List of Articles
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Open Access Article
1 - سرمقاله
Seyyed Mohammad Khamenei -
Open Access Article
2 - A Critical Study of Fayyadi’s Formulation of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i’s Argument of the Righteous
Ali ShirvaniThe argument of the righteous (burhan-i siddiqin) is the name of a kind of argument in which the middle term is the absolute being or reality itself. ‘Allamah Tabataba’i has a specific interpretation of this argument that has been formulated in different ways. In this p MoreThe argument of the righteous (burhan-i siddiqin) is the name of a kind of argument in which the middle term is the absolute being or reality itself. ‘Allamah Tabataba’i has a specific interpretation of this argument that has been formulated in different ways. In this paper, the writer explains Fayyadi’s formulation of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i’s argument of the righteous and then criticizes it. Here, the writer also demonstrates that this formulation is in contrast to the surface meaning of ‘Allamah’s words. Moreover, he argues that it has remained essentially unfinished and cannot be considered a successful interpretation of the argument of the righteous. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
3 - An Introspective Analysis of Faith in Mulla Sadra’s Interpretation of the Qur’an
Seyyed Muhammed Kazem ‘AlaviAlthough faith constitutes the core of religious discussions, it holds its specific place in interpretive and kalami-philosophical discussions, and different scholars have dealt with it from different perspectives. Mulla Sadra also tackled the central problem of faith i MoreAlthough faith constitutes the core of religious discussions, it holds its specific place in interpretive and kalami-philosophical discussions, and different scholars have dealt with it from different perspectives. Mulla Sadra also tackled the central problem of faith in his interpretation. He founded his philosophical system, the Transcendent Philosophy, based on a thorough examination of various Islamic philosophical trends. However, in his interpretation, he was in a better position to provide a comprehensive view of this topic. The analysis of faith in Mulla Sadra’s interpretation manifests his transcendent approach. Here, the writer explores Mulla Sadra’s methodology in this regard. Given the kalami origin of the problem of faith, Mulla Sadra initially examines various kalami and religious views of this issue based on three kalami features: assent by heart, verbal affirmation, and practical action. From among them, he only sees assent by heart as a factor involved in the nature of faith. At the final stage, he presents a fundamental and transcendent analysis of faith in which he considers it an introspective truth and treats it like other inner affairs. This analysis consists of four parts: In the first one, faith is examined with respect to three areas of knowledge, state, and practice. In the second and third parts, by separating the two “initiation” and “return” processes, he explores the quality of the successive order of these two processes with regard to each other and acknowledges the superiority of the process of return and, as a result, knowledge. At the final stage, he distinguishes “transactive knowledge” from “unveiled knowledge” and considers the acquisition of unveiled knowledge as the main purpose of knowledge seekers. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
4 - A Comparison of the Views of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i and Mulla Sadra about Corporeal Resurrection
Mohsen IzadiIn the Islamic philosophical-kalami tradition, corporeal resurrection has always been one of the most complicated problems. In fact, the philosophers and mutikallimun before Mulla Sadra either failed to explain it or provided an irrational explanation for it. Following MoreIn the Islamic philosophical-kalami tradition, corporeal resurrection has always been one of the most complicated problems. In fact, the philosophers and mutikallimun before Mulla Sadra either failed to explain it or provided an irrational explanation for it. Following Mulla Sadra’s presentation of a rational account of corporeal resurrection, which was in conformity with Shar‘ (religious law), most of the philosophers after him agreed with his theory. Nevertheless, some scholars who did not find his interpretation in conformity with Shar‘ expressed their disagreement with his view. Here, ‘Allamah Tabataba’i, as an advocate of the Transcendent Philosophy, has said nothing about the quality of corporeal resurrection explicitly. Accordingly, some consider him an opponent of Sadrian corporeal resurrection, while some others consider him a follower of Mulla Sadra in this regard. A study of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i’s epistemological geometry manifests the truth that he believed in the notion of corporeal resurrection as intended by Mulla Sadra. This is because, firstly, the philosophical, interpretive, and gnostic principles of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i and Mulla Sadra are in agreement with each other. Secondly, ‘Allamah has expressed neither any disagreement with Mulla Sadra’s theory of corporeal resurrection nor any agreement with that of others. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
5 - Explanation of Gnostic Theophanic Locutions in the Epistemology of the Transcendent Philosophy
Mohammad NejatiAmbiguity and contradiction of expression are among the most important features of gnostic theophanic locutions in the field of epistemology. In Mulla Sadra’s view, the clarity or ambiguity of gnostic intuition is directly related to the extent of the gnostic’s soulish MoreAmbiguity and contradiction of expression are among the most important features of gnostic theophanic locutions in the field of epistemology. In Mulla Sadra’s view, the clarity or ambiguity of gnostic intuition is directly related to the extent of the gnostic’s soulish gradedness and sincerity of innermost in the process of the union of the intellect and intelligible and Shar‘i ascetic practice. Accordingly, he sees the rise of ambiguity in intuition as a product of the lack of gradedness of the gnostic’s soul and also the lack of Shar‘i ascetic practices, which leads to possible manipulations of affirmation and errors and diversions in this process. Regarding the problem of contradiction, based on his ontological principles, Mulla Sadra considers theophanic locutions a contradictory category due to their inclusion of their claims of immanence and unity with God’s essence, which necessitate duality in the essence of external objects. Based on the features mentioned above, he explicitly introduces theophanic locutions as the plight of religion and religious beliefs. However, based on his own epistemological principles, he tries to exonerate the gonstics believing in the Unity of Being, such as Bayazid and Hallaj, from this charge. On the basis of the tasha’un (modes) relationship between the Truth and creation, Mulla Sadra believes that these gnostics’ experience of annihilation means forgetting themselves and their I-ness or egoism and paying their complete attention to God’s Essence. The probable shortcoming of theophanic locutions lies in the fact that these gnostics have experienced the highest level of the union of the intellect and intelligible, which necessitates the same union by essence and by accident. However, such an experience cannot be qualified with unity and immanence, which are the basic features of sufis’ theophanic locutions. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
