Abstract

In the view of Islamic philosophers, God has given man the freedom of will, which has increased the significance of his deeds in relation to all other beings. A good deed done out of free will is more valuable than the same deed that was realized unconsciously as a result of the law of nature. An evil deed also deserves severe condemnation if it arose from man's free will. On the ontological developmental path towards the ultimate goal, all beings except man follow an already defined path that brings them to the stage of their ultimate development. Only man can choose the path of his spiritual movement and the level of success he will achieve in that path. Islamic philosophers believe that in his being man has the power to know all three types of worlds: the world of intellect, the world of imagination and the world of matter. Based on these cognitive powers, man can actively affect all mentioned worlds. The world of imagination is an ontological stage where human influence is most pronounced. Namely, everything that man does and realizes in the physical world, exists in the world of imagination in greater intensity. Islamic philosophers claim that by his behaviour, man creates beings in the world of imagination that he will encounter after death, that is, after his soul moves into a new world. For the first time in the history of Islamic philosophy, the world of imagination was introduced by the founder of the illuminative school, Sheikh Ishraq (1155-1191). Based on innovative principles he founded at his school of philosophy, Mulla Sadra Shirazi (1572-1640) was able to enhance significantly the study of human imagination as well as the world of imagination. The idea of embodiment of man's deeds in the world of imagination is the result of the aforementioned enhancement of philosophical thought in Islam.