حکمت صدرایی (Nov 2015)
Mulla Sadra on Ontological and Epistemological Differences and Similarities between Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and other Human
Abstract
In transcendent theosophy, the science of knowledge of prophet of Islam (PBUH) is different from other schools. Although Mulla Sadra, just like the other thinkers, considers the prophet of Islam like an ordinary human being, but on the base of substantial motion theory, suggests that he has a unique status. Therefore, the main question of this paper is: how we can explain differences and similarities of the prophet of Islam with other human beings from epistemological and ontological point of view? Using his philosophical principles such as the Originality of existence, graduation of the existence, substantial motion and union of knower and Knowledge, Mulla Sadra proves that from ontological perspective, the prophet of Islam is the initial creation in the curve of descent and also all the degrees of existence leads to him in the curve of ascent. Although in the primary determinations, he has the same human nature as other human beings, he traverses the degrees of perfection by knowledge and practice, so that by ascending to each level, that level becomes a part of his essence and eventually he reaches perfection in all triple degrees of reason, soul and sense; and becomes the centralization of intellectual, spiritual and Sensory lights. In the secondary personal qualities, he is completely different comparing to other human beings. Of course, this difference is so deep as if the similarity between the existence of an ordinary human being and a perfect human being, whose best example is the prophet of Islam (PBUH), is just share literal.
