Descriptive-Analytical Perusal of the Status of Intellect from the Viewpoints of Mullā Ṣadrā and Ibn ‘Arabī

Intellect, as one of the tools for human recognition and knowledge, has a high standing among philosophers and thinkers. Respecting the status of intellect, Ibn ‘Arabī deems speculative intellect as powerless in knowing God. He believes that intellect has two positions in recognition of the Exalted God: first, the station of perception; and second, the station of acceptance. He views intellect powerless in terms of perception and recognition of the essence of God and some stages of His identifications and manifestations; but he also maintains that intellect is able to recognize God in terms of perception and in this perspective he does not believe in any limitations for it, even though the accepted subject would not be arguable and provable with the perceptive position of intellect. As one of the eminent Muslim philosophers, although Mullā Ṣadrā also maintains a high status for epistemology, he claims, by accepting limitations of intellect and rejecting absolute authority for it, that man can by means of rational recognitions move toward perfection of his soul and pave the way for perceptions beyond intellect. With reliance on the viewpoints of Ibn ‘Arabī and Mullā Ṣadrā concerning intellect and its limitations, the present research is intended to examine their similarities and differences in this respect.