Michel Valsan
Encyclopedia
Michel Valsan was a Muslim scholar and master of the Shadhuliyya tariqah in Paris under the name of Shaykh Mustafa 'Abd al-'Aziz. As well, he was a Romania
n diplomat and a prolific translator who specialized in translating and interpreting the works of the Sufi theoretician Ibn Arabi
.
A follower of Rene Guenon
, Valsan considered Hinduism
, Taoism
and Islam
as “the three main forms of the present traditional world, representing the Middle-East, the Far-East, and the Near-East, as reflections of the three aspects of the Lord of the World.”
Valsan introduced the study of Islamic esoteric doctrine, in particular that of Ibn Arabi
and his school, into the context of the "traditional studies" based around the work of René Guénon
(Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahid Yahya), of which he was a constant and effective defender. Although initially a disciple of Frithjof Schuon
, he later distanced himself from Schuon and the Traditionalist School
Schuon came to represent; declaring his independence in 1950.
Valson served as the director and editor of, and regular contributor to, the journal Etudes Traditionnelles from 1948 until his death in 1974. Valsan died in Paris, France
at the age of 63. A collection of his articles was republished in a posthumous compendium entitled L'Islam et la Fonction de René Guénon (Editions de l'Oeuvre, Paris).
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n diplomat and a prolific translator who specialized in translating and interpreting the works of the Sufi theoretician Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
.
A follower of Rene Guenon
René Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
, Valsan considered Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
as “the three main forms of the present traditional world, representing the Middle-East, the Far-East, and the Near-East, as reflections of the three aspects of the Lord of the World.”
Valsan introduced the study of Islamic esoteric doctrine, in particular that of Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
and his school, into the context of the "traditional studies" based around the work of René Guénon
René Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
(Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahid Yahya), of which he was a constant and effective defender. Although initially a disciple of Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
, he later distanced himself from Schuon and the Traditionalist School
Traditionalist School
The term Traditionalist School is used by Mark Sedgwick and other authors to denote a school of thought, also known as Integral Traditionalism or Perennialism to denote an esoteric movement developed by authors such as French metaphysician René Guénon, German-Swiss...
Schuon came to represent; declaring his independence in 1950.
Valson served as the director and editor of, and regular contributor to, the journal Etudes Traditionnelles from 1948 until his death in 1974. Valsan died in Paris, France
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at the age of 63. A collection of his articles was republished in a posthumous compendium entitled L'Islam et la Fonction de René Guénon (Editions de l'Oeuvre, Paris).