Afzal al-Din Kashani’s works on logic have not been that much studied neither by the sucssedant logicians in the tradition nor by the contemporary researchers, although his philosophical work is recently rediscovered for its innovative and revolutionary views. In this paper, I wish to extract some of the insights in those works with respect to the foundations of logic and show the link between them and the overall philosophy of Afzal al-Din. My main thesis is that Afzal al-Din's philosophy has to be understood as a kind of subjectivism whose main theme is self-consciousness. Subjectivism would have specific impacts on logic, and offers interpretations of logical concepts which are different from the conceptions offered by realism, which takes an extensionalist approach with respect to the foundations of logic.In this paper, I discuss the non-extensionalist, in particular the dialogical, explanation of the foundations of logic offered by Afzal al-Din Kashani.

Afdal al-Din Kashani is a chear-sighted and sophisticated philosopher who lived in the sixth century. He produced a new system which was both a combination of current philosophical trends of his time such as peripatetic school, illuminative philosophy and mysticism. The result was an integrated philosophical and epistemological system that was peculiar to Afdal al-din Kashani. He not only elaborated on fundamentals of philosophy (hikmah) and knowledge in general, but also devoted parts of his works to discussions about self-knowledge (or marifat al-nafs). His ideus of self-knowledge are coherent and of course, innovative in many aspects. Nevertheless, this greut phisosopher is still fully unknown in scientific and philsosophical circles, what has been done about him up to the present time is nothing but editing and publishing his complete works as well as writing some different biographies. Since exploring his thoughts and ideas in more detail to look for pearls of knowledge in his works seems necessary and significant, it is incumbent upon the present writer to take a further step and introduce this great figure, who is both a philosopher and a mystic, in a scientific research project. Thus, the writer seeks to cast light on one of his major concerns, i.e., the discussions on self to reveal some hidden aspects of his ideas on self-knowledge and makes some interpretive remarks on them.

Attaining and understanding the truth will not be feasible except through mystical wayfaring, which would be possible only through assimilation into shari‘a (religious law) and comprehension of its mysteries; the spiritual states and discourses of a salik (mystical wayfarer) is the realization of this notion. In the course of writings by the dignitaries of knowledge and thought, the legacy of works on theoretical and practical wayfaring and spiritual journey are available like a radiating sun to those thirsty for the pure thoughts and those seeking to arrive at the fountainhead of truth. The sages and divinely endowed scholars have each stated a portion of these mysteries and tried to provide the interested seekers with rays of Divine Light which had radiated on their hearts; thus, leaving behind plenty of books on such issues as mysteries of shari‘a, moralities, and theoretical and practical mysticism.Among these dignitaries, was the prominent mystic, Nur al-Din Muhammad Kashani, renowned as Nur al-Din Akhbari, belonging to the scholarly and mystic-nourishing household of Fayd Kashani and one of the disciples of Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani and ‘Allama Majlisi, who like other friends of Allah were unknown on earth and well-known in heavens. Thus, given the importance and necessity of knowing these noble figures and editing their manuscript works to be presented to the cultural community which is rated among the genuine intellectual and ideological sources, it is attempted in the present article to give a brief biography of the above-mentioned scholar and an introduction and contextual analysis of the valuable and unsurpassed manuscript, Misafat al-Ashbah wa Mijalat al-Arwah, known as The Book of Thinking, from among the works of this divinely endowed scholar and prominent mystic, which I have edited myself as well.

Afdal al-Din Kashani, the philosopher and divine sage of the sixth and seventh centuries, has written several works, in particular in the field of self-knowledge. One of the most significant philosophical concepts to which almost every philosopher has paid attention and Afdal al-Din has also given an independent vote on, is the concept of the “ time” and its relation to the aeon and eternity. He, like other metaphysicians, considers a transcendent principle for time which belongs to the world of immaterial things or intelligentsia. He considers “ time” as the moving image of immortality, while he applies the word “ aeon” instead of benefiting from the word of immortality. From Afdal’ s point of view, Dahr is determined as the amount of existence. The important point is that the philosophy of Afdal is based on intuition and self-consciousness. Therefore, he is more likely to belong to the Ishraqiyun. Also, his emphasis on aeon, as the truth from eternity to eternity, leads us to the ancient origins of Afdal's viewpoint, in particular its relation to Zurvanite esoterism. In present paper, after mentioning the background about philosophical and mystical concepts of time, we will examine the Baba Afdal’ s viewpoint in this regard beside explaining his mystical approach.

Saqinameh is one of the most heartwarming types of Persian poetry, in which various themes are used. In Saqinameh of Mo’in-al-Din Ahmad of Kashan, the poet sings some couplet to the Saqi and the Musician, then asks them to play the instrument and sing. This research was done in a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library resources. This article defines the characteristics of the Mo’in-al-Din Ahmad bin Mohsen Feyz Kashani. The importance of this research is that it includes interpretations and descriptions of the saqi, wine, pub, Tavern, musical instruments and songs, as well as mystical themes. A review of the themes outlined in the poetry of Mo’in-al-Din Ahmad shows that in the most important part of the Saqinameh, which is the condemnation of the world and people, he speaks in the position of mystic and preacher with a more believable view of the instability and ephemeral nature to make his audience aware of the world of the hereafter that he will stop doing evil and gathering money. The wine in the book of Mo’in-al-Din Ahmad is mystical and divine love, and considers it the same feeling of happiness connected to the beloved of Eternity. Another point is the presence of Khayyam thought in the poet's book.

