Journal Of Religious Thought
Year:2011 | Volume:- | Issue:38|Papers Count:9

Existence and knowledge are the two main fields argued in the Islamic philosophy; In this field, subjects such as: knowledge, union of intellect and intelligible and manifestations of existence are argued. The existence of the knowledge is an external one which can be found apart from our mind in the real world. As it can also be detected by human intelligence, it is also known as a mental connotation and, as a result of this, the nature of knowledge can be detected and known. Because of the effects of the knowledge, mental-existence can be known which can be led to the acknowledgement of the knowledge essence. Mulla Sadra believes that knowledge is just a mode of existence, for, God' s acknowledgement to his own existence and to the objects and also direct and independent ideas is not the result of our sense- dependent mind. So our knowledge about objects, our understandings and conceptions are obtained by our sensual activities in the relationship with the outer phenomena. So, our mind, in its inner evolution, can relate and visualize the meanings in the imaginal world, in its inner evolutional manner. This sort of connection can be obtained by sense-independent intermediate world.The secret of our mental direct discoveries, physical ascensions and hereafter associations are related to this kind of sense-independent knowledge. Intellectual conceptions are subordinate of sense- independent ideas and are not visualized in our mind. Our mind while relating to the sense- independent world is also united with the sense-independent intellect and the lightening world, and as a result of this union, it can visualize total senseindependent ideas.

Unity of God and analysis of divine names and attributes have always been taken into consideration by theologians, philosophers and mystics. Many various names and attributes have been ascribed to God and on the other hand His unity or simplicity has been emphasized; so these questions are raised: Do the Divine names and attributes make an actual multiplicity? If yes, is ascribing them to God a real ascription? If so, is this compatible with the unity of God.To answer these questions, we have analysed Thomas Aquinas' viewpoints comparing them with Mulla Sadra’s ideas.And finally we have concluded that giving accurate and philosophical answers to these questions is possible only on the basis of Mulla Sadra’s thinking and philosophical fundamentals.

Religious linguistics, tries to explore the secrets of divine language presented in the structure of human language and in this way it wants to answer questions such as quality of the revelation of divine words and how the meaning of words is protected in descending from the higher world to the lower one. It can also be useful in accessing to and understanding of the hiden meaning of the sacred texts intentioned by God.Mulla Sadra’s and Qadi Sa’id Qumi’s viewpoints can help in understanding “language of the Holey Qur’an”. Comparing these two views, we can reach a better understanding of the scope of this subject among Muslim thinkers.The most important subject for them is semantics of the divine attributes. In interpreting divine words, Mulla Sadra considered it as a symbolic and literal language and denied it to be a metaphorical one. On the contrary, Qadi Sa’id regarded the language of the sacred texts as a “negative language”.In this paper we try to analyse why these two thinkers choose different religious language. In this way, we will discuss the “relation between the word and its meaning” and “how a name refers to the named”. We will show that this difference is rooted in the difference of their anthropology and cosmology. Finally defending Mulla Sadra’s view we would show some contradictions in Qadi Sa’id's view

Recent developments in science and the appearance of new scientific problems demand a fundamental re-examination of the philosophical structure of scientific theory. In this paper the “Existential Fact Theory” is proposed as an alternative to the conventional underlying philosophical structure of science. This theory is inspired by the metaphor of “Thinking Person” and is designed based on the Mulla Sadra's philosophical insights. Our theory substitutes the concept of existence (Wujud) by creation (Ijad), and advocates the process of creation as an interior action in God’s essence. A hierarchical structure, metaphorically like a cone, is attributed to the creational system of universe which is irreversible and proceeds from absolute unity down to multiplicity.In this theory, all events are seen as creational “actions” and the concept of being is regarded as an intervention of human mind.Also, the “Whole-Part” point of view is substituted by the “General-Particular”. The unification of material objects together with rules governing their behavior and a coherent description of concepts like quantity, time and continuity can be considered among the consequences of this theory.

The position of the Active Intellect in the system of Peripatetic thinking, and especially in Avicenna, is very fundamental and important. This being has a unique role in the structure of the Universe as well as the process of human knowledge. The aim of this article is to explain epistemological standing of Active Intellect in the thinking system of the most important peripatetic philosopher in the Muslim world, Avicenna.According to Avicenna, human knowledge can not act correctly without a spiritual sacred intellect; so the knowing process in its all stages needs to emanation and intermediary of a being such as Active Intellect. Active Intellect in the thought of Avicenna has five epistemological roles: emanation of the first intelligible beings, emanation of the second intelligible beings, being as a place for collection of the perceptive images, presentation of the observed images in dream and presentation of universal revealed images to the prophets. The theory of Active Intellect has not remained safe because of the future critics who have made criticisms on the ontological and epistemological standing of Active Intellect.

Self-watchfulness from Ibn Arabi's and Semnani's viewpoints is to see onself infront the presence of the divine beloved and to observe one's heart in order to experience God's self-disclosure and with-ness. It is generally regarded as one of the fundamentals of practical mysticism necessary for spiritual wayfaring and particularly can be achieved by withdrawaling the corporeal desires and sitting in solitude with many "Forty days" (' Arba' in) and certain conditions.Ibn Arabi and Semnani consider many preparation and conditions necessary for Arba' in (Forty days) the most important of which are: 1- solitude 2-permanent ablutions 3- permanent fast 4- silence (except for asking the master to solve a problem) 5- permanent rememberance "la ilaha illallah", there is no god but Allah) 6- permanent rejection of incoming thoughts 7- submitting the heart to the authority of the master seeking his aspiration (as a mediator to the prophet authority) 8- to be pleased with God and to have no objection in every thing that comes from Him such as spiritual contraction, expanding, soundness and illness.In this way, the wayfarer (salik) can achieve the positions of possessing the "seven spiritual subtle things" (al- Lata' if al-Sab' a), experiencing a diversity of heart perceptions, formal and spiritual unveilings and also influencing internal and external words. Most important of all, he –at the highest station- he reaches the station of union and self- annihilation and the station of union of union and subsistence after annihilation.In Simnani's method of Arba' in, the role of the master is more prominent and oral remembrance has its position while Ibn Arabi advises the role of the master only when the wayfarer can avoid keeping imaginal form. Ibn Arabi, on the contrary, emphasizes spiritual remembrance in solititude.

Doctrine of the temperate in Aristotle is considered the most important principle in his Ethics. Despite its significance, there are some important critiques that need responding, which this paper attempts to do.One of the critiques is that his doctrine is not comprehensive and so does not apply to all behaviors and passions because some of them are not located within the two extremes and only have one side as the opposite, or similarly, that there are some behaviors and passions that have no “temperate.” In this paper, we respond to the first critique by re-explaining the doctrine of the temperate. We do so by distinguishing between the true “temperate” as perfect virtue, and the “temperate” in behaviors and passions as a general rule. Hence we are able to advocate that Aristotle’s doctrine is indeed comprehensive.Yet another critique is that this doctrine does not show us rules for particular situations in a satisfactory manner. We respond to the second critique in this paper by providing the criteria for“true conceiving” and are able to conclude that “true conceiving” in Aristotle is obtained either by receiving the perfect virtue through particular wisdom, or by following the one who is wise and perfect which resolves the problem of lack of particular rules.

In the holey Qur’an, man is respected and is introduced as “superior than many creatures”.In this paper we have studied this superiority and whether it is absolute or relative. We have compared him to two other kinds of rational creatures who do voluntary acts, namely Jinn and Angel. We have discussed that his superiority depends to his decision and his acts according to which he can be superior than Angeles or inferior to the Jinn.