The idea of ‘Farr-i Izadi’, on which the Mughal kingship was based, was first developed by which one of the following Sufi saints?

The concept of 'Farr-i Izadi' (Divine Effulgence or Light) was a cornerstone of Mughal kingship, popularized by Abul Fazl in the 'Ain-i Akbari' to justify Akbar's semi-divine status [1]. This idea was rooted in the 'Ishraqi' (Illuminationist) philosophy first developed by the famous Sufi philosopher Shihabuddin Suhrawardi (also known as Shaikh al-Ishraq). Suhrawardi's philosophy posited a hierarchy of light, where the 'Light of Lights' (God) emanates a divine radiance that can be bestowed upon a chosen ruler [2]. This 'Farr-i Izadi' distinguished the king from ordinary mortals and made him a source of spiritual and temporal guidance. While other Sufi orders like the Chishtis (Nizamuddin Auliya) and thinkers like Ibn al-Arabi influenced Mughal thought, the specific philosophical framework of divine light as a basis for kingship is directly attributed to Suhrawardi's legacy .

Sources

1. [1] https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/84182/3/Theme-V.pdf
2. [2] https://archive.org/stream/TheNewCambridgeHistoryOfIslamVolume1/The_New_Cambridge_History_of_Islam_Volume_4_djvu.txt