The Qur ānic Explanation of the Priority and Posteriority of the Soul and Body from a Philosophical Perspective

This article is aimed at a Qur’ānic explanation of one of the most important discourses brought up in the field of philosophical humanism, i.e., the priority and posteriority of the soul over the body. This discourse has so far been more of interest to the philosophers and theologians and its Qur’ānic-philosophical explanation has been less dealt with. Thus, the present research has undertaken the Qur’ānic-philosophical analysis of this issue. Accordingly, first, it touches upon the meanings of soul in the Qur’ān, then it explains the most important philosophical viewpoints concerning the priority and posteriority of the soul, and finally goes on to explain the Qur’ān’s perspective concerning this issue. In order to explain the Qur’ān’s perspective, it first explains the realistic and allegorical exegetical viewpoints, the world of pre-existence (dhar), and the theory of Divine Dominion (malakūt) and finally confirms it by referring to the theory of Divine Dominion as evidence that is adopted from Mullā Ṣadrā’s viewpoint. In the end, it is concluded that the Qur’ān’s perspective is more compatible with the viewpoint of Mullā Ṣadrā who believes in the priority of body over soul.