Qorb (Closeness or Proximity) in the Sufi dictionary is a mystical state and means obedience that brings the obeyer close to the obeyed. The authors of this study intend to investigate the opinions of Ibn Arabi and Izz al-Din Kashani about mystical closeness, the type of perception, innovation, and commonalities and differences of these two Sufi thinkers using a descriptive-analytical method based on library documents. Based on the results of the research, they consider Qorb-e Nawafel (recommendation) to be superior to Qorb-e Farayez (obligation) and link the reason of superiority to divine love. True Qorb in the view of the two is not reaching God and observing him; rather, in Kashani's opinion, this type of closeness is connected to a special passion, in ascending levels, which is continuous and permanent. In Ibn Arabi's view, mystics are constantly observing proximity, and this observation is nothing but the manifestation of God. Both of them believe that God-given knowledge is special for close people. It is one of the requirements to reach real closeness. Both believe that God-given knowledge is reserved for mystics who are close to God. By linking mystical closeness to the two categories of ‘spiritual gathering’ and ‘internal dispersion’, Kashani believes that in complete closeness, the seeker's soul in the place of gathering, despite the attribute of humility in its servitude, also has the attribute of perfection and ascension to high levels. However, by distinguishing this type of interpretation, Ibn Arabi believes that some great Sufis, because of their belief in closeness in the position of spiritual gathering and distance in the position of separation, have included the knowledge of distance in the matter of closeness. Kashani calls the manifestation in the non-material as distant manifestation, and the manifestation in material as close manifestation. Both thinkers believe that getting close to God depends on research and science in the position of servitude or worship. Keywords: Qarb, Qorbe Nawafel (Recommendation) and Farayez (Obligation), Mystical State, Ibn Arabi, Kashani. IntroductionQorb implies obedience, which causes the obeyer to be close to the obeyed. According to Seraj Tusi, one of the pioneers of Sufi, closeness is obedience that leads to obedience. Tusi lists the group of close friends in three groups: first; those who approach God with all kinds of obedience. Second; the people who, looking at anything, consider God as the cause and closer to that thing, not themselves; in the third group; the closeness of great mystics means those who have reached the end of closeness. They don't see their closeness with the destruction of God and stop recognizing the state of being close or far away due to the intensity of attraction. Most of the Sufis consider Qorb (closeness) as one of the mystical states that can be found in the mystical states through devotion to God. However, the type of perception of each Sufi expert has a relative difference. In general, because all Sufis are inspired by the source of the Islamic religion and the Holy Quran; as a result, the commonalities are more than the differences. In this regard, the present study seeks to investigate the opinions of Ibn Arabi and Izz al-Din Kashani about mystical closeness. Materials and MethodsThis study uses a descriptive-analytical method based on library documents to examine Ibn Arabi and Izz al-Din Kashani’s views on mystical closeness, the type of interpretation, innovation, and the commonalities and differences between these two thinkers of Sufism. The three research questions of the study are: 1) What are the views of Ibn Arabi and Izz al-Din Kashani about mystical Qorb? 2) What are the similarities and differences between the two thinkers regarding Qorb? 3) What is the innovation and distinctive type of perception in the thought of Ibn Arabi and Kashani about Qorb? The basis of the comparative discussion in this study is the American Comparative School of René Wellek (as cited in Lawall, 1988). The theoretician of this school believes that in this type of research, geographical borders and national occasions are removed. Unlike the French comparative school, which emphasizes limiting two comparative thoughts to a common border and the richness of the national language, the American school has no borders. The latter does not recognize and examine cultural relations and human thoughts as a whole without paying attention to historical relations and proving the impactful relations of two cultures and two thinkers across borders. Research FindingsIn Izz al-Din Kashani’s view, Qorb is a mystical state and under the center of love. According to Ibn Arabi, the Qorb of the infinite (regardless of time) is among the authorities, but the Qorb of matter is considered a mystical condition. In Ibn Arabi's opinion, Qorb is desirable, like the attribute of a servant who is close to God. In Kashani's view, the loss of all human characteristics and the absence of closeness is considered true closeness. Both thinkers talk about the difference between Qorb-e Farayez and Qorb-e Nawafel and they believe that Qorb-e Farayez is the manners of servitude and conditional on actions and fulfillment of obligations, but Qorb-e Nawafel is the relationship between the servant and the creator based on love, which is not included in that condition. Therefore, in Qorb-e Farayez, the servant becomes the eyes and ears of the Creator, and in Qorb-e Nawafel, God becomes the eyes and ears of the servant. Observing closeness by the servant, in the opinion of Ibn Arabi and Kashani, makes it impossible to achieve real closeness because true mystics are constantly in close observation through discovery and intuition. According to Ibn Arabi, this observation is the intuition of the manifestation of God, not the creator himself; therefore, he makes a difference between the closeness of the common people and the closeness of mystics. Both thinkers consider God-given and spiritual knowledge to be exclusive to the closeness of mystics. On the other hand, the mystic's awareness and knowledge is also considered an example of closeness. Kashani believes that in complete closeness, the seeker's soul in the place of gathering, despite the attribute of humility in its servitude, also has the attribute of perfection and ascension to high levels. However, by distinguishing this type of interpretation, Ibn Arabi believes that some great Sufis, because of their belief in closeness in the position of spiritual gathering and distance in the position of separation, have included the knowledge of distance in the matter of closeness. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsAs shown in the results of the research, Ibn Arabi's scientific comprehensiveness made him criticize most of the beliefs of the advanced Sufis in his works; among other things, he broke the norm about the type of perception regarding which one is closer to the situation and which one is closer to the authorities. He also considers ‘place’ for Qorb (Closeness) while the early and later Sufis consider closeness to be a mystical state. On the other hand, we also observed similarities between Ibn Arabi and Kashani regarding the Qorb-e Farayez and Nawafel. In this case, Qorb-e Nawafel is considered to be superior to Qorb-e Farayez, which is based on God's love. Kashani considers the foundation of all mystical states to be ‘love’ which is closeness under love and Qorb is also a product of God's love. The results of the research confirm that two types of knowledge are proposed by Kashani and Ibn Arabi; one is the God-given knowledge, which is specific to the close seekers, and the other is the salve (seeker) knowledge, which is considered one of the prerequisites for reaching the highest levels of mystical closeness.

