Nariman Aavani

Scholar-in-Residence, 2024-2025

Nariman Aavani specializes in Islamic philosophy and Sufism in Iran and the Indian subcontinent from the 13th century to the early 1800s. Within this framework, he has a particular interest in exploring the historical and philosophical dynamics of Hindu-Muslim relations, both during the Mughal period in India and across various regions. During his time at Seldon, he will be working on transforming his dissertation into a book and several articles, covering topics such as the role of emotions in Islamic ethics and Islamic perspectives on the significance of music and poetry in self-cultivation.

Prior to joining Seldon, Nariman was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He received his PhD and MTS (Master of Theological Studies) from Harvard University.

Areas of Expertise: Islamic Philosophy, Sufism, Persian Sufi Literature, Hindu-Muslim Relations, Indian Philosophy

  • Education 

    Ph.D. Harvard University, Committee on the Study of Religion (2023) 

    M.T.S. Harvard University, South Asian Traditions (2016) 

    M.A. The George Washington University, Islamic Studies (2014) 

    B.A. University of Tehran, Philosophy (2011) 

    Areas of Expertise 

    Islamic Philosophy, Sufism, Persian Sufi Literature, Hindu-Muslim Relations, Indian Philosophy 

    Academic Appointments 

    2023-2024 Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Chicago, Divinity School 

    2024-2025 Associate Researcher, University of Chicago, Divinity School 

    2024-2025 Scholar in Residence, Seldon Institute, Chicago 

    Publications 

    Articles in Peer-Reviewed Venues 

    “Seeing with Two Eyes: Ibn ‘Arabī on Ecstatic Utterances in the Context of His Sufi Metaphysics,” Journal of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society, 69: (2021), 1-31. 

    “Afḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī on the Principle of Unification” in Islamic Philosophy from 12th to 14th Century, edited by A. Al-Ghouz (Bonn: Bonn University Press, 2018), 409-428. 

    “Platonism in Safavid Persia: Mīrdāmād and Āqājānī on the Platonic Forms” in Ishraq: Islamic Philosophy Yearbook, 8: (2017), 112-137. 

    A translation from Arabic of Jalāl al-Dīn Dawānī’s Risālat al-zawrā’ in An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia: Vol. 5: From the School of Shiraz to the Twentieth Century, edited by S.H. Nasr et al. (London: I.B. Tauris, 2015), 39-47. 

    Encyclopedia Entries Nariman Aavani

    “Qāḍī Sa‘īd Qummī” in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion, edited by Stewart Goetz and Professor Charles Taliaferro (New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2021).

    Articles in Progress 

    “The Hindu Reception of Rūmī’s Mathnawī in Mughal India: The Case of Bhūpat Rāy Bīgham (d. 1720)” to be submitted to The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 

    “Gadādhara’s Nava-muktivāda and the Causal Role of Knowledge and Action in Attaining Liberation” to be submitted to the Journal of Indian Philosophy. 

    “The Praṇava in a Persianate Inflection: An Edition, Translation and Analysis of the Om-nāma of Banwālīdās (d. 1666)” 

    “Desire, Emotions and Actions: Suhrawardī (d. 1191) and The Psychology of Action in the Mughal Intellectual Landscape,” to be submitted to the Journal of South Asian Intellectual History. 

    “Muḥammad Yūsuf Ṭihrānī’s (fl. 1696) Life and Works: A Portrait of Islamic Philosophy in the Late Safavid Persia” [co-authored with Khaled El-Rouayheb] 

    Awards, Grants, and Certificates 

    The Alwaleed Bin Talal Doctoral Dissertation Prize in Islamic Studies, Fall 2023 ($3000) 

    Lakshmi Mittal Winter Research Grant, 2022 ($3000) 

    Lakshmi Mittal Summer Research Grant, 2019 ($1500) 

    Presidential Scholar, Harvard University, 2016-2017 ($30000) 

    Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Fellowship, Harvard University, 2016-2019 ($27000) 

    Junior Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University, 2015-2016 ($4000) 

