https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/ History of Islamic Philosophy en daily 1 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_229505.html This study revisits the concept of light in Shihāb al-Dīn Suhrawardī’s philosophy through the lens of Hans Blumenberg’s metaphorology. Its primary aim is to reexamine the notion of light within Suhrawardī’s philosophical system on the basis of Blumenberg’s approach to metaphor. First, the central place and function of the concept of light in Suhrawardī’s writings and his systematic thought are investigated. The dominant linguistic reading of Suhrawardī — situated in the history of rhetoric — is then outlined, followed by an analysis of Mullā Ṣadrā’s interpretation of Suhrawardī. In the section proposing an alternative reading, and drawing on Blumenberg’s metaphorological method, the metaphor of light in Suhrawardī’s philosophy is reinterpreted. This study demonstrates that the prevailing reading of Suhrawardī is beset by shortcomings. Following Blumenberg, light is reconsidered as an absolute metaphor. The absolute metaphor of light performs both theoretical and practical functions: theoretically it operates as a metaphor for rupture and continuity; practically it opens a way for dialogue between traditions. Moreover, in the story of Rostam and Esfandiyār, in the reinterpretation of mythos into logos, and in the figure of the Red Intellect (ʿaql-e sorkh), light appears as the manifestation of human reason in the world. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_225165.html Al-Farabi's famous treatise, known as "The Reconciliation between theOpinions of the Two Sages" (al-Jam' bayn Ra'yay al-Hakimayn), seeksto demonstrate that, contrary to the objections raised by people in his eraregarding fundamental differences between Plato and Aristotle-as twoprominent figures of philosophy-and the resulting invalidity of thephilosophical method, no such conflict existed between them, and theperception of differences was the result of superficial interpretations.While responding to those who have cast doubt on the attribution of theaal-Jam' treatise to Al-Farabi, we will examine why the earlyphilosophers in the Islamic world felt compelled to write such"reconciliation" and pursue such an idea. Focusing on this "why" is themissing link and a response to critics who, disregarding its function inthat specific period, consider al-Jam' to be the product of a historicalerror concerning the Theology of Aristotle. Al-Farabi's focus onAristotle, and his preference for some of his views over Plato's, itselfconfirms that even Al-Farabi, contrary to the overall spirit of the al-Jam'treatise, acknowledged differences between Aristotle and Plato. Thisarticle aims to delineate the prevailing spirit of Al-Farabi's era, showinga that al-Jam' was a treatise intended to save philosophy duringparticular juncture. Its author was likely well aware that the treatise'sfunction was confined to that specific time. Today, it is clear that, unlikein Al-Farabi's time, there is no need to prove that Plato and Aristotle hadno differences. On the contrary, the existence of fundamentaldifferences between them has become self-evident and an accepted factamong experts in Greek philosophy. The present study investigates thisissue by taking into account the historical factors. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_220718.html Proclus is the author of a treatise titled "Proclus' Arguments on the Eternity of the World". Influenced by the principles and teachings of Plato and Aristotle, he defended the eternity of the world in this treatise through eighteen arguments. Later, Philoponus criticized and refuted these eighteen arguments. To defend the creation of the world, he launched a comprehensive attack on Aristotle's physics and, as the pioneer of arguments for the creation of the world and the finitude of motion and time based on the concept of infinity, rejected the eternity of the world. Based on this, he authored two books titled "Against Proclus on the Eternity of the World" and "Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World". During the translation movement, both books were translated by Muslim scholars; however, due to the loss of the Arabic translations of these two books, the position of Philoponus' ideas in the views of Muslim thinkers was not clarified. By examining and studying the dialectic of Aristotle and Proclus with Philoponus on the eternity of the world, it becomes evident that Islamic thinkers, such as al-Kindi, were influenced by the ideas present in this dialectic in their perspectives on the creation of the world. Therefore, this study strives to analyze, examine, and compare these ideas across two realms of history. