Abstract

A great number of Mulla Sadra's innovations in the Transcendent Philosophy, such as the "principiality of existence", "gradation of existence", "oneness of being", "principle of causality", "the trans-substantial motion", "createdness and eternity of the world", and "corporeal and spiritual resurrection" have the taste of gnostic unveilings. A study of each of these important problems clearly reveals the influence of Ibn Arabi's gnostic unveilings on Mulla Sadra's philosophical thoughts. In several places of Mulla Sadra's works, reference has been made to Ibn Arabi's words as proof.The most important change in Mulla Sadra's philosophical thoughts was his rejection of the theory of the principiality of quiddity and demonstrating the principiality of existence. This turn of thought and his interest in the principiality of existence were based on several factors a great part of which returned to the various aspects of gnosis and ideas of great gnostics such as Ibn Arabi.Regarding the problem of the oneness of being and non-existential nature of possible things, Mulla Sadra's philosophical and dhawqi ideas are very close to Ibn Arabi's unveilings.It is important to know that the demonstration of grades and levels for multiple existents in instructional settings where we have considered them to be multiple is truly and essentially no different from what we will discuss concerning the demonstration of the unity of being and existents, as is confirmed by the great gnostics and favorites of God advocating unveiling and intuition.Regarding the problem of mental existence we should say that Mulla Sadra believes in it and, in order to demonstrate it, resorts to Ibn Arabi's words. With respect to the problem of the trans-substantial motion, initially, he provides some arguments against his opponents and then refers to Qur'anic verses. Later, he quotes from Aristotle and, finally, refers to Ibn Arabi to prove his point.The above cases are examples of Ibn Arabi's influence on Mulla Sadra's philosophical-gnostic thought, as examined in this paper