Life , Character and School of Mulla Sadra

Ayatollah S.M.Khamenei

cont...

This was the method of our masters as well. In their private sessions, philosophical and mystical issues were discussed openly. Mulla Sadra, in some of his books, as Ibn Sina in his Isharat, speaks of faithfulness to the secrets, and suggests that his contemporary scholars and students are not able to grasp his doctrines, which are taken from the world of intuition; and naturally, these books are written for a special group.

For example, in the introduction of his al-Mabda wal Ma 'ad- which seems to be written for a special group of his disciples- he writes:

"I have denied myself to give this book except to well-natured and fair ones. I ask my brothers, who are among the people of the heart, not to put the issues, discussed in this book, in the access of heart-sick and crack-brained ones, who are ungrateful to God's graces, and transmit them, as it is instructed by the great sages, only to the wise pious ones".

It was not for their meanness, if ancient sages concealed these sciences from the others; it was for the fact that the weak reasons were not able to tolerate these truths and thus they would beruined.

Also in the introduction of al-Shawahid al-Rububiyyah he says:

"Oh God, make the breasts of the pious ones the tombs of these secrets, and safeguard them from the eavesdropping of the wicked ones who are excommunicated from the world of the lights. Oh God, seat these expressions in a garden among the gardens of the paradise, and not in an opening of the openings of the fire..."

In these sarcastic expressions, he has aspired for thesetruths being safeguarded in the hearts of pious ones, far from the access of the devils of the wisdom.

Again in the introduction of Mafatih al- Ghayb, he says:

"The ancient sages concealed these secrets from the unworthy people. Those who are trying to learn the wisdom also should keep it far from the access of the heart-sickones."

This tone, which suggests the sage's being experienced, could be seen in the books, written after the period of seclusion. From the introduction of Asfar and some of his other books, it is understood that during the ascetic practices of the period of seclusion, when his heart was illuminated by the lights of the true Divine sciences, he was to reveal these secrets for no one. But the hidden oracle instructed him to give some of what he had found, to the others. Hence, he went to compile the books such as Asfar, Shawahid, Mafatih and the like; and whenever he found a talented one, accepted him as a student and taught him philosophy and the Transcendent Theosophy.

This is the unchangeable rule of wisdom. Like every other sensible phenomenon, the wisdom has its own generation, which should continue. The scholars, who come to existence as the spiritual offsprings of their masters, themselves are, in turn, the fathers of sciences. The scholar who does not put the germ of the science and wisdom in the womb of the time to present it to the history, is an unproductive and single sage; and as we know, singlehood and not to go to regenerate are blamed in hadith.

During the intellectual journeys, the sage lives in a period, like the period of ripeness of fruits. Until the full ripeness of the fruits, no fruit can be picked off, and after then it should not be left on tree.

Mulla Sadra's explicity, at the beginning, was resulted from his being inexperienced, hence, for the scholars of the time, his pithy expressions looked like the unripe fruits; and he faced with their denial, derision and even excommunication. At the end, however, he had reached a point that he tried to conceal his doctrines from the unworthy people.

Externally, from his words it is understood that he had chosen silence and not to reveal his findings for the wisdom- seekers; and not to expose the hidden Divine secrets. The law of the world, however, directed him to teaching and writing, and "the wisdom" appoints him to compile books and teach the hidden secrets for the survival of the wisdom.

At the beginning of his career in teaching and promoting the wisdom, he went, like the mad-drunken ones, to betrayal of secrets and spread his own findings unsparingly. Because of his cleverness, however, he soon became aware of the intellectual disability of those who had been addressed by him. Thus, like magi, he concealed the treasure of knowledge in a castle in which not every claimant was admitted. Contrary to what some authors think, he soon recognized the spirit of his own time and adapted himself with it.

In Mulla Sadra's biography, one researcher writes:

"Mulla Sadra did not know the spirit of the society in which he lived, at all. In no aspect of the life,in which the people of the time were in need,he was associated with them.."

This is not true. Hakim Mulla Sadra should not be regarded as a sage who lived in an ivory tower, unaware of the people, their expectations and needs.