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_225640.html This study, using a descriptive-analytical method, explores the position of Mirza Mehdi Esfahani’s thought within the historical evolution of critiques concerning the validity of rational cognition in the domain of metaphysics. By categorizing five historical periods and examining the ideas of rationality-restricting thinkers, the research identifies three major intellectual currents: text-based, intuition-based, and integrative. A comparative analysis shows that Esfahani’s theories predominantly draw upon the views of earlier text-based scholars. Therefore, his perspective cannot be regarded as entirely novel or groundbreaking. Continuing the tradition of critiquing philosophical rationalism, Esfahani sought to present a distinct framework regarding the function of reason in religious law (termed “auditory reason”), along with introducing the concept of “luminous reason and knowledge.” Through this, he attempted to offer a different model for organizing the relationship between reason and revelation. This framework, while committed to the authority of religious texts, strategically leverages rational capacities to avoid the extremes of purely textualist movements such as Akhbarism. A critical evaluation of Esfahani’s epistemological system reveals significant internal tensions between theory (absolute negation of demonstrative reasoning) and practice (extensive use of argumentation), as well as various ambiguities in explaining the proposed epistemological model. Findings indicate that offering a coherent religious epistemological system is inevitably dependent on harnessing the analytical capacities of reason. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_236259.html The present research investigates the concept of “Shākila” (disposition) and its scope in human behavior as addressed in the noble verse of Shākila. Exegetes from various eras, with diverse theological-philosophical foundations, have engaged with this issue, resulting in differing anthropological and behavioral implications. Among the multitude of interpreters, three representatives (Fakhr al-Rāzī, Ibn ʿĀshūr, and ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī) have been selected, each examining the matter from distinct theological perspectives. The present explanation is presented in two parts:1. The nature of the concept of Shākila and, consequently, an examination of the implications and consequences of the intended meaning for the quality of human behavior.2. The extent and scope of behavior governed by Shākila.In the first part, according to Fakhr al-Rāzī, Shākila is understood as "the nature and innate disposition of the individual," while Ibn ʿĀshūr considers Shākila to mean "the conduct and character of a person." In contrast, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī advocates a "dualistic view of Shākila," proposing that part of Shākila may arise from the individual’s inherent temperament and innate constitution (nature), while another part is shaped by the external environment and the context of one’s life.In the second part (the scope of behavior governed by Shākila), it can be said that the noble verse of Shākila contains three domains: the domain of the actor, the domain of behavior, and the domain of Shākila. This means that "from every human being, some behaviors emerge in accordance with some of their Shākilas." https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_225372.html "Wise Knowledge of God" is a title that befits Mulla Sadra's theology, and it is fitting that his theology be called by this name. Based on his philosophical approach (transcendental wisdom), he presents an interpretation of the knowledge of God that is based on the criteria of reason, compatible with discovery and intuition, and in agreement with the Quran. The issue of this research is the knowledge of God from Mulla Sadra's perspective and the influence he receives from the Quran. The method of this research is the analysis of his perspective based on the Quran; the Quran calls for reasoning, speaks of the One God, and the world is His sign. The Quran argues and presents proofs of the knowledge of God - although not classical. Mulla Sadra, based on the foundations of his wisdom, the most important of which is the originality of existence, extracts monotheistic proofs of the knowledge of God from the Quran. In his view, the existence of the Almighty is the only instance of existence, and the world is a ray of the manifestation of His essence. This type of theology is not only rational, but also intuitive and Quranic; rather, the knowledge of God is of the wise type. This thought leads us to believe that knowing God and divine wisdom is a great happiness and great joy; its acquisition determines a person's destiny, and his life is built on the foundation of love, and he is happy. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_222809.html This research is a study of two works of Ardā Wirāz nāmag (The Book of Ardā Wirāz) in the ancient Iranian tradition and Risālat al-Ṭayr (The Recital of the Bird) by Avicenna in the Islamic era, aiming to understand the similarities and differences between them. The distinctive aspect of the approach taken in Ardā wīrāz nāmag is that the author, in this spiritual journey, presents his observations of the soul’s ascent to paradise, purgatory, and hell. However, although Avicenna also composed a spiritual journey in Risālat al-Ṭayr, its content pertains to the journey of the rational soul toward perfection and true happiness. Furthermore, by reflecting on these two spiritual journeys, we realize that they can be analyzed and compared in three aspects: context, method, and foundations. The significance of examining these two works based on these three aspects lies in understanding the intellectual proximity between the ancient Iranian tradition and the Islamic intellectual tradition of Iran. Moreover, this study has revealed that despite their similarities and differences in context, method, and foundations, both works ultimately discuss the perfection of the soul. The perfection of the soul and its outcome, namely happiness, serve as the fundamental shared principle between these two treatises. