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Part of a series on Islam Sufism
Tomb of Abdul Qadir Gilani, Baghdad, Iraq
Ideas Abdal Al-Insān al-Kāmil Baqaa Dervish Dhawq Fakir Fana Hal Haqiqa Ihsan Irfan Ishq Karamat Kashf Lataif Manzil Ma'rifa Maqam Murid Murshid Nafs Nūr Qalandar Qutb Silsila Sufi cosmology Sufi metaphysics Sufi philosophy Sufi poetry Sufi psychology Salik Tazkiah Wali Yaqeen
Practices Anasheed Dhikr Haḍra Muraqabah Qawwali Sama Whirling Ziyarat
Sufi orders Alians Ba 'Alawi Bektashi Qadiri Chishti Naqshbandi Shadhili Suhrawardi Rifa`i Khalwati Rahmani Badawi Desuqi Tijani Darqawi Idrisi Senusi Bayrami Jelveti Maizbhandari Malamati Mouridi Sülaymaniyya Salihiyya Azeemia Kubrawi Mevlevi Shattari Uwaisi Hurufi Ni'matullāhī Nuqtavi Qalandari Safavi Zahabiya Akbari Galibi Haqqani Anjuman Inayati Issawiyya Jerrahi Madari Mahdavi Noorbakshi Zahedi Zikri
List of sufis Notable early Notable modern Singers
Topics in Sufism Tawhid Sharia Tariqa Haqiqa Ma'rifa Art History Sufi music Persecution Ziyarat
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Part of a series on Sunni Islam
Beliefs God Prophets and Messengers Holy books Succession to Muhammad Angels Judgement Day Predestination Sahaba
Five Pillars Declaration of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage
Rightly-Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr Umar Uthman Ali
Schools of law Hanafi Maliki Shafi'i Hanbali Others Zahiri Awza'i Thawri Laythi Jariri
Schools of theology Ash'arism and Maturidism (Ahl al-Ra'y) Atharism (Ahl al-Hadith) In terms of Ihsan: Sufis (Ahl al-Wijdan wa al-Kashf)
Contemporary movements Barelvi movement Deobandi movement Salafism Wahhabism Ahl-i Hadith Modernism Neo-traditionalism Farahi
Holy sites Mecca Medina Jerusalem
Lists Literature Kutub al-Sittah History Persecution
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Part of a series on Shia Islam
Twelver Shi'ism
The Fourteen Infallibles Muhammad Fatimah The Twelve Imams Ali Hasan Husayn al-Sajjad al-Baqir al-Sadiq al-Kazim ar-Rida al-Taqi al-Naqi al-Askari al-Mahdi
Principles Monotheism Justice Prophethood Imamate Judgement Day
Other beliefs Imamate of the Family Angels Mourning of Muharram Intercession Occultation Wilayat al-Faqih Usul al-fiqh Ijtihad Taqlid Irfan
Practices Salat Sawm Hajj Zakat Khums Jihad Amr bi-l maʿrūf Nahy ani l-Munkar Tawalli Tabarri
Other practices Mourning of Muharram Arba'een Pilgrimage Intercession
Holy cities Mecca Medina Najaf Karbala Mashhad Jerusalem Samarra Kadhimiya Qom
Groups Ja'fari Usuli Akhbari Shaykhi
Other related sects and groups Alawites Sufi orders and Alevism Qizilbash Safaviyya Bektashism and folk religion Malamatiyya Qalandariyya Hurufism Bektashism Galibi Ni'matullāhī
Scholarship Law Marja' (list) Hawza Ayatollah (list) Allamah Seghatoleslam Hojatoleslam Ijtihad
Hadith collections The Four Books Kitab al-Kafi Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih Tahdhib al-Ahkam Al-Istibsar Other hadith collections Book of Sulaym ibn Qays Bihar al-Anwar Wasā'il al-Shīʿa Reality of Certainty Nahj al-Balagha Mafatih al-Jinan Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya Al-Amali
Sources of ijtihad and jurisprudence Qur'an Hadiths of The Infallibles Consensus Reason
Related topics List of Twelver Shia books Criticism of Twelver Shi'ism
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In Islam, irfan (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: عرفان; Turkish: İrfan), literally 'knowledge, awareness, wisdom', is a concept in Islamic mysticism akin to gnosis, or spiritual knowledge.

