ontology

in Fact, the discourse about existence in islam is discourse about reality and concrete one. it was non abstract and transcendetal, it was discuscion about our live, daily live and all problematic which we face every day. Therefore, it is not true a claim that islamic philosophy not concern so much with reality as it is. Ontology in islam especially in philosophy is cornerstone for shadra philosophical tradition.

Despite that, really is more interesting and amazing to talk about this issue, wether if we speak in relating on Shadra and Ibnu Arabi view. Both of prominen thinker my be suppoused or assumed as a snow mountain which undiscovered of all their element of thought. And evidently Shadra adn ibnu arabi keen to talking about existence (wujud).

In history. Peripatetic and illuminativ and ibnu arabi perspective have form shadra thought. albeit, he is independen and have autonomous field of philosophy. So any one who like to understand hikmah muta’liyah (trascendetal philosophy) should to be familiar with his predesecor such Ibnu Sina, Syuhrawardi and ibnu arabi. last but not least it will be suggest to read more carrefully ibnu sina treatise, since he acknowledeg hava make solution to 28.000 philosophical issues which can not be handle by Aristotle.

In shadra terminology a term existence or wujud is equivalent to reality. if we consider our body, our body exist in a room and a room exist in building and building exist in world and world exist in his existence. so despite self-evident or axiomatic proposition in concept but in the reality (hakikat) is no easy to grasp.

as indicated below that existence shadra as cornerstone for his hikmah muta’liyah, however yes view of shadra on being or existence a precise and masterfull system based on the principle of primacy of existence over quiddity. Mulla shadra utilizes this background to unite a rational analytical thought with our direct experience of truht. as stated by REza Akbarian from Tarbiat Modares Shadra present this unity in a clear , systematic manner to transform his own metaphysics form aristotelian philosophy to a philosophy which is essentially non-Aristotelian .

in early we should distinguish between the reality of exsitence and the concept of existence. since any one may enter to dispute and misunderstanding about each of them and be confiuos astonish

Shadra Himself stated

The issue of existence is the foundation of theosophical and the groundwork for divine issues and tawhid (Allah’s oneness), eschatology and the ressurection of the body and the soul and othe issues which i have personally followed. and which prior to me, no one had dealt with . All of these issues revolve around the reality of existence.

so, it is very obvious and undoubtedly any studen who like to examine shadra philosophy have to master more profoundly this term.

And the analysis of Mulla Shadra on the question of existence differs from Ibnu sina. because ibnu sina remained faihtful to Aristotelian metaphysic whose primary and direct concern is the existence and which consider existence as a secondary issue. and ibnu sina believed that existence is a metaphysical element different from quiddity.

anf for your information in relating discussing the basic principles of hikmat as understood and expounded by mulla shadra, there are four topics in each of which mulla shadra has departed from earlier philosophical perspectives and which form the principles of his whole intellectual vision. these four themes are (1) being and its degradation (2) substantial motionor the becoming and change of the substance of the world (3) knowledge and the relation between knower and known and (4) the soul,its faculties, generation, perfection and final resurrection .

Being is the same reality in all realms of existence; it is a single reality but with gradation and degrees of intensity. we may look at the light of sun, the light of lamp, the light of candle all of the is light it self not something else. same subject but with different predicates, as just as we indicate in issue of being, the being of God, of a man, of a tree, are all oen of Being, or one reality but various intensity.

And Being no matter where it manifest it self appear always with its attributes or armies (asakir) as they are traditionally called, such as knowledge, will, power etc. A stone, because it exist, is a manifestation of Being and, therefore has knowledge, will, power and intelligence like men or angels.

