Clearing the Soul for Paradise - Allāma Al-Ḥillī

Clearing the Soul for Paradise (Taslīk al-nafs ilā ḥaẓīrat al-quds) is a concise but comprehensive summa of theology, which al-ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī composed for his son at a midpoint of his career. It addresses all fields of knowledge one needs for informed and grounded belief, from the instrument of logic, through general metaphysics and natural philosophy, to theology, religious ethics, and eschatology. Ḥillī approaches each topic as a focus of debate, marching forth the diverging positions of the full range of earlier theologians (mutakallimūn) and the Peripatetic philosophers. The book is thus designed to engage the inquisitive reader and provides an excellent tool for teaching the foundations of theology.

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Al-Hilli also known as the sage of Hilla, was born in the still existent town of Al Hillah, Iraq. commonly viewed as the centre of Shia Islam when Sunni leaders were in control over Baghdad during his life. He entered into a prominent family of Shia jurists and theologians. His father, Sadid ul-Din al-Hilli, was a respected mujtahid and a leading figure in the Shia community. His maternal uncle Muhaqqiq al-Hilli was also a renowned scholar.

He studied theology and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) in Hilla under the auspices of his father and his uncle, as well as other notable scholars, including: Ali bin Tawus and Ahmad bin Tawus. He also spent some time at the newly established Maragheh observatory, where he studied Avicennan philosophy and mathematics under Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, and was also introduced to the works of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Later, he travelled to Baghdad and became acquainted with the doctrines of Ibn Arabi.

Among his other teachers were Najm al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī al-Kātibī and Maitham Al Bahrani. He also sat with the Sunni scholars to study Sunni Fiqh. Like Al Bahrani and Nasir, ‘Allamah-i Hilli was contemporary with the Mongol upheaval, and played a role similar to that of his teacher.

Allamah-i Hilli was a prolific writer whose bibliography comprises about one hundred and twenty titles. Some of his works have been published, while the manuscripts of others have still to be found.

About the Translator:

Jari Kaukua is Professor of philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. He specialises in Avicenna’s philosophy and its reception in the Islamic world. He is the author of the award-winning book Self-Awareness in Islamic Philosophy (CUP 2015) as well as a number of articles in leading journals of the field.