6 - A Study of the Relationship between the World of Pre-Existence and Platonic Ideas in Mulla Sadra
Ali Muhammed SajediAccording to al-I‘raf Chapter: 172 of the Qur’an, known as verse of Mithaq (pledge), before his presence in this world, man had witnessed in an immaterial, simple, and all-intuitive realm some pure truths, following which he acknowledged the divinity of his God. However MoreAccording to al-I‘raf Chapter: 172 of the Qur’an, known as verse of Mithaq (pledge), before his presence in this world, man had witnessed in an immaterial, simple, and all-intuitive realm some pure truths, following which he acknowledged the divinity of his God. However, after his fall in the human world and attachment to the body and cover of nature, he buried those pure jewels in worldly oblivion. This point is manifested in the works of Plato, the Greek divine philosopher, in his theory of the “Ideas” and the “theory of reminiscence”. The question rising here is: Can we find a relationship between the world of pledge (world of pre-existence) and Platonic Ideas, which have played an important role in explaining the differentiated knowledge of Almighty Truth of other than Him? The present research investigates the view of Mulla Sadra, the founder of the Transcendent Philosophy, in this regard following a descriptive-analytic method and intends to provide his response to the above question. In his view, the quality of man’s presence in that world was like the presence of his soul (spirit) in the world of intellects or the world of divine knowledge before its attachment to the body. At this level of being, he enjoys intellectual unity and all particular plural souls in an epitomized and simple form. Therefore, in Mulla Sadra’s view, the world of pre-existence is the divine area (world of divine knowledge). Based on this idea, he justifies the theory of reminiscence and equates the world of pledge with Platonic Ideas. It is necessary to note that Mulla Sadra initially explains the theory of Platonic Ideas based on his own philosophical principles (particularly the principles of the principiality, unity, and gradedness of being) and then, as discussed in this paper, confirms it as an indication of the world of pre-existence. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
7 - Corporeality of other than God in Islamic Kalam
Mehdi QajavandIslamic kalam is the fruit of the efforts of early mutikallimun in the history of Islam. From among the main teachings of Islamic kalam, the immateriality of God, on the one hand, and corporeality of what is other than Him, on the other, enjoy particular importance. The MoreIslamic kalam is the fruit of the efforts of early mutikallimun in the history of Islam. From among the main teachings of Islamic kalam, the immateriality of God, on the one hand, and corporeality of what is other than Him, on the other, enjoy particular importance. They are in fact two of the few issues that are almost shared by all kalami schools, especially those in early Hijri centuries. The Mu‘tazilite, Shi‘ite, Ash‘arite, and other kalami schools of thought all agree with the immateriality of God and corporeality of other than Him. This unanimity is rooted in their religiosity since they believe that attributing “immateriality” to other than God may undermine the foundations of God’s Oneness and weaken the pillars of theology. Accordingly, mutikallimun introduce what is other than God as corporeal things (whether subtle or dense) and consider the “immaterial” to be a perfect truth and an absolute needless being. This theory is the basis of some major kalami teachings. The negation of anthropomorphism and immaterial worlds (such as the world of intellects) is among the negative aspects of this view, while the corporeality of angels, createdness of the world, annihilation of the world, and corporeal resurrection are among its affirmative aspects. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
8 - Ontological Principles of Mulla Sadra’s Anthropology
Ali Arshad Riahi Hadi J‘afariThis paper is intended to investigate the effects of Mulla Sadra’s most important philosophical principles on his anthropological discussions. In line with this purpose, the writers have presented six philosophical principles which Mulla Sadra has employed in explaining MoreThis paper is intended to investigate the effects of Mulla Sadra’s most important philosophical principles on his anthropological discussions. In line with this purpose, the writers have presented six philosophical principles which Mulla Sadra has employed in explaining ontological issues, and almost 20 of such issues have been discussed based on these six principles. The writers have initially explained each of these principles in short and referred to the important points in relation to each of them. Then they have examined their places and applications in anthropological discussions from Mulla Sadra’s point of view. As a result, they have argued that he has philosophically analyzed and explained many anthropological problems based on his own ontological principles and succeeded in establishing a profound relationship between his own particular principles in philosophical ontology and anthropological discussions (so far as they can claim that the basic principles of Mulla Sadra’s anthropology are based on the principiality of existence). Moreover, the writers hold that, based on this particular relationship, he has managed to remove many of the intricacies and difficulties of anthropological problems which some philosophers have failed to solve or presented certain contradictory ideas about. They emphasize that he has even revealed some novel and innovative dimensions of anthropological discussions. Besides, by clarifying the relationship between Mulla Sadra’s anthropological discussions and ontology, the writers have also explained his claim as to man’s being the essence of existence (based on ontological principles) in this paper. Manuscript profile