Doctrine of The Unity and gradation of Being in Ibnu Arabi and Mulla Shadra thought

Since last years ago, Mulla shadra and Ibnu arabi has attrac me more than othet prominen thinker. I found what i search in my own long live. In shadra my rationality develop increasingly and within Ibnu Arabi my intuition become sharp albeit in low leve, any how I believe study each of them will gain more broader vision about islamic knowledge and etc.

however, comparative study Ibnu Arabi and Shadra may not limitation on ontologi alone, there are some issue may drawn to be in this case, such awalim (alam-alam, cosmology), and perfect man (insan kamil).

Ibnu Arabi hold that God as think him self, so in this appereance he love to be known ini this level we label ahadiyah level, from ahadiyah spread a wahidiyah and latter come the names (Asma) and form the names emerge permenen entity, which after that produces a low manifestaion in creation levels. So to analyse a manifestaion of ibnu arabi doctrin is not si simple.

Ontology shadra reali is not easy to grasp, need a intellectual an spirituali capasity. But any how and any studen who like to discover whole of horizone of his notion of being shoule be focus, do hard study and be familiar with his backround intellectuality and his predecessor.

Shadra elaborate his notion on being, in different angle, aspect and real. So likewise in the beginning try to convince that a being in concept or concept of being is self-evident, clear to anyone, no need reflection and deep thinking and is not contrary that in level of haqiqat (the truth, the real, extention,mishdaq) the similar issues was very dificult. Futhemore we should aware such level. And mainly Mulla Shadra likewise any other philosopher along with other philosopher utilize tools of mantiq, like : mafhum and misdaq (concept and extention), haml (atributte), hamli syayi’ (predicat from concept to extention), jauhar and ard (substantion and non essential) and so on. Therefor, it is mus be accepted that any studen who love to study of Treatise Mulla Shadra should be familiar with this tehcnical term.

Back to our discussion, for shadra

Relating to conception in islamic philosophy we mus distinguish first intelligible conception, scondary philosopical intelligible and scondary logical intelligible. Such existenci is realy a scondary philosopical intelligible.

After that, shadra catch our attention to a equivocal and univocal term, this is also no easy to understand.

So, with this principle is not easy to imagine and how powerful his idea of ontology and as , since because the foundational of philosophic science for all metaphysic thought is called ontology, however study of being in its most general and widest aspects. And perhaps it was the core of his idea.

 

So in Shadra view the term being itself is applied for all of existence, in meaning not in word, this which call the univocal term.

This like shir in Persian language which can applied to lion, onion, milk, and so on.  In this aspect shadra try to undermine world (lafz) rather than meaning. So meaning is likewise that being or existence was universal (kulliy) that applied to his particular things.  And  but any how according to his successor and learner such distinguishting  must be comprehend more accurately, because by this we will fully understand the next his analyses.  Indeed it represent the basis of all metaphysical thought.

 

And Shadra also emphasize a series of any ideas outcome from being, and with his respect such simplicity of being, property of being, comprehension or connotation and denotation or extention.

 

Fortunately, there are many literature which can help us to understanding Shadra philosophical more better wrote by modern islamic scholar such Alamah Thabathabai, misbah yazdi,  Dr. Shirwani, Mahdi Muhaqiq and the other thinkers. Even by virtue their books – which in addition his technical term- bring us to discover whole of important things – which so difficult to a beginners.

 

Being if we accept as his core of ides shadra. Consequently we will find a basic formula for whole of his ideas and if not so    

According Dr Jonathan Dolhenty 

We form the general concept of being by looking at the things around us. They are things of being. All things have a common element; they are existable. This means they are either actually in existence or could be in existence (possible existence).

In this sense, shadra in another point different form this as he claim that concept being is self-evident we no need to looking around us  but by looking to our side (inside).

 

The next shadra span it to gradation of being. Being with his unique  as mental  concept is like etre, has, and is in other language, but as external thing is similar to reality is self. Immediately, wen we take to consider a thing we possibly get a two point, one existence and second it identity or quiddity    

Reference :

1. a Article from History of Muslim philosophy

2, Paper of Reza AKbarian on existence of Mulla Shadra