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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Compilation of Islamic Philosophy and Theology [edited] Chapter Seven: Mulla Sadra: His Teachings Sadr al-Din Shirazi, known as Mulla Sadra, appeared nearly a thousand years after the rise of Islam and his works represent a synthesis of the millennium of Islamic thought which preceded him.

He was thoroughly versed in the Qur’an and Hadith, Islamic philosophy and theology, Sufism and even the history of Islamic thought, and must have access to an unusually rich library. To all his knowledge must be added his own intellectual powers as a philosopher and visionary and intuitive capabilities as a gnostic (‘arif) who was able to have direct experience of Ultimate Reality or what in the later school of Islamic philosophy and theosophy is called “gnostic experience” (tajruba-yi ‘irfani).

His knowledge of the revealed sources of Islam was probably more extensive than that of any other Islamic philosopher. It included intimacy not only with the Qur’an, but also well-known commentaries, not only prophetic Hadith but also sayings of the Shi’ite Imams whose philosophical significance he revealed for the first time.

His Qur’anic commentaries and Sharh usul al-kafi (“Commentary upon the Usul al-kafi” of Kulayni) and commentary upon the Light Verse (ayat al-nur), both among the premier masterpieces of Islamic thought; attest to his incredible mastery of the Qur’an and Hadith. Mulla Sadra and earlier Islamic Philosophy Mulla Sadra was also knowledgeable in the deepest sense in the schools of Islamic philosophical thoughts before him.

He knew Peripatetic (mashsha’i) philosophy intimately, especially the thought of Ibn Sina, upon whose Shifa’ he wrote a major commentary. But he was also well acquainted with later Peripatetic, such as Nasir al-Din Tusi and Athir al-Din abhati, upon whose al-Hidayah (“The Guide”) he wrote a commentary which was destined to become one of his most popular works, especially in India.

He was also a master of Ishraqi thoughts and copied a number of the visionary recitals of Suhrawardi in his own hand as well as writing a major commentary in the form of glosses upon the Hikmat al-ishraq (“Theosophy of the Orient of Light”) of the master of the school of illumination.