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_235736.html Some opponents of Islamic philosophy consider Islamic philosophers to be merely imitators, commentators, and annotators of Greek philosophies. This study seeks to examine this claim and, focusing on the opinions of Mir Damad, as one of the most prominent figures of Islamic wisdom, assesses the relationship between his philosophical views and the religion of Islam. Using documentary methods, logical analysis, and deductive analysis, the present study seeks to answer the question of whether Mir Damad's philosophical intellect also used the religion of Islam in addition to Greek philosophies, and whether his Yamani wisdom is distinct from Greek philosophies and has a religious identity or not? The result of the study is that Yamani wisdom has a religious identity and has transcended Greek philosophies. The role of Islam in philosophical developments from Mir Damad's perspective includes: introducing religious terms into Yamani philosophy; providing religious evidence and confirmation of the Argumentative method; problematizing the religion of Islam for Mir Damad's philosophical intellect; and and theorizing Yamani wisdom influenced by religious knowledge. The rational-religious model of Yamani wisdom is also explained, the focus of which is “systematizing a rational-Shiite philosophy.” This model has five components: using the epistemic source of religion (the contextual component); the fertility of the language of Islamic philosophy; using a religious approach in the form of a rational method; problematizing religion; and philosophical-religious theorizing. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_221803.html The impact of non-epistemic factors on the process of knowledge formation is one of the most pressing questions that epistemologists grapple with. By non-epistemic factors, we mean psychological, sociological, and other similar influences that can affect the process of knowledge. Can we speak of the impact of non-epistemic factors on knowledge in Avicennian psychology? Yes, in Avicenna's thought, knowledge is primarily influenced by psychological factors. He introduces the concept of "desire" (shauq) and strives to explain its relationship with awareness, proposing a type of psychological-ontological epistemology, as he consistently analyzes the psychological factors affecting knowledge ontologically. Avicenna refers to "desire affecting awareness" as another significant non-epistemic factor and provides an ontological explanation of the connection between "desire" and "perception," which depends on the nature of both. In this paper, Avicenna's approach to the non-epistemic factors affecting knowledge is examined phenomenologically. It is found that: (1) Non-epistemic factors influence the direction of awareness and the process of knowledge formation. (2) Without the emergence of desire or encountering something that elicits desire, movement does not materialize; that is, movement follows desire. Avicenna's epistemology is not devoid of naturalistic aspects; however, in this study, by bracketing natural dimensions, psychological factors are considered solely from an ontological perspective, and a phenomenological interpretation of Avicenna's statements is provided. The chosen interpretation focuses on the quality of knowledge emergence and its connection with psychological factors. By establishing the precedence of the motivating force over the perceptive force, a model of Avicennian ontological-psychological epistemology is inferred. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_227597.html An Analysis of the Relationship between Humility and the Development of ‎Knowledge from the Perspective of Islamic Philosophy ‎ (With Emphasis on Mulla Sadra's Viewpoint)‎ Abstract Humility, as a moral virtue, plays a fundamental role not only in the personal and spiritual realm ‎but also in the domain of knowledge and science. In Islamic philosophy, knowledge is regarded ‎as a dynamic and spiritual journey that requires the readiness of the soul to receive the truth. This ‎study focuses on the relationship between humility and the dynamism of science, aiming to ‎demonstrate that modesty is not a sign of weakness, but a vital condition for mental openness, ‎continuous error correction, and receptivity to higher levels of wisdom. Drawing upon the views ‎of Islamic philosophers, the article investigates how epistemic humility can contribute to the ‎flourishing of theoretical intellect and the advancement of scientific understanding. Ultimately, it ‎concludes that humility is not only an ethical prerequisite for scientific inquiry but also an ‎epistemic necessity in the process of the evolution of knowledge within the horizon of divine ‎wisdom‏.‏‎ This study adopts a philosophical-analytical method and a descriptive-explanatory ‎approach, examining key texts in Islamic philosophy. The data were collected through library ‎research and conceptually analyzed with a focus on themes such as self-knowledge, ontological ‎poverty, substantial motion of the soul, and intellectual humility‏.