A Comparative Study of the Asharite and Mulla Sadra’s Interpretations of the Verse “He is with you wherever you are” [Q, 57:4]

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. student of Islamic Theology, Department of Management of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Management of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran .

Abstract

After a thorough investigation of theological and philosophical approaches among Muslim theologians and philosophers, it becomes clear that these two groups of Muslim thinkers have offered different explanations about the “togetherness” between God and creatures. Based on their theological principles, the Asharites refused to accept the literal meaning of togetherness when it comes to the relationship between the divine and creatures. Instead, the offered variegated interpretations for the verse “He is with you wherever you are” (Q, 57:4) to represent togetherness as epistemological togetherness. Mulla Sadra, however, believes both epistemological and existential togetherness are derived from this verse. To explain epistemological togetherness, theologians appeal to theological proofs such as the argument from design and the argument from power and volition. Most of them believe that the divine epistemological togetherness relies upon His power. In Mulla Sadra’s Transcendental Philosophy, however, togetherness relies upon existence, and existence, in turn, is concomitant with knowledge. The divine epistemological togetherness can be interpreted based on the doctrine of the primacy of being in both versions of personal unity and hierarchical unity.  In his explanation of the Self-Subsisting togetherness between the divine and other beings, Mulla Sadra benefits from the philosophical rules known as the Uncompounded Reality and that of the connected being of the effect. In addition, to promulgate his arguments, he refers to the Quran and hadith literature. In his opinion, the relationship between psyche and body exemplifies the divine togetherness with the creature.
Through a descriptive-analytical method, this article aims to analyze the aforementioned Quranic verse from the Asharite and Sadra’s perspective to indicate their commonalities and differences. In his analysis, Mulla Sadra does not acquiesce to the theological explanation and does not find it sufficient. Instead, by offering existential togetherness and Self-Sustaining togetherness, he explains the relationship between the divine and the creature. Based on Self-Sustaining sovereignty, an effect is not devoid of the cause’s existence, and the cause is closer to the effect’s quiditty than itself.

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