Descent - Interpretation Theory of Mulla Sadra; an Introduction to Religious Philosophy

The relationship between religion and philosophy as knowledge systems and study of their interactions has always been an important issue in religious and philosophical thought that has a large influence in clarifying the meaning of religious philosophy. Islamic philosophers’ views on this issue can be investigated in a uniform pattern. Based on this pattern, each philosopher studies the relationship between religion and philosophy in two stages: creation and understanding. Each philosopher, according to his views about the relationship between religion and philosophy in the creation stage, describes how to transmit the religious doctrines into philosophy. Mulla Sadra's view about the relationship between religion and philosophy can be considered in two stages: creation and understanding. The relationship between religion and philosophy in the creation stage have different sections: origins, methods, problems, language, time and the relationship between prophet and philosopher. In this theory, religion and philosophy are united in method and problems, but these are different in degrees. The result of this difference appears in language and temporal relationship between religion and philosophy. The language of religion Includes argument and a logical method that is a weakened version of argumentative methods. To access the truth, philosophers should adopt the teachings of the prophets. Thus the philosophy should be founded later than religion. The relationship between religion and philosophy in the understanding stage includes the language and esoteric methods for obtaining the valid meaning of religious texts that are stating the truth. Accordingly, methods of interpretation can be employed to achieve religious philosophy.