استکمال

The intersection of spirituality and philosophy is a thought-provoking subject, and this article aims to explore the concept of "philosophical spirituality" in Mulla Sadra's philosophical framework. The central question guiding this inquiry is: What is the meaning of "philosophical spirituality" as the relationship between philosophy and spirituality in Mulla Sadra's thought? The article posits that this relationship can be understood through the concept of "existential excellence." Spirituality is often associated with the pursuit of self-improvement and the refinement of one’s mental and existential state. Accordingly, Mulla Sadra’s philosophy presents three fundamental perspectives on spirituality that contribute to the understanding of philosophical spirituality: first, self-knowledge, which enables individuals to cultivate their self-awareness and direct their existential development; second, theoretical wisdom in spirituality, which involves striving for a deeper comprehension of existence and approaching absolute truth; and third, practical wisdom in spirituality, which is realized through voluntary actions that align with existential transformation.

The problem of the soul’s perfection and the attainment of human happiness held immense significance among Islamic philosophers, including Ibn Ṭufayl and Shaykh al-Ishrāq. These thinkers outlined the stages, conditions, and prerequisites for the soul's perfection, which indicates the emphasis Muslim philosophers place on practical mysticism and spiritual wayfaring. Given that research on the soul, its ultimate purpose, and its perfection profoundly impacts one's worldview and leads to the correction of behavior and practices, this article employs a descriptive-analytic method to compare the perspectives of Ibn Ṭufayl and al-Suhrawardī on the soul’s perfection and the path to attaining true happiness. Research findings show that, according to the views of Ibn Ṭufayl and Shaykh al-Ishrāq, the perfection of the human soul requires passing through three stages, some of which bear similarities, though there are distinctions. Both philosophers consider the first stage to be self-awareness. For Ibn Ṭufayl, the second stage involves acquiring a resemblance to celestial bodies and heavenly souls as part of the soul’s perfection and the attainment of happiness. In contrast, al-Suhrawardī views the second stage as seeking guidance from a spiritual healer. While Ibn Ṭufayl sees the third stage as direct contact with the Necessary Existent, Shaykh al-Ishrāq takes it as a connection to what he calls the “world-illuminating sun,” which can be construed as both the Active Intellect (al-ʿaql al-faʿʿāl) and the Necessary Existent.

This article delves into how philosophy can be linked to a pragmatic will to make objective decisions in life. The question is, how does philosophy, which is inherently considered abstract thought, relate to our functioning in the process of living, and consequently, what perspectives and functions should be prioritized in the project of "philosophical living"? The article's hypothesis rests on the possibility of such a connection. Since, from Mulla Sadra's perspective, a commitment to action is essential for the advancement of philosophical inquiry, every action must be taken in light of attention to God and for the purpose of resembling Him. Actions develop based on philosophical insights and converge on a unified approach. Thus, human distinctiveness lies in the relationship that one establishes with existence, and this relationship is also shaped by the approach one chooses for one's life. The outcome of the integration of ‘thought’ and ‘action’ is also manifested in the flourishing of thought within the context of a commitment to actions.

The truth of the human soul is one of the fundamental issues of psychology and the basis of various ontological, anthropological, and epistemological theories. In expressing the truth of the soul, Plato believes in natural intellectual dualism, which is based on his view on the theory of remembrance and the allegory of the cave. By presenting two definitions of the soul, Aristotle tries to present the true limit of the soul, which seems to be a problematic definition. Fārābī agrees with Plato in dualism and the inability of man to reach the true limit of things, and unlike Aristotle, he denies that the man attached to the matter can understand and offer the true limit of essences; Instead, he considers definition possible only through the things’ properties and implications, which leads him to offer different definitions for the soul. Fārābī’s definitions show his special attention to the issue of happiness, its principles such as natural and voluntary characteristics in attaining the state of the actual intellect, and its implications such as the effects of the practical intellect of the rational faculty. The selection of the word “perfecting” shows the comprehensiveness of the philosophical discussions regarding happiness in the definition of soul. Fārābī dealt critically with the discussions in al-Jam‘, and considered the functional definitions in al-Jadal and Kitāb al-’Akhlāq as the duties of the rational soul.

In this paper, we review the relationship between science and the perfectionism of material beings by considering the Mulla Sadra's philosophical perspectives. Mulla Sadra, by proving the "enthusiasm of matter in the form" and presenting the theory of the "substantial motion" as well as referring to the flow of "love" in the universe; he displays a novel page of the universe's endeavor to the intended home and describes the enthusiasm, motion, and love in the universe as accompanying and parallel to science that introduces the cause of the general and extensive perfectibility of (material) beings and the promotion of their degree of existence and goal-directed departure towards "absolute completeness" (God the most high necessary existent). Also, Mulla Sadra, by being influenced by the verses of the Qur'an and the words of the mystics, clarifies the relationship between the components of the universe and their perfectionism goal; and with his unifying insight, considers the interpretation of verses such as (Behold, eventually all affairs go to Allah) that all universe is generated from God and is moving towards the Almighty God. The understanding wisdom of the motion, enthusiasm, and love in the path of perfectibility (in material beings) has evolved our approach and worldview toward creation.