Samarqand scientific School which flourished under Olugh Beig's reign (Timurid prince from A.D1409 to 1450), was the evolutional result of Baghdad, Marageh and Tabriz schools. Ghias al-Din Jamshid Kashani was one of the scientists who had been invited to establish and work in Samarqand Observatory. Some studies have considered his role just to this degree; but revising his works and his researches indicates that he had more influence on Samarqand School and also gained more scientific achievements. By the historical analytic method and by using the primary historic sources and archaeological reports, this article is devoted to answer the following: what was Kashani's role specially in astronomy and mathematics fields in Samarqand Scientific School? Hypothesis indicates that through his scientific innovations in arithmetic (decimal fraction), mechanics, and geometry, he was the chief designer of Samarqand Observatory and the main accountant of Olugh-Beig Astronomical tables. Furthermore, he was the scientific manager and policy-maker of Samarqand Scientific School and its observatory.

Vaulted structure has been in use for nearly 4000 years and believed to have been studied by scientists and builders for nearly 2000 years. There are few publications about the geometry and constructional aspects of arches and vaults before Renaissance age. One of the most interesting works on this subject belongs to Jamshid Kashani known as a mathematician. Ghiayth Al-Din Kashani, has made some valuable contribution in the field of building construction in general and vaulted structures in particular. This paper aims to introduce and analyze a part of his work on building construction, that is on pointed arches. In this paper first we provide a short history of pointed arch. Then we will see a number of works from Roman period to Kashani age which had some contribution about arches. The third part of the paper deals with Kashani's book Meftah Al-Hesab or the key of mathematics. The final section of the paper has devoted to Kasahni's contribution to pointed arches. And finally showing one of the calculation charts which could be used to find different parts of the arches can be the best case in the point.

The subject of shariat (religious laws), tarighat (mystical path) and truth can be seen in the works of Ezz al-Din Mahmud Kashani. Determining the position of these three terms, and their relationship as well as explaining religious teachings based on them, is one of Kashani's central topics. Using the descriptive-analytical method, the present study deals with the position and relationship of these three concepts, their levels and Kashani's mystical attitude, based on them, towards religious teachings. Finally, it examines his approach to the harmonization of mystical teachings with the Quran and tradition, as well as the necessity of adhering to the appearances of shariat. The results of the research indicate that he considers the mentioned concepts as layers of a reality and while combining them, with a mystical approach, analyzes and studies religious teachings. In addition, Kashani sees the origin of pure mystical teachings only in the Quran and tradition and considers adherence to shariat necessary in all cases.

Mullah Mohsen Fayz Kashani is one of the famous people of Kashan in the eleventh century duringthe Safavid era. Fayz Kashani's life coincided with the institutionalization of the Shiite religion in Iran, and he has tried to spread Shiite teachings. He has written many valuable books in the field of Quran, Hadith, Fiq (Jurisprudence), philosophy, moral, and Ethics. Fayz Kashani has been influenced by philosophical and mystical views as well as the scripturalism of his masters. Fayz has also deployed the common traditions of Kashan and succeeded in combining these views significantly in his works. According to fayz, reason, revelation, and mysticism are compatible, and there are various kinds of philosophical and mystical teachings in the hadiths of Shiite Imams. This research through the following the works of Fayz has come to this conclusion that fayz has chosen the hermeneutic approach for resolving the conflict between hadith and mysticism.