Ayatullah Sayyid Mujtaba Nur Mufidi: Mir Damad, an Influential Philosopher

What aspects of Mir Damad’s life and personality do you find interesting and attractive?

One of the prominent characteristics of Mir Damad was his intellectual independence. He consistently strove to avoid blind imitation (taqlid). Indeed, imitation in the realm of science and thought is a major detriment. While drawing upon the views of ancient sages such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, Mir Damad subjected them to critical analysis. He also scrutinized the views of Peripatetic (Mashsha’) philosophers like Al-Farabi and Avicenna (Ibn Sina), and challenged the theological (kalami) thoughts of Al-Ghazali. This quality enabled this sage to be an independent thinker and scholar in various fields of science and knowledge, leaving behind highly valuable works.

Another characteristic, closely related to the first, is that the Sage of Astarabad transcended existing frameworks, introducing innovations and establishing new foundations. The emergence of Mir Damad occurred during the late stages of the stagnation period in Islamic philosophy—a difficult and grueling era for Islamic philosophers initiated by Al-Ghazali’s Incoherence of the Philosophers (Tahafut al-Falasifah). It was a time when even Avicenna’s major work was named The Book of Healing (Al-Shifa). It is narrated that a scholar on his deathbed during those days said, “Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, spoke the truth, and Avicenna lied.” In an era when people were forbidden from approaching the works of Plato and Aristotle, and the writings of Al-Farabi and Avicenna were regarded as harmful and disease-inducing, these great figures were brought back into focus through the efforts of Mir Damad. Ultimately, the emergence of this philosopher of Astarabad helped end this stagnation period, which had lasted about 250 years, and laid the foundation for a philosophical school known as the School of Isfahan. Although efforts had been made before him—such as the work of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) in Cordoba, and the contributions of Mir Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, Al-Taftazani, and Qadi Adud al-Din al-Iji, whose works and activities were primarily theological—it was Mir Damad’s innovations and pioneering contributions that were truly effective in this regard.

The most significant innovation of Mir Damad was the synthesis of Peripatetic (Mashsha’) philosophy, Illuminationist (Ishraqi) philosophy, and Islamic and Shiite teachings. He structured this synthesis based on the Quranic verses and Hadiths, establishing “Yamani Wisdom” (al-Hikmah al-Yamaniyyah). This achievement effectively disarmed those who attacked philosophy from a religious standpoint. This initiative by Mir Damad laid the foundation for the Transcendent Theosophy (al-Hikmah al-Muta’aliyah) of his distinguished student, Mulla Sadra, which continues to dominate Islamic philosophy to this day.

The third point, which is linked to the previous two characteristics, is the moral courage and free-spiritedness of this wise philosopher. Had it not been for this moral courage and free-spiritedness, he would not have been able to maintain his intellectual independence or pursue innovation and originality. The fourth highly instructive attribute is his deep commitment to Sharia matters and his elevated spiritual stations. It is narrated that Mir Damad never neglected recommended deeds (mustahabbat) and was highly cautious regarding disliked acts (makruhat). Indeed, unless an individual has achieved self-purification (tazkiyah al-nafs), shed spiritual impurities, and connected to the primary source of grace—the Holy Essence of the Almighty Creator—they can neither possess moral courage nor practice free-spiritedness. It was on this basis that he preserved his intellectual independence and achieved innovation. Often, eminent figures are compelled by external considerations to become conformists, which deprives them of the boldness required for innovation.

Another fascinating aspect of Mir Damad’s life is that despite his elevated scholarly status and his high position in the Safavid court, he paid special attention to the public. Mulla Sadra, in a letter to his master, Mir Damad, describes him as a helper and refuge for the weak and needy, and a savior for the poor. The sixth characteristic observed in this sage is that despite possessing spiritual wonders (karamat) and the unusual accounts narrated about him—some of which Mir Damad himself refers to—he never sought to gather disciples or establish a personal trade around his spiritual status. This is an unfortunate trend often observed today, which has become widespread, representing a grave danger and detriment that religious authorities must confront.

The seventh characteristic of the Philosopher of Astarabad is his avoidance of undue and inappropriate prejudice. Although the “Third Teacher” (Al-Mu’allim al-Thalith) possessed firm religious convictions and dedicated his life to them, he never harbored dry, ignorant prejudice. In my view, if a philosopher or sage lacks broad-mindedness and tolerance, they cannot truly be called a sage. In principle, unwarranted prejudices and unreasonable rigors stem from a weakness of reasoning and proof. The eighth significant point is his comprehensiveness. Mir Damad was an authority in all the sciences of his time. Jurisprudence (fiqh), principles of jurisprudence (usul), biographical evaluation (rijal), exegesis (tafsir), philosophy, logic, mathematics, medicine, trigonometry, alchemy, poetry, and music were sciences prevalent during that era; he not only mastered them but also held independent scholarly views in each. Granted, most scholars of that period, particularly in Isfahan, integrated the rational (ma’qul) and transmitted (manqul) sciences, yet the preeminence of Mir Damad remains undeniable. Today, while the expansion and high specialization of disciplines make it impossible to master all sciences, an introductory familiarity with various branches of knowledge—especially emerging fields and their connection to the humanities—remains highly important.