    Teaching Experience

    Instructor of a graduate seminar on “Suhrawardī and His Interpreters,” University of Chicago Divinity School, (Spring 2024) 

    Teaching fellow in “HDS 3065A: The Man of Light: The Philosophy and Spirituality of Henry Corbin (Fall 2020, Spring 2021) 

    Teaching fellow in “HDS 3750: The Bhagavad Gita and Its Commentators (Spring 2020) 

    Teaching Fellow in “AFRAMER 119X: Chocolate, Culture, and the Politics of Food” (Spring 2020) [awarded a certificate for excellence in teaching by Harvard Bok center] 

    Teaching Fellow in “Greek Hero” (Fall 2019) [awarded a certificate for excellence in teaching by Harvard Bok center] 

    Teaching fellow in “Introduction to Islamic Philosophy” at Harvard University. (Fall 2018) [awarded a certificate for excellence in teaching by Harvard Bok center] 

    Instructor in Persian: GW University Summer program, (2013) 

    Teaching Assistant in “Introduction to Islam” at GW (2012) 

    Teaching Assistant in “Islamic Art and Spirituality” at GW (2012) 

    Teaching Assistant in “Shi’ite Islam” GW (2012) 

    Presentations 

    “Ibn ‘Arabī, Śaṅkara and Suhrawardī at Amīr Khusraw's Banquet: Exploring the Commentarial Traditions of Amīr Khusraw's Poetry in South Asia from Jahāngīr Simnānī to Akhgar Ḥaydarābādī” AAR. [November 2023] 

    “Is Volition just an Intensified Desire? Mīr Zāhid Harawī (d. 1689) on Voluntary Actions in Ḥāshiyah Hayākil al-nūr” MEHAT, University of Chicago, [October 2023] 

    “Dawānī’s Sharḥ hayākil al-nūr and the Spread of Suhrawardī’s Thought in Mughal India,” presented at the conference on Islamic Intellectual History in Mughal India, University of Berkeley, October 5th, 2023. “Intellectual Networks between Iran and India During the Mughal Period: The Case of Muḥammad Ibn Maḥmūd Dihdār Shīrāzī,” AAR. [November 2022] 

    “Sayr-i Āfāqī in Gulshan-i Rāz of Maḥmūd Shabistarī,” AAR. [November 2021] 

    “From Natura Universal to Absolute Existence: An Analysis of Jāmī’s Risālah fī al-wujūd,” MESA, San Antonio. [November 2018] 

    “Rūmī on the Human Condition,” presented at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University. [April 2017] 

    “Afḍal al-Din Kāshānī on the Unification of the Intellect, and the Intelligible,” presented at a conference “Islamic Philosophy from 12th to 14th Century” at Bonn University, Germany. [February 2016] 

    “Bābā Afḍal on Philosophy and Self-knowledge”, presented at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University [February 2016] 

    “Madhusūdana Sarasvati (d.1640) and Maḥmūd Shabistarī (d.1340) on Self-knowledge: A Reconsideration of the Categories in Philosophy of Religion,” presented at the American Academy of Religion in Atlanta. [November 2015] 

    Ibn ‘Arabī on Ecstatic Utterances, a paper presented at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University. [February 2015] 

    Service 

    Peer-Reviewer for Refereed Journals: 

    Sophia: Journal of Philosophy and Traditions, 2023-

    Brill Journal of Sufi Studies, 2023-

    Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2023-

    Professional Experience 

    Coordinator for the “Mystical Theology” Lecture Series, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University, 2014-2016.

    Librarian, Cataloging Specialist, and Invoice Processor at Harvard's Widener Library, specializing in Persian, Arabic, and Hindi literature, 2019-2023. 

    Languages 

    Persian (native) 

    Classical Arabic (fluent reading) 

    Sanskrit (fluent reading) 

    Attic and Koine Greek (Intermediate reading) 

    German (competent in reading) 

    French (competent in reading) 

    Hindi (basic) 

    Urdu (basic)