Since his childhood, he had lived among the people, farmers, and workers, and administrated his paternal vast land properties for a long time and perhaps to the end of the life and made distinction between the awaring one and ignorant, intelligent and unintelligent; because of this as well as his cleverness, he should be regarded more aware than most of his contemporary scholars. The psychology of the students and scholars of the time- which has been put in writing in al- Waridat al-Qalbiyyah should

be considered as an indicator of his knowledge of the people of the time.

• This kind of Judgmentsdoes not lead the reader to the spiritual depth of this sage.

And the one who has lived with Shaykh Baha and Mir Damad is not deserved to be described in this way; since these two great masters were closer to the people and more aware of the political and social situation of their time than everybody else. Naturally the understandings of these masters leave their impacts on the disciples.

The individual life of Mulla Sadrais as unclear as the dark depth of the ocean. Among all those events, which had occurred certainly in his seventy years life, only two tangible points are remarked suggesting their deep impacts on the heart of this sage: one, the pressures imposed by the unworthy people of the time and the claimants of philosophy, science and mysticism; and the other, his being instructed by the light of the truth to reveal the inspired truths and Illuminationist philosophy for the prepared ones.

Of all these pains and sorrows, there is no trace of complaints except what could be seen in his letters to Mir Damad (and perhaps some others).

We are aware of his love for Mir Damad, but on tragical event of Mir Damad's death, there has remained no word of him.

This is the case for his inclination toward Shaykh Baha, who died in 1030 (almost ten years before Mir Damad) as well. This patience suggests the depth of his heart. As Sa'di says:

"The deep ocean will not become dark by throwing stone;

"The mystic, who takes offence, is still like a hollow river.

It was worth to devote a chapter to the story of the sage's love for his masters on the one hand, and for his disciples on the other hand. In history, however, instead the lives of scholars, mystics and pious men of the time, the evil lives of kings are told. And instead of narrating the words of all those sweet - spoken ones, the historians and biographers had spoken of the lives of the kings and defiled the pages of the history in this way.

Today, in every page of the history, the evil acts of the Safavid kings are recorded; but there is no trace of Shaykh Baha, Mir Damad, Mulla Sadra, Fayd Lahiji and the other great figures. All those enthusiasms and human stories are ignored; for the history has been always written, for kings and by flattering historians; and no sage or jurisprudent has regarded the writing of a true history to make a distinction between good and evil, as a worthy task.

Yet one should proceed to search, and understand from the smallest points, the greatest connotations, and make the great buildings out of the negligible raw material, and breathe a new life in the lifeless body of the history.

Mulla "Abd al- Razzaq Lahiji

Among the Mulla Sadra's disciples, Fayd and Fayyad are the most famous and the most intersted ones in their master. And perhaps it is for their poetic gifts, that they dared to tell the story of their love for the master, and composed some verses to describe their love or wrote some letters to the master; and far from the others, beyond the seven castles of secrets, relieved their chests in the scale of lovers.

For example, there is a letter available, written by, Mulla Sadra's son - in - law, Mulla "Abd al-Razzaq Lahiji, the sage, the mystic, the theologian and the literatur of the time for the beloved master.

It is much likely that there was a similar convention between Fayd and his master. As we have already said, there was correspondence between Mulla Sadra and his master Mir Damad, which are not available. As it was common in that era, Mulla Sadra also sometimes composed poems. He has a collection of moral couplet - poems - which could be called the Letter of Knowledge which has been published.

In this collection he remembers his master, Mir Damad, and composes verses some of which are presented here.

"Oh, you, who are made out of the pure light by God;

"Far from your demonstration are illusions;

"You, yourself are a world, and the lord of the world;

"You are same as the knowledge, and a gate for the knowledge,

****

It was worth to devote a part of this writing to Mulla Sadra's poems, composed for his friends and disciples, it is muchl regretted however that " The time does not allow me to go to poem;

"The knots, do not allow to seat the jewels".