‏ Keywords: Humility, Evolution of Knowledge, Awareness of Ontological Poverty, Connection to the Active ‎Intellect, Substantial Motion of the Soul https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_229427.html Avicenna is the philosopher of Peripatetic Philosophy, and he has inherited some of foundations and principles of Aristotelian philosophy. But, Avicenna, in his Islamic philosophy, has transcended from Aristotle, and has presented other and further foundations and principles. Among new foundations that he has presented are his religion and mystical principles. Avicenna has talked, in his religion principles, from fivefold principles of Monotheism, Prophecy, Resurrection, Leadership(Imamate), and Justice: God has the whole qualities of perfection and is creature, originator, knower, and omnipotent; Divine Foreknowledge suitable being of prophet; Divine Foreknowledge suitable being of Resurrection; for prophet is better to attribute on his next leadership(imam) and caliph; and legislator must bring laws that invite to justice, that is moderation in affairs. Avicenna, in his mystical principles, insist on principles of hierarchy of causes and effects; principles of priority of knowledge and purification on arriving at active intellect and other intellects and, at last, on arriving at the most high God; and he talks, with detail, about true love and diffusion of love in whole world and things, from devotion and worship, from degrees of itinerary of spiritual path in arriving at the God, from mystical degrees of interior purification and exterior purification, and from spiritual dispositions of mystics. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_230260.html Theory of imagination shares common features in Farabi and Hegel. Imagination, Farabi believes, may well be defined by its three most notable activities of preserving the sensible forms, combining and separating the sensible forms to make new images, and representing sensible beings as well as the intelligible affairs and beings by sensible forms of two former kinds of images, that is, preserved forms in imagination and the forms created by imagination via combining and separating the sensible forms. Imagination keeps forms of a horse, a stone, a wing, a smell, etc. Imagination also makes a horse with two wings, or a stone that is crying, or a wall that is singing. Imagination gets the image of the horse from nature, and the image of the wings from nature too, then produces a new form by joining them. Imagination represents, for example, the vice of damaging environment by drawing a row of crying trees in a painting. Three stages of imagination according to Hegel include the first stage as reproductive imagination, the second stage as the productive and associative imagination, also called fantasy, and third stage as the sign-making fantasy. Mentioned features of imagination in Hegel’s work has a high resemblance to three activities explored in Farabi’s philosophy. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_231109.html The present study aims to provide a systematic critique of the book” The Magic of Gratitude” based on the threefold criteria of Shari'a (Divine Law), intellect ('aql), and guardianship (wilāya) according to Allamah Tabatabai. Employing a critical analysis method, this research was conducted in two stages: first, the text of “The Magic of Gratitude” was categorized according to the three axes of Shari'a, intellect, and guardianship; then, each semantic unit was critically analyzed based on Allamah Tabatabai's principles. The novelty of this research lies in presenting a three-dimensional analytical model that critiques emerging spiritualities in light of Allamah Tabatabai's views, reveals the mechanisms of secularization of religious concepts within self-development discourse, and explicates the relationship between authentic Islamic mysticism ('irfān) and positive psychology. The findings indicate that the examined book deviates in all three criteria: - It reduces Shari'a to "positive feeling" and adopts a lax perspective, considering the abandonment of obligations or commission of prohibitions as no barrier to attracting wealth. - It presents the law of "whatever you believe, you will receive" without any rational or traditional evidence. - It directs gratitude not toward God but toward "the universe" or "cosmic frequency," thereby eliminating the principle of divine guardianship (wilāya). The overall conclusion is that the concept of gratitude depicted in this work, from Allamah Tabatabai's perspective, not only fails to represent true gratitude but also constitutes an instance of "hidden polytheism" (shirk khafī) and "clear misguidance" (ḍalāl mubīn). https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_232044.html Philosophical ideas have always been shaped and evolved within specific historical and cultural contexts. The history of philosophy testifies that Muslim philosophers, especially Mulla Sadra, were not merely inheritors of Greek philosophical traditions, but through a creative reinterpretation and reconstruction of these traditions in light of Islamic philosophical and theological heritage, they produced novel ideas. Mulla Sadra considers wisdom to be exclusive to sciences that originate from the religion of the Divine Prophets and refers to certain Greek philosophers (the Eight Wise Men) who, through asceticism and piety, transcended the sensible world and adopted the ethics of the Divine. They reached ultimate truth and, regarding the issue of the origination (huduth) and eternality (qadim) of the world, are in harmony with the Prophets. In his works, Mulla Sadra, with reference to the history of Greek philosophy and particularly relying on Plato’s teachings, examined topics such as the theory of forms, substantial motion, and the origination and eternality of the world. This study, employing a combination of historical, comparative, phenomenological, and analytical methods, seeks to explore the reflection of Greek ideas- especially those of Plato- in Mulla Sadra’s works. To this end, it analyzes Mulla Sadra’s writings and the doctrinal commonalities between him and Plato in the realms of ontology and epistemology, aiming to clarify the influence of Plato on Mulla Sadra’s philosophical system. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_232744.html This research presents a comparative study of Albert Camus's absurdist philosophy in contrast to the intellectual system of Mulla Sadra. Within his existentialist framework, Camus posits a world devoid of intrinsic meaning, irrational, and indifferent to humanity—a view manifested in works such as The Myth of Sisyphus, The Stranger, and The Plague. From his perspective, concepts such as justice and morality are human constructs rather than objective characteristics of the world. In contrast, drawing on the principles of Transcendent Philosophy (al-hikmat al-muta‘āliyah), Mulla Sadra emphasizes the primacy of existence (aṣālat al-wujūd), the systematic gradation of existence (tashkīk al-wujūd), and substantial motion (al-ḥarakat al-jawhariyyah). He interprets existence as a purposeful and wise system in which every part is a manifestation of the divine names. The findings demonstrate that Camus's absurdism is predicated on a neglect of the relationship between God and the world, a reduction of ontology to sensory empiricism, and an extreme anthropocentrism. Conversely, Mulla Sadra's philosophical-religious system, by explicating the framework of divine causality, the wisdom behind evil, and the teleology of creation, provides a comprehensive response to the crisis of meaning in modern humanity. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_235433.html نتیجه گیری داستان و دیدگاه مشهوری که قائل است یعقوب کندی در پی تألیف رساله‌ای در اثبات تناقضات قرآن بوده است و سپس در مواجهه با امام حسن عسکری علیه السلام از تألیف آن منصرف گشته، فاقد پایه و اساس تاریخی معتبر است. بررسی منابع نشان می‌دهد که این داستان نه تنها در متون معتبر تاریخ‌نگاری مرتبط با حیات کندی غایب است، بلکه اندیشه او از انسجامی ثابت برخوردار بوده و منبعِ گزارش‌دهندۀ این استحالۀ فکری نیز فاقد اعتبار لازم است. بر این اساس، تحلیل‌های معاصری که بر مبنای این داستان، زندگی فکری کندی را به دو دوره مجزای «مخالفت با قرآن» و «فلسفه مبتنی بر هدایت» تقسیم کرده و مدعی تأیید مسلک فلسفی او از سوی امام هستند، کاملاً مخدوش و بی‌اساس است. افزون بر این، تبیین تاریخی انزوای کندی در عصر متوکل، نه معلول بازگشت از اندیشه‌ای قرآن‌ستیزانه، بلکه پیامد مستقیم گرایش‌های معتزلی او و تضاد آشکار خلیفه با این جریان فکری بوده است. نکتۀ نهایی و کلیدی این تحقیق، معرفی یک منشأ احتمالی برای این خلط تاریخی است و آن وجود شخصیتی معاصر با کندی فیلسوف به نام «عبدالمسیح بن اسحاق کندی» است. او دقیقاً چنین رساله‌ای در تناقضات قرآن نگاشت و شواهد نشان می‌دهد که هیچ‌گاه از آن منصرف نشد و آن را به اتمام رساند. به نظر می‌رسد این تشابه اسمی، منشأ اصلی شکل‌گیری روایت مورد نقد در این مقاله بوده است. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_235626.html Sohravardi's illumination wisdom and the phenomenological tradition as Founding by Husserl are two different philosophies that belong to two separate historical traditions. However, due to the undeniable similarities in the thought of these two philosophers, we can better understand Sohrawardi's illumination wisdom in the light of Husserl's philosophy and present a new reading of it, because both philosophers faced a similar philosophical crisis and In order to pass through it, they find consciousness as a support point. Both Husserl and Suhrvardi introduce intuition as the basis of consciousness. Of course, the function and position of intuition in the thought of these two philosophers is completely different. Another topic that is important in the thought of Husserl and Sehvardi is the return to things themselves. Of course, in Husserl this means a direct encounter with the objects themselves in our consciousness, but in Suhravardi's thought, direct observation of objects in the world of Form and imagination is separate. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_236944.html Spiritual health has recently attracted serious attention from scholars across diverse disciplines. The present study investigates the role of the governance of reason, both theoretical and practical, in spiritual health from Mulla Sadra’s perspective. It concludes by outlining his proposed approaches to confronting mental and psychological illnesses. The research method is philosophical analysis, and data collection is library-based with an emphasis on Mulla Sadra’s works. The central issue concerns the maladies of the heart and the causes of their prevalence. Hence, to attain a comprehensive understanding of the human being, it is necessary to consider the inner structure and multiple dimensions of human existence.. This is because a truly sound soul, by its very nature, is one whose perfections are actualized, which in turn depends on the health of the rational (speaking) soul. Mulla Sadra’s anthropology is grounded in religious teachings, and since man possesses multiple dimensions, extraordinary human phenomena can be readily explained within his philosophical framework. Nevertheless, despite the strengths of Mulla Sadra’s anthropological approach and its deep connection to the health of the soul, it can be argued that an excessive focus on rational aspects, coupled with insufficient attention to the motivational and practical dimensions of human nature—as well as the abstract nature and diversity of some of its topics—constitutes a limitation of purely philosophical approaches to this subject. Therefore, it is emphasized that alongside honoring human intellect, the presence of revelation and the supervision of religion over reason are indispensable. