William C. Chittick

Certainly the Muslim mystics and philosophers sometimes display a certain mutual opposition and antagonism, but never does their relationship even approach incompatibility. The debates and discussions between the two schools are concerned mainly with the limitations and shortcomings of their respective methods of acquiring knowledge… In general, the later we move in Islamic history — especially in Iran, where philosophy remained vigorously alive — the more interchange and harmony we find between the two perspectives.

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Originally published in Religious Studies, 17, 1, 1981. Republished here with thanks.