Discusses philosopher Mulla Sadras commentary on the opening chapter of the Quran.
This book investigates the convergence of philosophy, scriptural exegesis, and mysticism in the thought of the celebrated Islamic philosopher Mulla Sadra (d. 1050/1640). Through a careful presentation of the theoretical and practical dimensions of Sadras Quranic hermeneutics, Mohammed Rustom highlights the manner in which Sadra offers a penetrating metaphysical commentary upon the Fatiha, the chapter of the Quran that occupies central importance in Muslim daily life. Engaging such medieval intellectual giants as Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1210) and Ibn Arabi (d. 638/1240) on the one hand, and the wider disciplines of philosophy, theology, Sufism, and Quranic exegesis on the other, Sadras commentary upon the Fatiha provides him with the opportunity to modify and recast many of his philosophical positions within a scripture-based framework. He thereby reveals himself to be a profound religious thinker who, among other things, argues for the salvation of all human beings in the afterlife.