We have already spoken of friendship between Mulla 'AbduJ Razzaq Lahiji and Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani and their being Mulla Sadra's devotees and sons - in- law, and finally of their spatial separation and correspondence, we have iterjected their poems, composed to admire their master as well, to come to study the poems of the master; since these two Mulla Sadra's loyal disciples, friends, and sons- in- law, i.e. Mulla 'Abdul Razzaq Fayyad Lahiji and Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani, are both constituents of Mulla Sadra's life and bright stars of the sky of the science, literature and wisdom. Their lives are not separate from that of the master. They are like two green branches, sprouting on an old and fruitful tree like Mulla Sadra.

In the old times, the disciples mirrored the scientific and practical aspects of their master; and their identities and personalites were solved in him. It was through the tongue of their master, if they were speaking; through the eyes of their master, if they were seeing; and, through the ears of their master if they were hearing. They sucked the science like a sucking infant; and made of that "milk", bone and flesh. In our time, however, there is no difference between a master and a speaking body; like a passer -by, the student waits for a while at a class; and the result is nothing except some blackened pages, we do not mention that, instead of loving and God-seeking hearts of those disiples, the contemporary student has a heart free of piety, and even "has some black pages in his letter of deeds."

As we shall see, Mulla Sadra had some other famous disciples as well; none of them has, however, such a place in the history. The life of Lahiji is enveloped in a halo of ambiguity; but on the one hand his collection of poems attracts the attention of the people of insight; and on the other' hand, his valuable books have made his name eternal.

With 'Allamah Fayd Kashani, however, we are more acquainted; since his offsprings followed him and he himself has - as it has been already said - an autobiography.

Like the life of Mulla Sadra, we know no important points of the life of Fayyad Lahiji, the mystic and the theologian - like philosopher. For example, we do not know why, unlike his friend and relative - in - law, he had not gone with his master and father - in - law to Qum and stayed in Shiraz. As it is understod from his poems, this staying was not intentionally. He composes:

"Through dozens tricks, the heaven makes me separate from you;

"It is only your kindness, which can judge this oppression;

"Do me a favor to be able to escape from this trap;

"And to be at your own service.

Why had not Fayd been compelled to stay in Qum or return to Kashan; and how had he been able to go to Shiraz with his master and father - in - law? Has Fayyad attained the required scientific and mystic maturity, or in other words, the position of "ijtihad" and has not Fayd reached tjie end point of the way? Or have not his family and social situation allowed him to go? Or in contrary to what be witnessed in his poems, he was not so interested in the master that he wished to go to Shiraz? Or there was a policy involved, to which the master had called him and he - in the manner of good disciples - had inevitably accepted, and despite all the motivations he had to accept accompanient of the dear master, he had remained in Qum?

Fayyad - Mulla 'Abdul Razzaq Lahiji - seems to have been older than Fayd Kashani, and come to Shiraz before him, and enjoyed Mulla Sadra's knowledge more than him. As it is seen in his works, in the intellectual sciences, he was more well - versed than Fayd.

He married Mulla Sadra's daughter (naturally his elder daughter, who is the lady Umm Kulthum, the first offspring of the family) in 1034 or 1035. And as we know, Fayd married Mulla Sadra's other daughter in around 1038. This may be an indicator of the fact that Fayyad was older than Fayd, and got acquainted with the master before him. Fayyad Lahiji is said to have studied under Mir Damad.

The evidences show that, in the case of the truth of these words, it could be concluded that, before Qum, he had been staying in Isfahan, and it is much likely that Mir Damad had sent him to Mulla Sadra.

The spiritual and sentimental relation, and the disciple - master relation - or more precisely, the relatoin of devotee and devoted - between Lahiji and Mulla Sadra may suggest the lenght of the period of his study under the master, and the depth of his training. As we have seen, like the Illuminationist philosophers, Mulla Sadra also was both teacher and master as well as spiritual director; and at the same time, he was a guide for his selected students' religious ascetic practices; guiding them in their spiritual wayfaring.

The spiritual and sentimental relations of Fayyad Lahiji [and Mulla Sadra] can be seen in his poems. For example, in an elegy, composed by him in mourning for the death of his master, we read:

"Recently, the heaven threw a stone on my glass;

" All the ground is covered by pieces of glass;

'The heaven dissappointed me again and again;

This disappointment is, however, other than those disapointments.