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_237325.html One of the important pillars of transcendental wisdom, which plays an unparalleled role in Mulla Sadra's philosophical system, is essential movement. Without a doubt, essential movement is possible only by assuming the originality of existence, and essence itself is not susceptible to movement or doubt; therefore, Islamic sages have considered doubt and, consequently, movement in essence to be impossible. However, it seems that this issue, It depends entirely on our interpretation of the originality of existence and the validity of essence; that is, if the validity of essence is understood to mean "subjectivity and lack of externality", then there is no possibility of doubt and movement in essence. However, if the meaning of validity is that "essence does not have realization through pleasures and has realization incidentally"As Mukhtar's view is, in this case, both doubt in the essence makes sense and movement in the essence will be provable. The present research aims to use a descriptive analytical method and rely on the principles of Sadr al-Mutalahin to "prove the incidental movement in the essence" in accordance with a specific interpretation of validity. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_237411.html This research was conducted with the aim of providing a philosophical explanation of the mechanism by which repentance purifies the sinful soul within the intellectual system of Mulla Sadra. The main question is how, given the acceptance of the union of act and agent (i.e., the identity of sin with the essence of the sinner), repentance can purify the contaminated essence without annihilating the individual's personal identity. The innovation of the research lies in the systematic application of the principles of the primacy of existence (asālat al-wujūd), the gradation of existence (tashkīk al-wujūd), the principle of the flow of existence (qā'idat al-saryān), and substantial motion to address this challenge.The findings indicate that repentance is a strong existential attention towards the most perfect level of existence (God), which, in the voluntary process of the soul's substantial motion, creates a new and more intense existential reality for the soul. This stronger existential reality, according to the principle of the flow of existence, absorbs and nullifies the weaker existential reality resulting from sin. In this process, personal identity (which is the continuous existential relation and attachment of the soul to God) remains constant, but the existential reality of the soul (its level and quality of existence) undergoes a substantial transformation from a state of degradation towards luminosity and purity. Therefore, in transcendent philosophy , repentance is not a conventional matter but rather an ontological transformation that reconstructs the essence of the soul, and it remains possible until the final moments of worldly life. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_237606.html This study examines the defensive stance of Abu Nasr al-Fārābī in his treatise Fī al-Radd alā Yaḥyā al-Naḥwī (Response to Yaḥyā al-Naḥwī) against the criticisms raised by Yaḥyā al-Naḥwī (John Philoponus) concerning Aristotle's views. The article's primary focus rests on al-Fārābī's central hermeneutical claim that Aristotle's aim in "De Caelo" ("On the Heavens") was not to present a metaphysical proof for the "eternity of the world," but rather to offer a physical and descriptive explanation of the "cosmic structure" and the nature of celestial bodies. By employing an analytical-critical method, the present article demonstrates that al-Fārābī, by decisively distinguishing between these two levels of discourse - the physical and the metaphysical - pursues two main objectives: first, to defend the internal coherence and explanatory power of the Aristotelian physical system against Philoponus's objections; and second, to open a philosophical path for reconciling the theory of the "ethereal body" (which constitutes the celestial spheres) with the fundamental principle of the "temporal origination of the world" in Islamic theology. By analyzing the inner dialectic of al-Fārābī's defense and explaining its theological-philosophical implications, this research consciously distinguishes itself from Mohsin Mahdi's descriptive-historical study of the same treatise, emphasizing instead the philosophical and integrative aspects of al-Fārābī's strategy. