Qualify People for Prophethood Course 26Discourse Concerning the Lord of the Resurrection and Why He Has Brought a New Religious Law? Course 27Why Are the Intellect and the Soul Not of the Same Rank If Both of Them Have Their Source in the Command [of God], While There Is No Differentiation in That World?Course 28That the Intellect Is the First Originated Thing Course 29Discourse That It Is Impossible to Imagine Anything Prior to the Intellect Course 30That the Soul Is a Compound [Substance] by Essence Course 31Discourse on the Rational Soul’s Mastery of the Sensuous SoulCourse 32Discourse on the Proof of the Universal Soul Course 33That the Movements of the Celestial Sphere (Falak) Are Not in Discord with the Intention of the Universal Soul Course 34That God Is Beyond Accruing Benefit or Suffering Loss Course 35Discourse On the Psychical Powers of the Individual Souls Course 36Discourse On Cleansing the Soul of Sin Course 37That the Universal Soul Is the Creator of the NaturesCourse 38Discourse on the Proof of the Reward and Punishment Course 39Discourse Concerning God’s Omnipresence Course 40That the Corporeal World Is on the Horizon of the Universal Soul ???Course 41Discourse On the Cold and Heat of the Resurrection Course 42Discourse on [the Nature] of the Barzakh Course 43Discourse On the Difference Between the Soul and the Spirit Course 44Discourse On the Necessity to Establish the Religious Law Course 45On the Proof of the Annihilation of the Corporeal Body and the Eternity of the Soul Course 46That the Forms of the Corporeal Bodies which Appear in Nature Are Determined by the Universal Soul Course 47That the [Universal] Soul Receives the Benefit of the Universal Intellect Intemporally Course 48That Man’s Soul Is a Part of the Universal Soul, Not Its Effect Course 49That Angels Are Without NumberCourse 50That the Intellect Does Not Perish Course 51That the Intellect is Complete in Actuality and Potentiality Course 52Discourse On the Cause of Time Course 53Discourse On the Quiddity of the Simple World Course 54Discourse On the Manner (Quality) of the Universal Intellect’s WorshipCourse 55That the Reward and Punishment Are Rational Not Sensory Course 56Discourse On Description of Paradise and Hell Course 57That the Form of the World Was Not with God Before the Origination Discourse On Things Natural and Things Made Course 59That the Soul which is [Divinely] Assisted Is Empowered to Communicate Its Nobility to Its Subordinate Soul Course 60That the [Powers in] Being Were Originated with the Origination of the Intellect Course 61Discourse On the Six Sides of the World Course 62That Evil Has No Source Within the Origination Course 63Discourse On the Distinctions of the People of Reward Course 64That the Soul Will Not Attain the Rank of the Intellect Course 65Discourse on the Plurality of the World and the Unity of the Command Course 66Discourse On the Significance of the Word, Kalimah, of the True Originator, the Most Holy Course 67Discourse On the Proof of the Three Spiritual Branches: ‘Good Fortune’ (Jadd), ‘Triumph’ (Fat?), and ‘Imagination’ (Khayal) Course 68Discourse On That Which Cannot Be Imagined Course 69Discourse On the Interpretation Of ‘Be’ (Kun), As the Command of God Course 70Discourse On the Cause of the Continued Existence of the World Course 71That the Intellect Is at Rest Course 72Discourse On the Proof of the Life of the Rational Soul Course 73Discourse On the Proof of the Immateriality of the Intellect Course 74That the World Is Incognizant Course 75On the Discourse of the Intellect with the Soul Course 76On the Manner in Which the Intellect’s Benefit Is Communicated To the Soul Course 77Discourse On the Delight and Pain of the Pure SoulCourse 78Discourse On the Distinction Between Cognition (Ma'rifa) and Knowledge ('Ilm) Course 79That Being Does Not Become Non-Being Course 80Why Do All Living Souls Not Desire the Blessings of the Higher World? Course 81Discourse On the Quality of the Transmission of the Effect of the Universal Soul to Its Recipients Course 82Discourse On the Impossibility of Knowing the Raison D’Être of the WorldCourse 83That the Form of the World Was with the Universal Soul Prior to Its CreationCourse 84Discourse On the Sovereignty of Spiritual Power Over Natural Powers Course 85That the Originated Is Not Like the OriginatorCourse 86Discourse On the Cause of Spiritual Inspiration Reaching the Spiritually Inspired Souls Course 87That the Profession of Faith, That Is La Ilaha Illa Allah, Is the Key to Paradise Course 88Discourse On the Reward of Good and the Punishment of Evil .Course 89Discourse On the Difference Between Eternity, Eternality, and Eternal Course 90Discourse on the Proof of the Resurrection Course 91Discourse On the [Manner of] the Transmission of Spiritual Inspiration to the Inspired Person Course 92Discourse On the Difference Between the Qur'an and the Prophet’s Reported Statements Course 93Discourse On How Things Become Known Course 94Discourse On the Difference Between the Miracle of the Prophets and Magic Course 95Discourse Regarding God’s Choice of a Servant for Prophethood Course 96Discourse Concerning the Wrongness of Two Messengers Coming Simultaneously Course 97Discourse Regarding the Empowering of the Soul Upon Its Departure from the Body Course 98That Following Repentance, Sins Fade AwayCourse 99Discourse Regarding the Revocation of the Religious Law at the Time of the Lord of the Resurrection Course 100Discourse Regarding the Universal Intellect That It Is the [First] Originated, Not the OriginatorIndex of Qur'anic CitationsIndex of Hadith CitationsIndex of Biblical CitationsSelect BibliographyGeneral Index