نشریه خردنامه صدرا
پیاپی 47 (بهار 1386)

One of the philosophical issues whose true place and significance have been neglected is the addition of existence to quiddity. An accurate study of this issue on the basis of the doctrine of the principilaity of existence and its external unity with quiddity requires a specific interpretation of Mulla Sadra’s words.In this paper the writer has tried to provide a specific interpretation of Mulla Sadra’s doctrine of the principiality of existence and the relation between quiddity and existence, correct the interpretation and explanation of the place of the issue of the addition of existence to quiddity, study the philosophical works related to this topic, interpret Ash’arites’ words concerning the semantic unity of existence and quiddity, modify the view of the issue of “God’s existence is the same as His quiddity”, explain the theory of apparition in mental existence on the basis of the principiality of existence and quiddity, present a solution for it, and clarify the existence of natural universal in the outside. In doing so, the writer has tried to follow a number of innovative approaches.

One of the objections that has recently been raised against Mulla Sadra is that he was merely the founder of a new school of philosophy and gnosis, without being interested in human beings’ livelihood. Accordingly, his main concern was people’s perception of resurrection and spiritual and otherworldly affairs, and even if he discussed people’s livelihood, he had adopted his ideas in this regard from his predecessors, such as Farabi and Ibn Sina, who themselves followed Plato and Aristotle. Therefore, the writer decided to compare the views of this philosopher concerning the ruler of the ideal city and his characteristics, which is one of the important issues in political philosophy and enjoys a high comparative value, with those of Farabi. In this way, we will understand how he developed his new theories in the light of Qur’anic and hadithi teachings, particularly, those of Shi’ite Imams. A considerable part of these theories pertain to political and social issues. Obviously, he could not have remained heedless to them and resisted interpreting and explaining them.

Mulla Sadra has extensively discussed the relation between the microcosm and the macroanthropo in his books. This issue was so important for him that he promised to write an independent book on it. The philosophical principles underlying his theory in this regard enjoy a sublime nature. The principiality of existence, the unity of the reality of being, the gradation of being, ontological indigence, the trans-substantial motion, the universal worlds of existence, the negation of the system of genus and differentia, and the arcs of descent and ascent are among the most fundamental principles influencing Mulla Sadra’s theory concerning the microcosm – macroanthropo relation. He argues that, by attaining the level of the actual intellect, man turns into the macrocosm and even the macroanthropo. Due to its unity, the world is also a macroanthropo. The perfect man is of a high status in Mulla Sadra’s theory.

The translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic started in the 2nd century (AH) At that time, Islamic scientists and philosophers were greatly impressed by Greek philosophical, theological, and Gnostic thoughts. As a matter of the combination of these thoughts with Islamic ideas and teachings, a number of conflicts rose between exoteric religious scholars and those who tried to protect pure religious thought, on the one hand, and the thinkers and philosophers who intended to consolidate religious fundamental principles by adducing logical arguments, on the other hand.These conflicts became more serious in the 4th and 5th centuries (AH) and spread to all scientific and religious centers of that time with an increasing speed. At this time, one of the most basic problems causing debates among philosophers and theologians was the issue of the eternity of the world and its relation to Almighty God. Interestingly enough, this issue, as well as two others, namely, the necessary Being’s Knowledge of changing particulars and corporeal resurrection, were the three important problems because of which Ghazzali gave the decree of the excommunication of philosophers in the 5th century (AH).

Farabi deals with imagination as one of the faculties of the soul; however, unlike his succeeding philosophers, he does not discuss the issues related to its justification in his works. Ibn Sina demonstrates the existence of the imaginal faculty, besides other faculties, for the soul, and provides a criterion for the plurality of faculties. Suhrawardi refutes the Sinan faculties in order to clarify imaginal perception through the imaginal world. Mulla Sadra’s ideas concerning the rejection or demonstration of the imaginal world have been judged in two different ways. A group of philosophers believe that explaining imagination and issues such as revelation, resurrection, supernatural events, dreams, etc. depend on the imaginal world. Anther group believe that all of them can be clarified through the imaginal faculty.

Gulshan-i raz, written by Shaykh Mahmud Shabistari, is one of the most outstanding gnostic compositions in verse and each couplet of which has been frequently explained and analyzed. ‘Allamah Muhaqqiq Dawani is one of the great thinkers who has written a short treatise as a commentary on a couplet in Gulshan-i raz.He has commented on that couplet following a gnostic and mystic approach. In the various copies of the treatise that are available, we can witness certain differences. The present treatise is a correction of ‘Allamah Dawani’s treatise and includes all the necessary explanations.