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_238181.html AbstractThe question of the “nature of action” is one of the most important issues in ethics and the philosophy of action. In the tradition of al-ḥikma al-muta‘āliyya (Transcendent Philosophy), all phenomena are interpreted within the framework of a causal system, and Motahhari is one of the modern representatives of this tradition who believes in causal necessity within the fabric of reality. Nevertheless, he also strongly emphasizes human freedom and moral responsibility. A fundamental question arises here: How is it possible to simultaneously affirm causal necessity and human freedom?This article, through an examination of Motahhari’s philosophical and ethical thought, seeks to reinterpret the structure of human action from his perspective in order to address this issue. In this reinterpretation, human action consists of two essential components: the “material of the action,” which refers to the external behavior, and the “form of the action,” which refers to the agent’s intentionality. This intentionality necessarily requires the element of freedom as an essential condition for the realization of action, from which human responsibility also follows. Ultimately, it is shown that although Motahhari accepts the principle of causality, he nevertheless affirms a real ontological status for human freedom, even though his account of this relationship faces certain challenges and criticisms. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_238411.html Given that most religions have significant claims regarding truth and salvation, their exclusivist approach often hinders the realization of rational interfaith dialogues. In this context, Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy and Wisdom offers valuable capacities for engaging in interfaith dialogue from a religious perspective. These capacities include the principality of existence, the gradation of the reality of existence, and the substantial motion. By acknowledging the principality of existence, in dialogue with followers of other religious traditions, the belief in a divine truth or God can serve as a focal point, with its nature considered subsequently. Through the notion of gradation of existence, it can be demonstrated that adherents of all divine religions, and occasionally some non-divine religions, benefit from the truth of their faith to varying degrees and proportionally share in the gift of salvation. Considering the substantial motion, it can be argued that all or most believers are evolving toward God according to their level of faith and that we are continually evolving until death. Consequently, the principle of belief in divine truth is highly valuable for dialogue with followers of other religions, suggesting that as we are always in a state of evolution, we should never claim exclusive possession of the absolute truth or consider ourselves self-sufficient without others. Therefore, Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy (Wisdom) has the potential to facilitate the discourse of dialogue with most or all religious and, occasionally, philosophical traditions, which should be reconsidered in the light of our contemporary needs. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_239695.html The Neo-Sadrianism, as the dominant school of contemporary Islamic philosophy, has played a decisive role in the education and research of Islamic philosophy and rational theology. Relying on the heritage of Transcendental Wisdom (al-Hikmat al-Muta‘aliyah) and its rereading by thinkers such as Allameh Tabataba’i, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, and Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, this movement has attempted to reconstruct philosophical reason in the face of Modernity and contemporary atheistic challenges. Adopting an analytical-critical approach, the present article engages in a constructive internal evaluation of this movement; a judgment that aims not to negate its achievements, but to identify structural challenges and outline its future prospects. Finally, by mapping future scenarios, the article emphasizes the necessity of methodological rethinking, critical dialogue with rivals both within and outside the tradition, and a deeper engagement of philosophy with the issues facing contemporary humanity.Finally, by mapping future scenarios, the article emphasizes the necessity of methodological rethinking, critical dialogue with rivals both within and outside the tradition, and a deeper engagement of philosophy with the issues facing contemporary humanity. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_239826.html The philosophical poem al-Jumānah al-Ilāhiyyah fī al-Tawḥīd (The Divine Pearl on Oneness) has long occupied a liminal space in the Avicennian corpus. Attributed to Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā, d. 428/1037) in several late manuscripts and modern bibliographies, the text presents a versified summary of Peripatetic metaphysics, psychology, and natural philosophy. This study challenges that attribution through a rigorous application of higher textual criticism, bifurcated into external and internal analyses. Externally, the investigation relies on the bio-bibliographical silence of Avicenna’s direct circle—most notably his student al-Jūzjānī—and the explicit testimony of 6th/12th and 7th/13th-century historians like Ibn Abī Uṣaybiʿah and al-Ṣafadī, who attribute the work to the physician-philosopher Abū al-Mu’ayyad Muḥammad b. al-Majlī al-’Antarī (d. c. 570/1174). Internally, the article demonstrates irreconcilable doctrinal divergences between the