The death of the master caused for me;

"A pain, which is in 'All's heart for the death of Mustafa;

"I has not been free of sorrows, even for a moment;

This knockdown sorrow is, however, other than the former ones;

"My master is both spiritual father and guide;

"It is right, if I worship him down to the day of resurrection;

"My nature was the dark earth of the ignorance and arrogance,

"Now it is gold, because of his alchemist making;

"Reached me from the well of ignorance to the summit of honor;

These poem show that he regarded himself, as the gate of the master's knowledge; and considered the master's death as a fatal sorrow.

Abstracts

Mulla Sadra and Ibn - Sina and the Question of existence / wujud

Dr.Reza Akbarian

existence/ wujud is one of the most important issues, which may be discussed comparatively and analyzed historically, existence/wujud is the most important philosophical issue in the Muslim world. Mulla Sadra's answer to the question of existence /wujud differs from that of Ibn - Sina and Aristotle . Ibn - Sina's opinion concerning existence/wujud is based on the principle of the distinction between existence/ wujud and quiddity. The word which has, in Ibn - Sina's ontology, a pivotal role is the existent, not the ess/wujud. He accepts the ess/wujud as a metaphysical element differing from quiddity; dividing the existent into the necessary and the possible, he propounded the concept of the existent due to its being kind to the existent itself. He asserts that what may be divided into the necessary and the possible is the concept of the existent which may be essential or non-essential.

The transition from the existent to the ess/wujud forms the core of Mulla Sadra's philosophy. He lays the foundation of his metaphysics on the primacy of existence, and constantly places stress on the necessity of differentiating between the two concepts of existence/ wujud, that is the existent which is the second phiJosophical intellect and theobjective external truth of existence/ wujud which may he conceived by the immediate knowledge.

Unlike Ibn - Sina, Mulla Sadra passing from the existent to the existence does no longer claim that the fusion of existence/wujud and quiddity is the criterion for the possible necessity and its distinction from the necessary. Instead of essential possibility, he introduces the contingent possibility and instead of the difference between the possible and the necessary, which refer to both beings, he introduces the distinction between the stages of the truth of existence. He does not believe that the distinction between quiddity and the division of the existent into the necessary and the possible is sufficient for explaining the universe. He uses this principle, that is the primacy of existence/wujud over the quiddity as the cornerstone of ontological proof in his philosophy. Thus, he breathes the spirit of Ibn - Sina's philosophy in the primacy of existence/wujud. On this basis, the definition he gives of God differs from that of Farabi or Ibn - Sina. According to Mulla Sadra who believes in the primacy of existence, to be essential is not just to be through one's essence. For the obligatoriness of existence, in addition to being true and having no determinative dignity and intermediary for accidents, one must be needless of etiological dignity. According to this world vision, the relation between the Creator and the existent changes totally and the philosopher faces a newer and deeper outlook in this regard. What is regarded as all other than God are but the manners and manifestations of absolute being as a personal affair.

In studying the issues concerning the truth of wujud/existence, Mulla Sadra expounds his theories of nature and offers a new theory on essence, accident, matter and form which simultaneously resolves the issue of time and trans-substantial motion. It is in the light of the trans-substantial motion that he offers a new philosophy on natural matters, and metaphysics including the temporal createdness of the universe, the relation between the changeable and the fixed, the creation of the world, the continual creation, the relation between the soul and the body, the resurrection of the body and other matters relating to resurrection.

The present article attempts to explain the difference between the fundamental principle in the ontology of Ibn - Sina and Mulla Sadra; it is, in fact, a short study of the important topics gaining a new identity in the light of Mulla Sadra's theory on existence. The most important points taken into consideration in the present study, consist of three parts: the first part attempts to substantiate the point that the pivotal word in Mulla Sadra's ontology is existence/wujud, not the existent and that the transition from the existent to the (existence/wujud) is the specific attribute of the transcendent theosophy. In the second part, the essential possibility is explained as the most fundamental principle in Mulla Sadra's main changes compared to the distinction between existence/wujud and the quiddity in Ibn - Sina's philosophy. The third part studies the related philosophical corollaries to the essential possibility and their differences from Ibn - Sina's philosophy.

