Truth of repentance in the thought system of Sadr al-Mutaalehin

Repentance is defined as a mental transformation on one’s own volition against oneself. According to the religious and verbal metaphors, repentance is like taking off dirty clothes and putting on clean clothes. In this sense, repentance matches the views of pre-Sadrian philosophers, such as Sheikh al-Ra'is, in terms of spiritual perfecting and in accordance with the soul’s disrobes and wear (khale w lubs) relation to its own perceptions. These philosophers place knowledge in the category of generic relation. However, in the philosophical views of Sadr al-Mutalahin and rooted in his theoretical grounds, the human perceptions are a part of the human existence and hence are not mere breadths. Consequently, the acquired properties (both virtues and vices) are not only the deep-seated qualities in soul, but are the very essence of being in itself. In this thinking tradition, the truth of human is formed based on the identity of soul’s acquired ideas with the soul itself. Based on the creativity of the human soul and in keeping with wear after wear (lubs baed lubs), repentance is no longer the taking off dirty clothes and putting on clean clothes but it is an existential transformation and inner revolution of the essence, a movement from vice to virtue and from misery to prosperity. Given that, repentance will be an extremely tough subject since purification from properties (stemming from vices) which are not a part of the existence but the existence itself, demands a personality overhaul and is a difficult journey.