Revelation in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Political Philosophy

Abstract

The subject of this article is the analysis and explanation of revelation in Mullā Ṣadrā’s political philosophy. It claims that the analysis and explanation of revelation in Mullā Ṣadrā’s political philosophy lies in the framework of the tradition of Islamic political philosophy. In the tradition of Islamic political philosophy, analysis of revelation resolves two main issues regarding the political philosophy: government and law. Thus, with regard to analysis and explanation of revelation in Mullā Ṣadrā’s political philosophy, it is said that a prophet – the one who receives divine revelation, especially the Prophet Muhammad – enjoys the necessary features for being a ruler. In the next levels, the Infallible Imams also enjoy those features. Human’s social life and his social perfection require Sharīʿa (i.e. the religious law). The philosophy of the Sharʿ laws is rooted in acquiring divine knowledge and protecting lives and properties. The Sharʿ laws have been organized on the basis of the correspondence of the worlds, the effect of actions on the souls and the effect of soul’s states on body. Therefore, the Sharʿ laws lead, on the basis of the relationship between the worlds of sense and ideals and reason, to the mutual effect of the worlds. This article uses the method of analysis of the Islamic political philosophy and Mullā Ṣadrā’s political philosophy. The following is among the results of this study: the philosophy of jurisprudence or the legal philosophy, as explained by Mullā Ṣadrā, can have serious results in the realm of jurisprudence, law, politics and legislation.

Keywords

• revelation
• political philosophy
• mullā ṣadrā
• government
• law