Introduction and Analytical Examination of the Commentary on Avicenna's Qasida Ayniyya (Ruhiyya) Authored by Musannifak Shahroudi Bastami, Based on the Manuscripts of This Work

Introduction and analytical examination of one of the significant yet lesser-known commentaries on Avicenna’s ‘Ayniyya Ode, authored by Shaykh ‘Ali ibn Majd al-Dīn Muḥammad, known as Muṣannifak Shāh-rūdī Bāstāmī (d. 875 AH), constitutes the subject of the present study. A descendant of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, he was proficient in various disciplines, including Arabic literature, jurisprudence, theology, Qur’anic exegesis, and Sufism. He composed this commentary in Bāstām in 837 AH and, following his migration to Anatolia, dedicated it to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. This commentary draws upon a wide array of sources, ranging from religious texts (Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions) to philosophical, theological, and mystical works, and stands as a prominent example of the synthesis of philosophy, theology, and mysticism within the Islamic tradition. It also bears witness to the inextricable link between Avicennan philosophy and Islamic mysticism. The primary objective of this research is to introduce the work, analyze its content, and elucidate the method employed by Muṣannifak in interpreting this ode. This study has been conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library resources and the codicological examination of four authoritative manuscripts of the aforementioned commentary. The findings of the research indicate that Muṣannifak’s commentary on the ‘Ayniyya Ode is among the most neglected interpretive heritages of Avicennan philosophy. While remaining faithful to Avicenna’s intellectual system, it offers a reading based on multiple layers of meaning within the text. It further demonstrates that, according to his interpretive methodology, he examines Avicennan philosophy in connection with the principles of Islamic mysticism and theology. By investigating the collection of manuscripts of this work, the present study highlights Muṣannifak’s role as a bridge in the transmission of the intellectual heritage of Khurāsān to the Ottoman realm.