Tracing back the Concept of Substantial Motion in the Metaphysics of  Azīz al-Dīn Nasafī

We daresay that ‘Azīz al-Dīn Muḥammad Nasafī can be regarded as one of the greatest metaphysicians of Iran in the 7th/14th century, who is unfortunately not much known. The main feature of this mystic-philosopher of Kubraviyya school of thought is his intellectual equilibrium in a time (the most severe era of Mongol invasion) that is distinctly characterized by violence and extremism. Nasafī has expounded many philosophical concepts in his books, one of the most significant of which is the notion of human ontogenesis and basically the substantial motion, which was later on pursued by Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī. Understanding Islamic philosophy seems to be feasible when the missing links of this chain can be restored. Nasafī can be regarded as one of those links that bound mysticism to philosophy and later on had a great impact on Isfahan school of thought. This article addresses aspects of Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī's impressionability from ‘Azīz al-Dīn Nasafī in concepts of substantial motion and the development courses of this thought.