Division of Existence and its Criteria in Islamic Philosophy

Moslem scholars have proposed a number of categorisations for existence. One of these categorisations is the polyhedral division. Ibn Sina divides existence into the needy and the self-sufficient. Using different words, Suhravardi divides light into light in-itself, light for-itself and light forsomething else. In his view, where there is no light, there is darksubstance. Mulla Sadra’s exalted theology, in agreement with the previous two illuminationist and peripatetist theologians sets existence as the source of division and divides it into existence not-in-itself and existence in-itself and their related subdivisions. Sabzevari presents the same categorization in a more completed form. Theologians and some mystics such as Ibn Arabi have also referred to some form of division in existence.Some later philosophers have criticized Sabzevari’s categorization for its not being complete, mixing the concept with its referent and mixing logical with philosophical concepts. The particular theory of Mulla Sadra is that existence is divided into copulative and non-copulative. The copulative existence is in absolute need and dependency while the non copulative existence is absolutely needs-free and self-sufficient.