Knowledge-based Analysis of the Stages of Faith in Mulla Sadra's Philosophy

The level-based nature of faith is one of the important issues revolving faith and has a valued place in the Quran. This issue, which derives from Quran’s verses, has drawn attention to itself in Mulla Sadra’s (1571-1640 A.D) hermeneutics. Mulla Sadra proposes different divisions for faith from different viewpoints. However, the present report aims to coherently and methodologically study this issue, and thus it undertakes a systematic analysis based on Mulla Sadra’s theory concerning the nature of faith. His theory about the nature of faith is a knowledge-oriented one and bestows originality in faith upon knowledge and science. Therefore, the analysis of the stages of faith require a knowledge-based analysis.According to knowledge - based analysis, the first stage of faith, that is verbal faith, lacks the fundamental element of knowledge and the application of faith upon it is a virtual application, and only the meaning of faith in Islamic jurisprudence applies to it. The second stage, known as the imitative faith, is the faith of the masses which possesses some level of knowledge and is known as belief. It is an imitative belief which is contingent and subordinate. In case this belief turns into action, it possesses the truth of faith. The third stage is the demonstrative faith, that of the privileged, which brings along the faith of certitude, though its certitude equals the Certitude by Knowledge, the premier type of certitude. The fourth stage is the discovery faith which consists of two levels: Certitude by Sight and Certitude by Experience; A faith which belongs to a select few of the believers.