The Necessary Being's Knowledge According To Mulla Sadra

Dr.A.Beheshti

Doctrine of the Necessary Being's knowledge interjected by the Sadrean Transcendent Theosophy is an advanced version of the Illuminationist and Peripatetic doctrines. From among the various doctrines, a doctrine has springed out, in which God is regarded as knowing His Essence and other than His Essence; this doctrine affirms the detailed knowledge of other than Essence both before and simultaneous with the creation. And all three knowledges are in the mode of knowledge by presence and not acquired one.

 

Explanation of Sadrean Doctrine

According to Ibn-Sina, the structure of intelligible forms and the cognitive system of the Necessary Being is a criterion for the knowledge both before the creation and simultaneous with the creation and even after the creation. Therefore, like the knowledge simultaneous with the creation, the knowledge before the creation is a detailed one.

According to Shaykh al - Ishraq, having the intelligible forms and the cognitive system of the Necessary eliminated, the criterion for the knowledge simultaneous with the creation is the presence of the specific forms. For the knowledge before the creation, however, there remains no criterion except that the knowledge of the cause requires the knowledge of the caused one; and this is nothing but the Essence's collective knowledge of other than Essence.

Through rejecting the Peripatetic doctrine, Mulla Sadra has tried to regard, like Shaykh Ishraq, the knowledge simultaneous with the creation same as the presence of the specific forms, and look for a strong criterion for the detailed knowledge before the creation. He says: "God's knowledge of the things is same as the existence of the things through the argument of the Throne".

 

Huduth Dahri According to Razi

P.Adhkayi

Philosophers have called three existential directions of the world three modes of being , which are, in fact, three temporal containers:

1- Sarmad, which is a relation between the fixed and fixed; that is, pre-eternal and eternal.

2- dahr, which is the relation between the fixed and the changing; i.e. between the eternal and the time;

3- Time, which is the relation between the changing and the changing; i.e. between

the created one and the motion.

The European researchers have always compared Razi with Isaac Newton and Rene Descartes. We do not need, however, to magnify him through the so-called researches; since even without such magnifications he is a great figure, whose value has not been, unfortunately, known, as it should, in our country.

Those who affirm the time are divided into two groups:

The first group are those who regard the knowledge of time as evident and needless of the argument; and the others are, those who try to prove it through the arguments. Among the first group is Razi who has alleged ten arguments to prove thetime's being evident.

 

Imagination And Judgment

M.T.Fa'alli

Discussions on the perception and knowledge are interspersed throughout the books written in Islamic sciences- whether philosophy or theology or logic or even the science of methodology (usul). The problem of the knowledge has led to many other problems, which should be studied. These problems are as follows:

1- A part of philosophy is the topic of categories , and among the high genera is the category of quality, which is divided into 4 general parts. The psychical qualities form a kind of qualities. Muslim philosophers have regarded the knowledge as being included in this kind, and approached to the knowledge from an ontological point of view.

2- One of the most important philosophical issues is the knowledge of the soul in which the perception is discussed. In this regard, the role played by the philosopher of the 5th century (A.D.), Ibn Sina is the most significant role.

3- Also among the philosophical issues is the problem of the "intelligence, intelligent and intelligible" which was interjected in the time of Fakhr Razi; and inAsfar, it is more than any other issue of the knowledge topic discussed.

4- The mental existence, which is among the novel issues. Introducing this issue, the philosophers were to show the importance of the knowledge and the mind (Subject's) being representative of the object.

5- The secondary intelligibles, which is another philosophical issue that is in relation with the topic of the knowledge and perception.

6-"The criterion for the truth of the propositions" which suggests that the propositions have a relation with the fact-itself. Though including only the Judgments and propositions, and not the imaginations, at the same time, it examines a part of man's acquired knowledge from a particular point of view.

7- "The quiddity and its statements". In this regard, issues such as the mentally positedness of the quiddities, and the question of the particular and universal are introduced. These issues are, in fact, a sort of knowledge of the mind.

8- In logic we come to questions, which are in relation with the issue of knowledge; and from a point of view, the logic is in fact, description and explanation of the mind.

