Abstract

Mulla Sadra in all of his works views good and evil from the angle of existence and non-existence. In Shawahid-al-Robubiyyah he says, "existence is equal to all; it is light in every being while darkness is equal to non-existence. The real evil is the same as the negative entity and for this reason lesser evils have entered the world of existence, by the decree and ordinance of God."In Asfar he writes, "That which desires and by which it attains perfection is the pure good." Elsewhere, based on good and evil he divides beings into four groups: pure good i.e. the necessary existent, the good which prevails over evil i.e. the being utterly devoid of non-existence, the evil which prevails over good i.e. defective beings which are subject to change, and pure evil which is the same as pure non-existence.Mu'tazilites like Shi'ites also believe that God is devoid of any evil, and a human being is free in his deeds which are justified on the basis of punishment, reward and obligation.