Mohammad Zabihi* ׀  Ali Alahbadashti** ׀  Ali Raizan*** Received: 24/08/2018       |       Accepted: 02/01/2019 Abstract The Human soul has two faculties of theoretical intellect and practical intellect. The soul’s divine matter has the potential to elevate and seek absolute perfection and if man abandons it purposelessly, it will go towards darkness. The gradually perfecting and evolutionary qualities of the soul are among the indisputable principles of Sadrian philosophy and substantive motion is one of its main arguments. Based on this, man is constantly in a state of motion and becoming. The main discourse of this article is that man’s gradually perfecting motion in Sadrian philosophy towards ultimate happiness and the peak of existence is not possible except through knowledge and action. Knowledge and action correlate to one another and each is the cause for the development and actualization of a more perfect degree of the other. Although, in terms of assigning value knowledge is higher than action because in the initial stage knowledge is the cause for action in a way that without it action has no meaning; and in higher stages as well, knowledge is the purpose of action and action is the prelude and constituent of knowledge which results in the removal of inner and outer obstacles and veils, i.e. it creates the groundwork so that man’s divine existence becomes manifest and results in a knowledge known as “Divine Knowledge”.

Human perfectional development is known as an established principle in philosophy. Human soul has been known as being naturally capable of upgradation and degradation and, therefore, he/she may ascend and achieve perfection of soul through knowledge and deed or fall short of perfection and descend to inferior. This paper may be taken as an attempt to study the barriers against human perfection-seeking deeds, namely those barriers challenging human perfectional motion toward final goal and real prosperity of the proximity to God and His succession. The notability of the study lies in the fact that given one`s famililiarity with the barriers, one would refrain from the obstacles of the way and move toward perfection. In the paper, the barriers including love of temporal world, Satan and his progeny, imitation, ignorance and false beliefs, faithlessness and weakness of faith have been extracted from Mulla Sadra`s works at first and, then, the quality of their effects on human perfection analyzed.

The problem of happiness and salvation is one of most important concerns of the human mind. Different religious and philosophical systems have tried to offer an appropriate solution to this problem on the basis of their particular worldviews. Ibn Sina is one of the thinkers that holds an innovative view in this regard. In the present paper, the authors have tried to explain Ibn Sina’s view of salvation and its compatibility with the theories of salvation in theology. He believed that Man’s salvation relies on attaining virtues and avoiding vices, developing rational knowledge and perfection of rational faculty, uniting with immaterial things, and obeying the prophets and religious laws. He advocated maximum salvation and maintained that the majority of human beings are qualified to enter the heaven and be rescued from torture. Given Ibn Sina’s view, Islam is the supreme religion; however, the followers of other religions can also reach some levels of salvation based on their rational knowledge and purity of the soul. In this view, his view of salvation comes close to the theory of inclusivism. Nevertheless, unlike inclusivists, who limit the domain of Man’s salvation to religion, Ibn Sina has an extra-religious view and portrays three sides for salvation: intellect, ethics, and religion.  

The salvation is an subject that has occupied human mind since the beginning of creation. Hence, all religions and schools in the world have made an attempt to clarify this human concern in an appropriate way with regard to their original texts. Some of them have been so insular that they have limited salvation only for a specific sect. Therefore, the prosperous have let themselves think of others as those who are doomed to affliction and deserve punishment!
Mulla Sadrā, an famous Islamic philosopher, has depicted a beautiful picture of salvation by an intellectual approach and with traditional confirmation that can pleasantly solve the life problems of people of various sects and religions together. When we investigate Mulla Sadrā’s viewpoint, we sometimes find him an exclusivist who think only Muslims pious will be saved, sometimes find him an Inclusive who introduced us to many honors Muslims, and he sometimes introduces himself as a pluralist by accepting of degrees of salvation and understanding degrees. However, we find his last and comprehensive viewpoint as an intellectual theory and beyond all these theories.

In Sadraean Transcendent with proving substantial motion and gradual transition of the substance and nature of the object from potential to actuality, apart from the form and action of the object, proved the original mater to be carrying this potency. This means that rational human soul, after separation from the body have no motion and development. On the other hand, the perfection of the Soul in Purgatory and Resurrection after separation from the physical body has been entered in the religious texts of Islam. The purification of reason and religion as a creature of the Almighty God, are not in conflict with each other. They have embraced the religion of definitive content and tried to solve the problem. Some of them believe in revival of likenesses, has brought in mysticism and the others say that the arguments that prove the original matter are flawed. Some also argue that the immateriality belongs only to God. It should be added that the purpose of the rational soul of man is to attain nearness of infinite existence of God. Thus the perfection of the Soul is not limited to the physical limits, but there is no end to it and shall continue in other worlds. The perfection of the Soul, as mentioned in the verses and hadith, will not be instantaneous. This paper explores some ideas about possibility of substantial motion of the soul apart from the body, suggests the latter expressed as an alternative solution to resolve the problem.

