The Sirat in Sadrian Philosophy

Given the various narrations from the Infallible Imams (a), the Sirat (path) is one of the stations of the Hereafter. However, the differences between the narrations in this regard have led to various interpretations of the concept of the Sirat and, thus, each prominent Islamic thinker has provided a specific explanation for it. As a philosopher and commentator of the Holy Qur’an, Mulla Sadra has tried to present a rational explanation for this theorem based on his own particular philosophical principles and the narrations from Infallible Imams (a). He believes that the Hereafter is the innermost of the world and, therefore, he considers the Sirat (the bridge over Hell leading to Paradise) to be the manifestation and embodiment of Man’s worldly path and its innermost. Following a descriptive-analytic method, this paper evaluates the Sadrian explanation of the Sirat based on religious teachings and tries to demonstrate its consistency with Qur’anic verses and narrations. At the same time, the writer elaborates on and extends Mulla Sadra’s view of the truth of the Sirat and the related problems, such as the functions and features of the Sirat, embodiment of the Sirat in the Hereafter, the relationship between the Sirat and the Infallible Imams (a) and divine favorites of God, the criterion for the extent and limits of the Sirat, and also makes a short reference to the related points in Qur’anic verses and narrations.