9- A part of Islamic philosophy is theology in the particular senseof the term, in which, after affirming the existence of God and analyzing the Divine attributes and names, the attributes of the Truth are discussed individually. Among the Necessary's attributes is His knowledge, in whose analyzing, the knowledge of man is accordingly discussed.

10- In the methodology we are confronted with issues such as universal and particular, absolute and restricted. In this science some of verbal issues provide subtle analysis of the world of the mind.

 

THE ISSUE OF KNOWLEDGE

In the Islamic world the question of the knowledge has been discussed from two points of view, and the intellectual sciences have approached to the perception from two various directions. Sometimes it is approached from the issues such as the separation of the perception, the levels of the perceptions, accidentiality of the knowledge and perceptive faculties. In this case, what is discussed is the existence of theknowledge . Therefore, a group of issues can be classified under the ontology of the knowledge. Concerning the knowledge, there is, at the same time, another kind of the issues introduced as well: classifying the knowledge under "the acquired" and "by presence" and then under "the imagination" and "Judgment", and still then, under the immediate and speculative, mentally posited ones, secondary intelligibles..., In this case, the knowledge is approached from a conceptual point of view.

Then if we look at the knowledge independently, and consider its existence, the first category of the issues will be introduced; but if we consider it organically and pay attention to its conceptual and representative mode, we will be confronted with the other issues.

 

REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE IMAGINATION

Concerning the mechanism of theimaginations' being representatives of the reality, various points of view have been interjected.

The first point of view: some of the contemporary thinkers regard the knowledge, whether imaginative or judicial, as a representative of the reality. The essential and inseparable characteristic of the knowledge has been always its representativeness. Thus, without suggesting what is beyond it, the knowledge is not other than ignorance. Therefore, imaginations, since they are a kind of the knowledge, are actually the representatives of the external world.

Among the issues associated with this point of view is that, imaginations should not be in error, and for instance the senses should not err.

The second point of view: the imagination does not actually represent the external world; but it is, in effect, potentially representative. The imagination, if taken into account separately, is not representative; at the same time, however, it is potentially representative. Then the imagination, if taken into account separately, is potentially a representative of the external world, and what turns this potentiality to actuality is an appendix,which is the Judgment. Thus,only the Judgments are, epistemologically, of value.

The third point of view: the imaginations, regardless of their forms, are epistemologically, of no value. They lack even the potential value; thus the imaginations are, in no way, representatives of the reality.

This point of view cannot be accepted, because 1) a particular imagination occurs always under the particular conditions, and can be matched with the same origin and represents it; 2) the denial of the representativeness of the imaginations is, in fact, the denial of the principle of causality; since, for example, the sense imaginations occurs for the soul as impressions, and while sensing the mind is influenced. If the sensing is same as to be influenced, then according to causality it requires an influencing thing and the latter cannot be at the level of former. Then it is out of it and plays a role in the createdness of an imaginary impact on the mind.

Thirdly, if, concerning the imaginations, we are not realists then, as regards the principles, we cannot deem any evident imagination as true; while the Muslim philosophers regard the principles (whether imaginary or judicial) as true.

 

Descartes And Ibn-Sina On The Soul

Fadlollah Khaliqian

This article is to analize the doctrines of two great philosophers, Descarets and Ibn-Sina on the soul.

As he himself said, Descartes, while doubting on anything, was sure that " cogito ergo sum"( I think, therefore I am).

He found this an unquestionable fact, therefore he took it as the first principle.

After Descartes, some objections have been posed against his doctrine; for example the objection, posed by Ibn-Sina. Ibn-Sina believed that thinking is among the soul's acts, and the soul cannot be affirmed through one of its own acts; for, by the thinking, either the thinking in the universal sense of the term is meant( through which we reach the universal thinker, and not the particular soul) or the thinking of a particular individual is meant; and in the latter case, it is absurd to go to find "the unknown"( since in this case " the unknown" is assumed to be known beforehand.)

