Abstract

The celebrated Sufi Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd al-Baghdadi's decisive formulation of the theory of al-fana' and al-baqa' is investigated in conjunction with his theory of the return of the soul through annihilation to its first state, comprehension or inclusion of the soul in the Divine Being. The usages of the terms "al-fana" , "al-baqa'" and their derivatives are traced from their first usage in the Koran through their usage by al-Kharraz, the first Sufi formulator of the theory of annihilation and subsistence of the soul, to al-Junayd's usages. The causes and effects of annihilation, subsistence, and establishment according to al-Junayd are elucidated. A serious logical difficulty is discovered in al-Junayd's comprehensive theory in that annihilation , subsistence , and establishment of the soul are found to be simultaneous, hence indistinguishable. Finally, a revision of the theory is made in which annihilation of the soul, its subsistence in the Godhead , and its subsequent re-establishment in the temporal world are seen to be a single-cyclical process. ;A subsidiary investigation is made into the relationship between Plotinus and al-Junayd in their shared theory of the return of the soul to its first state: comprehension in, and absorption into, the Divine Unity. The translations of Porphyry's paraphrases of Plotinus' Enneads into Arabic, The Uthulujiyya Aristatalis and Risalat fi'l-ilmi al-ilahi --both translated by al-Himsi, the former sometime before 250 A.H./864 A.D.--are investigated with the consequent conclusion that none of the usages of the terms "al-fana'," "al-baqa'" and their derivatives therein anticipate al-Junayd's usages of the terms. Hence, al-Junayd is found not to be directly influenced by either Greek or Arabic Neoplatonism in his formulation of the doctrine of mystical annihilation of the soul and its subsistence in the Godhead