Theorem of “Happiness and Salvation” in Ibn Sina’s View

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.