 

Principles of Interpretation And Quranic Hermeneutics According To Mulla Sadra

Presented in the Conference of Quran, Text & Interpretation SOAS (university of London) October 1999

Ayatollah S.M.Khamenei

An analysis of the different styles of the Qur'anic interpretation would of course be imperfect without alluding to the great commentator of the Holy Qur'an, namely Mulla Sadra. In feet, his method in the commentary is one of the best interpretive methods of the Holy Qur'an. Mulla Sadra 's commentary is, basically, a gnostic one; but since he was expert in all the scientific disciplines of his time, sometimes he has paid attention to some subjects that other commentators have investigated; and since he was well-versed in Arabic literature, sometimes he has discussed literary points.

Mulla Sadra believes that, as the world that has three physical, otherworldly and supra-otherworldly levels, the Holy Qur'an, too, has the same spiritual and conceptual levels and degrees, since it is the " manifestation" of all these three worlds. Its first degree is of the verbal category, and all those who are familiar with Arabic, understand it. But the other degrees are spiritual, hidden or "esoteric" and understanding them is possible in a realm other than the realm of words. The knowledge, obtained by the commentator of the Holy Qur'an, is, in fact, seeing these levels through the interior senses, and in the other words, it is a sort of union with the world of being. Perhaps, according to gnostics and Mulla Sadra each person can finds a something from the Holy Qur'an, apart from those found by others. And every person finds something in the holy Qur'an, according to his/her capacity.

According to Mulla Sadra, Ta'wil(hermeneutic interpretation), in his intended meaning, is a necessity for interpretation. It has connections with the world of existence, beyond the verbal and exterior of the Holy Qur'an. There are many secrets, mysteries and meanings, which cannot be understood or explained by verbal commentary. Therefore, a true commentator has to interpret those words, i.e. to plunge into the depth of their meanings and " interiors". Ta'wil of the Holy Qur'an is not opposite to its exterior, rather it is its supplement, and the meanings of the Holy Qur'an are like the core of the seed; and its exoteric meanings and words are like the shell of seed (Tafsir-e Ayat al-kursi). Ta'wil according to the Holy Qur'an, is of two kinds: the correct Ta'wil and the false one.

The false Ta'wil not only keeps the commentator far from the true meaning of the Text, but also it may lead to some evils in the society. As it is written in the Holy Qur'an, those in hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking( to cause) dissension by seeking to interpret it hermeneutically.( the Holy Qur'an/ 3/7).

Ta'wil, in the correct sense of the term, u-> approaching the Holy Qur'an and plunging into its depth and different layers, and the innermost of its meanings.

Mulla Sadra says that there are pre-conditions for interpreting and perceiving the depth of the meaning of the Holy Qur'an and not all people are equal to the task. The main conditions are, turning away from the material world and its enjoyments, spiritual discipline and exercises, and an intrinsic -preparedness.

 

Criteria of the Divine attribution

A.Shirzad

Having proved the first Origin, the Divine Unity, and the simplicity of the Divine Essence, Ibn-Sina intejects the attributes of the Necessary Being under two categories:

First- the universal issues such as the kinds of attributes and the criteria for attributing God throug attributes, the criteria for negating some other attributes, and

analyzing attributes such as knowledge, power, will... individually.

The fact that, in terms of the existential reality and existential perfections, God is also unrivalled, is resulted from the fact that the Truth's- the Exalted- special existence, because of its own special relaity, is other than the existence in the other things and,since the Divine attributes are same as the Divine Essence, this is also the case for the attributes.

First- In other than God, the perfections are supervened on their essences; in God, however, they are same as God's existence.Second- In the Truth-the Exalted- The existence and existential perfections are necessary and essential; in the other things, however, they are possible and caused by God- the Exalted.

Third- The Divine attributes are attributed to Him, in a way which is deserved Him. For example, in the knowledge of His Essence, God cotemplates on His Essence, and this cotemplation requires the contemplation on other than God, and this contemplation since it is the origin for the emanation of the act, is power as well.

Fourth- In the Truth- the Exalted- the attributes arc realized in the mostperfect mode, that is, the Divine perfections are combined with no non-existence. Therefore, same as the existence of the Truth- the Exalted- which is not combined with the non-existence, his knowledge is not combined with ignorance, and his power is not combined with disability.