The persistent prejudice holds that philosophical reflection in the Islamic cultural sphere came to a complete standstill after the death of Ibn Rushd (Averroës, died 1198). However, the reception of the philosophical work of Shihab ad-Din al-Suhrawardi (died 1191) demonstrates that even after the turn of the 13th century, there was still intensive and innovative engagement with philosophy in the Islamic world. Unlike in the European context, the further development of philosophical thought here was characterized by an approach to mysticism. Al-Suhrawardi's "Philosophy of Illumination" (hikmat al-ishraq), which the author presents as a superior alternative to the Aristotelianism of Ibn Sina (Avicenna, died 1037), is one of the most influential attempts to systematically and rigorously carry out such a synthesis and to capture its metaphysical and epistemological foundations.