poem and Avicenna’s established metaphysics. These include a distinctively theological (kalām) conceptualization of the Creator-creature distinction (the “builder” analogy), a positive metaphorical invocation of alchemy that contradicts Avicenna’s known scientific skepticism regarding transmutation, and a lack of the syllogistic rigor characteristic of Avicenna’s epistemology. Furthermore, the study contextualizes the misattribution within the popularity of the Urjūzah (didactic poem) genre, utilizing lexicographical definitions to frame the literary environment that facilitated such pseudepigraphy. By reassigning the text to its proper author and analyzing al-’Antarī’s extant poetry, this article not only purifies the Avicennian canon but also recovers a significant pedagogical text of the post-Avicennian period. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_240699.html The issue of bodily resurrection is one of the fundamental questions in Islamic philosophy, holding a special place in the transcendent theosophy of Mulla Sadra. Drawing on his foundational principles—such as the primacy of existence, substantial motion, and the unity of the intellect and the intelligible—Mulla Sadra presents an innovative and evolutionary theory of resurrection. According to this view, the resurrected body is the result of the soul’s ontological and existential development, rather than a return to the worldly material body. In contrast, the philosopher Haj Mulla Hadi Sabzavari, while accepting the general framework of Sadrian philosophy, raises substantial critiques concerning the realization of the resurrected body and its relation to personal identity. He proposes the theory of the "eternal (dahri) form of the body," emphasizing the preservation of personal identity in the afterlife. Sabzavari regards the resurrected body not as the outcome of substantial motion in the hereafter, but as the return of the same worldly body in a supra-temporal and immaterial mode of existence. This article offers a comparative analysis of the views of Mulla Sadra and Sabzavari, examines the philosophical foundations of both theories, addresses Sabzavari’s critiques of the Sadrian perspective, and ultimately explores the explanatory potential of the theory of the eternal form in articulating a philosophical understanding of resurrection. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_241699.html The issue of miracle is among the most important topics in the philosophy of religion and the interpretation of sacred texts, as it clarifies the boundary between reason, faith, and religious experience. In Islamic thought, ʿAllāmeh Ṭabāṭabāʾī, by integrating Ṣadrian philosophy with Qur’anic exegesis, regards miracles as objective realities consistent with the causal and wise order of existence. From his perspective, the natural world is one level within the hierarchy of being, and a miracle is not a violation of natural laws but the manifestation of divine will beyond material causes. In contrast, Rudolf Bultmann—drawing on modern Protestant theology and existential hermeneutics—interprets miracles, within his theory of demythologization, not as actual events but as symbolic expressions of human faith. He argues that biblical language is mythological and must be reinterpreted through existential understanding. Consequently, religious truth is realized in inner faith rather than external natural change. Using an analytical–comparative method, this study examines the ontological and epistemological foundations of both views regarding revelation, reason, and nature. The findings indicate that Ṭabāṭabāʾī harmonizes reason and revelation in explaining miracles, whereas Bultmann prioritizes faith, reducing miracles to meaning and language. https://hpi.aletaha.ac.ir/article_242587.html According to Allamah, the outward meaning of the Qur’anic verses is authoritative, and through the principle of interpreting the Qur’ān by the Qur’ān, all verses of the Qur’ān are considered clear and unambiguous (muḥkam).This study aims to extract and elucidate the foundational principles of the philosophy of language in the thought of Allamah Tabatabai and analyze their implications for Quranic exegesis. The research method is descriptive-analytical, with an approach that reconstructs Allamah's views in the three domains of philosophy, "conventional constructs" (i‘tibāriyyāt), and exegesis. The findings indicate that by integrating two key theories—“Signification” (dalālah) as the mechanism of meaning-making and “conventional constructs” (i‘tibāriyyāt) as the ontological-social foundation of language—Allamah arrived at a realist philosophy of language. In this framework, language is considered a constructed, yet reality-representing, bridge between the human mind and the objective world. The language of the Quran, utilizing the conventional-referential structure of human language and due to its divine origin, has perfected this structure to the utmost precision and efficacy, enabling it to refer to the most precise referents and existential truths. Furthermore, this philosophy of language provides the theoretical foundation for the method of "intra-Quranic exegesis" (tafsīr al-Qur'ān bi al-Qur'ān) in ‘Tafsīr al-Mīzān’ and serves as a criterion for mediating between the apparent and inner meanings, rejecting arbitrary allegorical interpretation (ta'wīl), and avoiding extreme relativism in understanding the Quran.