In transcendent theosophy, soul are in the lowest stages of his existential perfection when it is created. Then its completion course begins in the stages of perfection from the material to intellectual world. A conceptual and existential analysis is needed to truly understand this completion. Conceptual analysis indicates the process of soul perfection which has three main elements: (1) substantial motion, (2) gradation, and (3) the necessity of completion in relation to consciousness and purpose. Existential analysis of soul indicates the pivotal position of latent reality in the soul completion. Soul completion is the objective appearance of the latent reality and the intellectual existence of the soul in the creation and the objective appearance of the divine names. So the voluntary actions of soul in the course of its completion are the cause of the appearance of perfections hidden in the latent reality of each soul.

This article discusses Study of al-Tusi points of view about Human’s Perfecting. We study his views about substantial motion or change in accidents with seeking foundations, consequents and comparatives studies. Tusi’s view is analyzed to two points: 1) perfecting before existentiation of intellective soul, 2) perfecting of intellective soul in human’s life. 1) About the first point; Tusi’s view demonstrates intensifying movements for specific form of soul. 2) About perfecting of intellective soul in human’s life, although Tusi negates substantial motion in some places, but systematic analysis of his views is asserted intensity of being of intellective soul as Neo-Platonist, illuminationism and mysticism. Intensity of being is disagreeable with his foundations about psychology and problem of movement. But he is in the primarily way of substantial motion which Mulla-Sadra has perfected and theorized.

Human soul is an immobile variable (mojarrad) that at the same time posses the feature of movement (or flux) in its essence. The commonest proof for denying motion in incorporeal beings is the “argument of potentiality and actuality”, that as we all know is an invalid argument. Invalidity of this argument is for impossibility of containing simultaneously both deficiency (potentiality) and sufficiency (actuality) in one simple (naive) being. But if two different being contain these aspects, then there will be no contradiction. If we deny this argument, then it will be possible for one simple being (like human soul) that posses simultaneously potentiality and actuality, especially if we consider that these two features are secondary intelligible of philosophy.

The internal transformation and the essential self-flourishing of human beings or, in Mulla Sadra’s words, “the substantial perfection of the human soul” is one of the most important discussions in philosophical anthropology and one of Mulla Sadra’s innovations in his Transcendent Philosophy. This problem opens the entangled knot of many philosophical, religious, and anthropological problems.Accordingly, it has been tried in this paper to examine and analyze the “substantial perfection of the human soul” from the beginning of its creation until attaining the end of ontological perfection. Therefore, the approaches and hypotheses of “the retaining of previous perfections”, “human’s spiritual promotion”, and “the actuality of the soul and horizontal change” as possible rival hypotheses and “the substantial perfection of the human soul” as the main research hypothesis have been analyzed and evaluated.On the basis of some theoretical principles such as the principiality of existence, gradedness of existence, the intensified trans-substantial motion, corporeality in origination and spirituality in subsistence, the immateriality of the soul and its unity with perceptive faculties and forms, the writer has tried to demonstrate the substantial perfection of the human soul.The human soul is a substance corporeal in its origination and spiritual in its subsistence. Moreover, in the light of its intensified trans-substantial motion, it continually attains its ontological perfections. In this process of essential perfection, through developing some faculties, perceptions, and habits, the soul gradually develops its substantial face and, in line with the gradedness of existence, acquires more faculties, stronger perfections, and more stable habits. Moreover, the soul unites with all of its faculties, some of which, at the same time with the soul, become immaterial. All the faculties of the soul are considered among its different modes and grades.

The purification of the soul and its relation with knowledge is a question that should be studied from an ontological perspective as well as an epistemological one. This issue has not received proper attention in the tradition of Islamic philosophy, and has not been studied systematically and academically. This article deals with the issue on the basis of the foundations of transcendent philosophy. It begins with explaining the relevant philosophical principles and goes on to depict Mullā Ṣadrā’s view about the role of the purification of the soul on the acquisition, preservation, and effectiveness of knowledge. At the end, it tries to mention and answer some critiques about this viewpoint.

According to the renewal of essences and the trans-substantial motion, the world and its existents are continually in evolution and change and are at no moment in rest and motionlessness. Of course, the former pertains to the domain of disengaged entities and material things and the latter is limited to the world of matter. These two principles enjoy certain differences and similarities in their fundamental bases, arguments, etc. It is because of these very differences that gnostics are not capable of accounting for the unity of things at the level of their origination and corruption in themselves, while the unity of a flowing object, which is mobile due to the trans-substantial, is guaranteed in itself. Both the trans-substantial motion propounded in Mulla Sadra’s books and the gnostic principle of the renewal of essences in gnostics’ works suffer from certain ambiguities in terms of the limits and dimensions of the problems. Apparently, the issue of the trans-substantial motion is under the influence of the gnostic principle of the renewal of essences. That is why this paper deals with the characteristics of these two issues in terms of their definitions, fundamental bases, arguments, and their most important problems.