Sunni mysticism

According to the founder of the Qadiriyya Sufi order, Abdul Qadir Gilani irfan is the acknowledgement of God's unity. This acceptance is achieved by studying under Islamic scholars who give insight on the internal meanings of Islamic rituals, such as the salah. Reflection upon the practice of Islam with the guidance of respected Islamic scholars is a form of "nearness to God".

Shi'ite mysticism

Ali al-Sistani defines true irfan as the practice of reciting prescribed duas (prayers) taught by the Twelve Imams, praying the night prayer, and seeking God's pleasure through mustahabb (recommended) actions.

Among the best-known modern Shia proponents of irfan were Usuli theologians Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, Ruhollah Khomeini, Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani, Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli, and Ali Tabatabaei.

See also

• Hikmah
• Irfan (name)
• Ma'rifa
• Hikmat al-Muta’aliyah

References

1. Mutahhari, Murtaza; Tabataba'i, Muhammad Husayn; Khomeini, Ruhollah (2000). Light Within Me. Ansariyan Publications.
2. al-Jīlānī, ʻAbd al-Qādir (2000). The Book of the Secret of Secrets and the Manifestation of Lights. Al-Baz Publishing, Incorporated. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-882216-23-9.

External links

• "Sufism of Iran" - A Reference website for Sufi books
• Articles related to Irfan on Al-Islam.org

v t e Sufism terminology
Sufis	Abdal Ahl al-Khutwa Al-Insān al-Kāmil Bash Hezzab Dervish Fakir Hafiz Hezzab Imam Khatib Majzoob Marabout Mudaqiq [ar] Muqaddam Muqarrab Murshid Mutahaqiq [ar] Murid Nass al-Houdhour Pir Qalandar Qāriʾ Qutb Rabbani Salik Sheikh Siddiq Sufis ranks Talibe The Seven ranks [ar] Wali Wasil
Concepts	Aayane [ar] Aayane Thabita [ar] Aql Baqaa Dhawq Fana Ghaflah Hal Hijab Huwa Ihsan Ishq Ismul Azam Lataif-e-Sitta Maqam Nafs Qalb Ran Rūḥ Sadr Yaqeen
Awrad	Dhikr Djamaa [ar] Djoua [ar] Dua Ibara [ar] Ichara [ar] Latifa Lazimi Muhasabah Muraqabah Raising hands in Dua Sabr Sahar [ar] Salat al-Fatih Salawat Samt [ar] Shuhud [ar] Shukr Sufism pillars Tafakur Tahara [ar] Tahlia [ar] Takhlia [ar] Tawajud [ar] Tawakkul Tawassul Tazkiah Uzla [ar] Wajd Wazifa Zarruqiyya Wird Zuhd
Waridates	Barakah Basirah Bast [ar] Djadba [ar] Fath [ar] Haqiqa Hidayah Ilham Irfan Ishrak Karamat Kashf Khatir Ma'rifa Nūr Qabdh [ar] Rabita [ar] Ru'ya Secret Tajalli Thawab Uns [ar] Walayah Warid
Misconducts	Antinomianism Rahbaniya Shath Taqabbur Zandaqa
Ceremonies	Ashura Bay'ah Haḍra Hizb Rateb Idjaza Mawlid Mawsim Salka Sbooa [fr] Sebiba Silsila Sufi orders Tariqa Tweeza Wezeea Ziyarat
Arts	Ashewiq [ar] Madih nabawi Nasheed Naʽat Qawwali Sama Sufi cosmology Sufism history Sufi literature Sufi metaphysics Sufi music Sufis persecution Sufi philosophy Sufi poetry Sufi psychology Sufi whirling
Places	Daara Dargah Datuk Keramat Eidgah Gonbad Gongbei Jama masjid Jama'at Khana Khalwa Khalawi Khanqah Külliye Kuttab Madrasa Maqam Maqbara Mausoleum Mazar Mosque Musalla Qubba Rauza Ribat Surau Takya Turbah Türbe Zawiya
Objects	Ammama Balgha Burnous Djellaba Gandoura Jellabiya Khirqa Misbaha Miswak Prayer rug Qashabiya Tagelmust Taqiyah Tarboosh Turban

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