Mullah Sadra: An Approach to Comparative Philosophy

By Safi Haider

Mulla Sadra: His Eschatology and Transcendent Philosophy is a work that seeks to analyze Mullah Sadras theory of afterlife through his divine philosophy. The main works of Sadra used in this regard are his Asfar al-Arbaah and Risalah fi al-Hashr. The idea is upheld that there tis a nexus between Mulla Sadras belief in the afterlife and his four spiritual journeys. Indeed there would be a gaping hole in his philosophy if one did not take eschatology into consideration. Indeed in any divine philosophy, there is a void that needs to be filled if one does not take eschatology into consideration.
Mullah Sadra belonged to the mutaaliiyah school of philosophy. His life can be divided into three phases, one being the phase where he sought to reach academic heights, the second being his stage of reclusion, and the final being his return to the academic field and his teaching. As is the case of all of his work, these two works belong to the third phase of his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514453162

Safi Haider

Maulana Syed Safi Haider Abidi is a graduate of Religious Studies from Hartford Seminary and is currently pursuing his higher education at New York Theological Seminary, where he will be getting a degree in pastoral counseling. He is also a graduate of William Paterson University, where he did his bachelors in religious studies. He is also currently pursing his traditional Islamic Education with Ayatullah Syed Hosseing Saberi. The Syed is a prolific speaker and author who has spoken at numerous venues. His first book, which goes to prove his educational prowess, was on the mysticism of Mulla Sadra.

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Copyright © 2016 by Safi Haider.

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Rev. date: 01/20/2016

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Contents

Introduction

Mullah Sadra and the Islamic Tradition

List of Mullah Sadra’s Works

Some Topics Discussed by Mullah Sadra

The Meaning of Transcendent Theosophy according to Mullah Sadra

Ibn Arabi

Nietzsche and Sadra

Mullah Sadra and Sellars

Kant’s Categorical Imperative and Sadra’s Reality

Mullah Sadra and Hume

To my Parents

Shabih Haider and

Amera Haider

For all the support they have given me

Introduction

Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Yahya Qawami Shirazi was the most preeminent philosopher of the Safavid period. He belonged to an aristocratic family in the city of Shiraz and was born on January 14, 1628 (the seventh of Jamadi al-Thani 1037). Being that he was the only male child the family had, he was given the utmost care and attention. Nothing mattered more to the parents than educating this young mind and encouraging him to reach his greatest potential.

Mullah Sadra’s early life consists of learning the basics in the city of Shiraz, a city that was known to be an educational hub, even though it lost luster during the Safavid period. Not only was he able to master the religious sciences (ulum al-naqli), but he also soon gained a grasp of the intellectual sciences (ulum al-aqli). After being fully accustomed to the educational environment in Shiraaz, Mullah Sadra made his way to Isfahan, the political and religious capital of the Safavid dynasty.

In Isfahan, Mullah Sadra studied under Shaykh Baha al-Din Amili, Mir Damad, Mir Findinriski. He was soon to become the ultimate authority in the Islamic sciences. Mullah Sadra became fully trained in the School of Isfahan. He was greatly influenced by the teachings of Mir Damad, who gave an illuminationist hue to Ibn Sina’s Peripatetic teachings.

Mullah Sadra and the Islamic Tradition

It is impossible to understand Mullah Sadra without understanding the corpus of the Islamic tradition that predates him. Indeed, it can be said that the Islamic tradition before him can be considered devoid of any real substance with regard to the spiritual sciences, and it was only Mullah Sadra’s works that made it whole. One such example is the work of al-Kindi.

Although al-Kindi was known as being among the preeminent philosophers, he did not develop a science of nafsiyyat the way