al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya
- Author died
- 920 AH
- Editions
- Dar Rikabi lil-Nashr
al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya (The Divine Openings and the Unseen Keys) is a complete Sufi commentary on the Quran by the mystic and scholar Nimatullah ibn Mahmud al-Nakhjawani (d. 920 AH / 1514 CE), completed in 902 AH (1496–1497 CE) .
Composition and Context
The author, also known as Baba Nimat or Shaykh 'Ilwan, was originally from Nakhchivan in the Caucasus and later settled in Aksehir in Anatolia, where he died . He composed the commentary in 902 AH . The full title given in the work is al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya al-Muwaddiha lil-Kalim al-Qur'aniyya wa al-Hikam al-Furqaniyya (The Divine Openings and Unseen Keys Clarifying the Quranic Words and Decisive Wisdoms) . According to Tashkubrizadah in al-Shaqaiq al-Numaniyya, al-Nakhjawani authored the work without directly consulting other Quranic commentaries, writing from his own mystical insights while formulating deep metaphysical realities in an eloquent style .
Method and Contents
The commentary is structured around Sufi mystical and allusive interpretation (‘ala lisan al-qawm) . Before delving into the sequential interpretation of the Quranic text, the author opens with a comprehensive theoretical framework (asl kulli) that sets out core Sufi doctrines . This introductory section covers:
- The nature of pure existence (al-wujud al-baht), the divine self (al-Dhat al-Ahadiyya), and the Muhammadan reality (al-Haqiqa al-Muhammadiyya) .
- The inner meanings of divine revelation, inspiration, prophethood, and sainthood (wilaya) .
- The spiritual dimensions of religious obligations, worship, and eschatological realities such as the resurrection, the scales, paradise, and the fire .
Throughout the work, the openings of the chapters (fawatih al-suwar) expound on the hidden mysteries of existence, while the concluding portions of the chapters are devoted to spiritual counsels directed at practitioners of contemplation and insight .
Reception and Publication
The work was praised by Ottoman scholars as a treasure of esoteric knowledge and mystical states, though it remained largely in manuscript obscurity for an extended period . It was published in a two-volume printed edition in Istanbul through the patronage of al-Hajj Ahmad Mukhtar Bey al-Istanbuli .
Answer updated