صراط عشق صراط عشق
The book “Stages of Spiritual Growth (Kitab-al-Insan)” by Seyyed Muhammd Hussain Tabatabaei is translated and annotated by Mehdi Baghi. The book is published in 2021 by Contemporary Thought Publications.
Stages of Spiritual Growth is an English translation of the original Arabic text of Kitab-al-Insan (published in Beirut in 1989), a mistico-theological treatment of the realm of command (i.e., the non-spatial and atemporal world of angels and human spirits, the life of man in this world, and the human existence after this world.
The author, Seyyed Muhammad Hussain Tabatabaei (1903–1981) was a philosopher, an exegete and a mystic who left his indelible mark on Muslim scholarship in the twentieth century. As a superb teacher of Islamic sciences, he trained many important scholars and authored the renowned twenty-volume Quranic commentary Al-Mizān fī Tafsīr Al-Qurān as well as several ground-breaking works on Islamic philosophy and mysticism. Additionally, he wrote numerous books on Shia history and doctrine to bring about a better understanding of Shia Islam throughout the world.
In Part 3, Man after the World, which comprises the bulk of the book, Allama Ṭabaṭabaei discusses in detail the human existence after this world and what is in store for a person after death. The Day of Resurrection, the Day of Recompense (Yawm-al-Jazaʾ), intercession (Shafaʿa), purgatory (Aʿraf), paradise, and hell all receive attention. The last chapter of Part 3 is devoted to remarks on the universality of resurrection. The topics treated in this third part relate to the philosophy of the creation of man, the modality of creation, the different modes of life in this world and the next world, the stages of human creation, the grave, purgatory, and a person’s book of deeds.
Although the author has provided details for some of the references, he cites in many places the translator has provided extra detail. The translator also added a number of annotations in order to clarify some of the ambiguities in the text. The present translator assumes full responsibility for all the errors and mistakes in rendering the original Arabic text into English and adding to the footnotes.
This English translation is but an initial step towards introducing a treasure trove of Islamic theology and mysticism to English readers.
