The Meaning of Prophecy According to Ibn Sina

In Islamic Philosophy and messengership are explained by two principles of reason and imagination. Ibn Sina has regarded the Prophecy as having three degrees.The first degree, which is devoted to the perfection of holy reason and the faculty of theoretical reason. The second degree is a particular characteristic of perfect imagination and finally is the Prophecy characterized by specific physical affections and locomotive faculties.He considers the perfection of imagination for the fulfillment of Prophecy as a sufficient requirement. The importance given to imagination in the explanation of the meaning of Prophecy can pay the way for entering of the personal imagination of the prophet into the area of revelation and receiving and transmitting it to others. But in the Philosophy of Sheikh al - Rais as long as the imagination is stronger, it can impart its impressions. On the one hand, if like Ibn Sina we regard the strength of locomotive faculties as another degree of Prophecy, then we have opened the way for this objection that anyone who attains to the perfection of imagination or the locomotive strength has attained to Prophecy. Whereas Ibn Sina believes that reception of revelation from active intellect through holy reason, conveying it to others a result of subtle impressions of strong imagination and declaration of miracles with the locomotive faculty, all sensual faculties in their perfect strength are the servants of rational faculty. Thus Ibn Sina shows that theperfection of imagination and locomotive faculties of prophet alongside the strength of intellect constitute a degree of Prophecy.