Abstract

This dissertation will deal with Mulla Sadra's philosophical interpretation of the Qur'an with special emphasis on the "Verse of Light ." The first chapter will concentrate on Mulla Sadra's life and the historical circumstances of his time. The aim of this chapter is to explore the intellectual ambience while Persia was witnessing formidable changes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. ;The second chapter will give a comprehensive account of the development of Qur'anic tafsir and its major methodologies. This chapter will trace the historical development of tafsir through an examination of some specimens of each methodology. ;The third chapter will deal with certain problems which faced the commentators in their endeavor to interpret the verses of the Qur'an. This discussion, it is hoped, contribute to a better understanding of the nature of the sacred text. ;The fourth chapter deals with the major ideas of Mulla Sadra's interpretation of the verses of the Qur'an. I will try to summarize the methodology which he follows throughout his tafsir. ;The fifth chapter will be an analysis of Mulla Sadra's treatise on the "Verse of Light." This chapter will shed some light on the major ideas articulated in Sadra's treatise. Finally an annotated translation of this treatise, which constitute the major part of the dissertation, will follow