Comparative Theology (May 2023)
A Philosophical Analysis of the Mutual Connection Between the Soul and the Body in the Holy Quran
Abstract
Understanding the connection between soul and body is one of the complex issues in psychology. Psychologists emphasize the two-way connection between the soul and the body. In this research, an attempt has been made to analyze three types of links between the two in the Holy Quran: 1) the effect of the mental state on the physical state (spiritual-physical), 2) the effect of the physical state on the mental state (physical-spiritual), and 3) the effect of the mental state on another mental state (spiritual-spiritual). The verses indicating the connection between cognition and tears, the effect of sin on the face and appearance, hearing the divine verses and the trembling of the skin, and the relationship between the piety of the heart and lowering the voice, are among the signs of spiritual-physical connection. And the verses that emphasize the connection between crime and hardness of heart, and sin and rust of the heart, are a sign of physical-spiritual connection. The verses that express the connection between divine mercy and the softness of the heart, thoughtfulness, and the opening of the locks of the heart, refer to the spiritual-spiritual connection. The philosophical basis of these three types of mutual influence between the mental and physical states should be sought in the two theories of the soul’s ‘Spiritual temporarily and endurance’ and its ‘Physical temporarily and endurance’. In the present study, using the method of rational analysis, the verses related to each of the three types of links have been re-examined and their psychological foundations have been explained. Keywords: The Holy Qur'an, Soul, Body, Spirit, Mutual Influence, Transcendental Philosophy, Peripatetic Philosophy. IntroductionThis study aims to investigate the connection between the soul and the body in the Holy Quran as well as the sources of Islamic philosophy, especially the works of Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra. It tries to analyze the principle of connection between the soul and the body and its different types in the Holy Quran, as well as the philosophical foundations of this two-way connection. Due to the explanation of the deep connection between the soul and the body, the impact of injuries and diseases of each of them on the other, as well as the impact of the health and vitality of each on the other have been recognized. In this regard, the relationship between the material and meta-material worlds is revealed to the reader.Based on the mutual influence of the soul and the body, the research questions of the study are: 1) How many types of influence and actions between the two are mentioned in the Holy Quran? 2) What are the philosophical foundations of this two-way influence? The present study hypothesizes that there are three types of influence/connection between the soul and the body in the Holy Quran:The effect of the mental state on the physical state (mental-physical)The effect of the physical state on mental state (physical-spiritual)The effect of one mental state on another mental state (mental-spiritual) Materials and MethodsIn this research, firstly, two main and important principles regarding the connection of soul and body in Islamic philosophy are considered. The Principles are: a) the theory of ‘spirituality of occurrence and spirituality of survival of the self’ which is defended by peripatetic philosophy (Hikmat Masha), and b) the theory of ‘physicality of occurrence and spirituality of survival of the self’ which is emphasized on by transcendental philosophy (Hikmat Ta'alayyah). Each of these two theories has a specific method. The first theory is based on the purely rational argument that Ibn Sina chose in the light of his philosophical foundations, and the second theory is based on the three methods of reasoning, intuition, and narration that Mulla Sadra chose. Research FindingsThe results of the study showed that the method of integrating reason, intuition, and narration, which is emphasized by the transcendental philosophy, is more compatible with the teachings of the Holy Quran. In this regard, the soul and the body are two aspects of a single reality, and the combination between the two is a unified combination, not a concrete combination. The signs in the holy Quran that refer to the spiritual-physical aspect include the connection between cognition and tears, the effect of sin on the face and appearance, hearing the divine verses and the trembling of the skin, and the relationship between the piety of the heart and lowering the voice. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsIn the Holy Quran, three important types of interaction between the soul and the body are stated:The effect of the mental state on the physical state (spiritual-physical): like the relationship between knowing the truth and the tears of the eyes (Surah Maedeh, verse 83), the relationship of the effect of sin on the face (Surah Rahman, verse 41), the connection between faith and disbelief with the whiteness and Blackness of the face, (Surah Al-Imran, verse 106).The influence of the physical state on the mental state (physical-spiritual): like the connection between crime and hard-heartedness (Surah Motaffefin, verse 14), the relationship between the angels abandoning foods and the fear of Abraham (AS) (Surah Hood, verses 70-71).The effect of the mental state on another mental state (spiritual-spiritual): like the effect of a spiritual and transcendental factor, which is the divine mercy on the mental state (Surah Al-Imran, verse 159), and the relationship between lack of forethought and locking the hearts (Surah Mohammad, verse 24).These triple connections are very compatible with the basis of transcendental philosophy, which considers the soul and the body to be two facets of one single reality.
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