Another important characteristic of Mir Damad is his dedication to resolving complex scientific and scholarly problems, about which he authored numerous treatises. In many cases, he claims that these issues had remained unresolved until his time and that he was the one who solved them. The very act of focusing on scholarly problems and doubts and striving to resolve them is a highly commendable and desirable practice. This approach is a serious necessity in our time and must be actively pursued. Another interpretation of this quality is being up-to-date. Today, remaining contemporary is a necessity for religious scholars. In a single sentence, it can be said that this scientist and sage was ahead of his time. What we critically need today is for religious scholars to at least not fall behind their own era. In any case, these characteristics and distinctions are among the attractive, interesting, and instructive aspects of the life of the Sage of Astarabad, all of which are needed in our era and must be considered as a model for scholars and intellectuals.

Please provide a brief explanation regarding the works and writings of Mir Damad.

Nearly one hundred works, including books, treatises, certificates of authorization (ijazah), and letters, have been preserved from Mir Damad. Although this sage was an authority in most sciences of his time, the surviving works do not fully reflect the diverse breadth of his knowledge. Generally, Mir Damad’s writings can be classified into several categories. Some are books written on various subjects such as jurisprudence (fiqh), philosophy, religious rulings (ahkam), and biographical evaluation (rijal), such as Dawabit al-Rada’ (Rules of Lactation), Qabasat (Sparks), and Al-Rawashih al-Samawiyyah (Heavenly Dewdrops). Others were written as glosses and commentaries (ta’liqah and hashiyah) on the books of his predecessors, such as his numerous commentaries on the jurisprudential works of Al-Hasan ibn Yusuf al-Hilli (Allamah Al-Hilli) and Sheikh Al-Tusi, as well as on some of Avicenna’s philosophical works.

The third category consists of treatises and monographs written on various sciences, such as Risalah fi al-Taharah wa al-Salah (Treatise on Purification and Prayer) in jurisprudence, a treatise on the temporal creation of the world (huduth al-alam) in philosophy, and a treatise on the power and knowledge of the Almighty Creator in theology (kalam), among others. The fourth category of works left by this great sage consists of the certificates of authorization (ijazat) granted to his outstanding students. These authorizations are generally narrational (ijazah al-riwayah), connecting through him, his teachers, and the masters of authorization back to the Infallible Imams. Furthermore, in some of these certificates, he authorized certain students to transmit his own writings in both the intellectual (aqli) and Sharia sciences, as well as the works of his maternal grandfather, the late Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki, and Allamah Al-Hilli. Among these is the highly authoritative authorization he granted to his prominent student, Mulla Sadra.

The fifth category of surviving works comprises correspondences and letters that he authored himself or drafted on behalf of Shah Abbas for others. Among the surviving works, some of his books have been published. These include Qabasat, which was published in 1355 SH (1976/1977 AD) by the Tehran branch of the Institute of Islamic Studies of McGill University (Canada) under the supervision of Dr. Mehdi Mohaghegh. Recently, through his efforts and under the auspices of the Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Dignitaries, in collaboration with the International Center for Dialogue among Civilizations and the University of Tehran, on the occasion of the International Conference on Cordoba and Isfahan as two schools of Islamic philosophy in the East and West, several other works by Mir Damad have been published. Furthermore, the Written Heritage Research Institute (Miras-e Maktoob), in collaboration with a group of researchers, has published other writings by Mir Damad, including Al-Ufuq al-Mubin (The Clear Horizon) and Taqwim al-Iman (The Rectification of Faith). Nonetheless, some of Mir Damad’s works remain unpublished and exist as manuscripts in libraries, which will hopefully be published in the future. Among the unpublished works are his jurisprudential writings, none of which have been printed yet. However, God willing, the book Dawabit al-Rada’, which is one of Mir Damad’s jurisprudential works, will soon be made available to those interested. This book has been researched and edited by our honorable and learned colleague, Mr. Mangeneh-chi, and will be published by the Mir Damad Institute. To access a comprehensive list of Mir Damad’s works and writings, one may refer to the valuable reference books Al-Dhari’ah ila Tasanif al-Shi’ah by Sheikh Agha Bozorg Tehrani, A’yan al-Shi’ah by Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin, and The Sage of Astarabad by Dr. Mousavi Behbahani.

Just as in philosophy, Mir Damad was also an authority in jurisprudence. What is the standing of Mir Damad in Islamic jurisprudence?

The standing of Mir Damad in the domain and issues of jurisprudence (fiqh) is highly elevated. His expertise as a prominent jurist (faqih) was such that the author of Tarikh-e Alam-Aray-e Abbasi states: “The jurists of the era consider religious rulings (fatawa) valid only when verified by his Eminence.” Naturally, the jurisprudential aspect of Mir Damad’s scholarly persona has been overshadowed by his philosophical renown, and his reputation lies primarily in the fields of wisdom (hikmah), philosophy, and to some extent, biographical evaluation (rijal) and the science of Hadith transmission (dirayah). The era in which Mir Damad lived marked the beginning of the confrontation between the Akhbari movement and the rationalist (Usuli) movement. It was as if the alignment of the School of Hadith (Ahl al-Hadith) against the Shiite theologians and rationalists had been revived. The position of the Ahl al-Hadith, which had been significantly weakened during the late 4th and early 5th centuries AH by figures such as Sheikh al-Mufid and Sheikh al-Tusi, was resurrected in the early 11th century AH by Mulla Muhammad Amin al-Astarabadi (d. 1033 AH / 1623-1624 AD).

Although Mir Damad passed away before the fierce clashes between these two schools fully erupted, this confrontation, which had already begun, eventually led to the dominance of the Akhbari school, establishing its control over major scholarly centers, with the exception of Isfahan. The primary characteristic of the Akhbari movement, like its predecessors, was its reliance on the literal outward meanings (zawahir) of the Hadiths and narrations. Indeed, the founder of this school did not accept the authority (hujjiyyah) of the outward meanings of the Quran without recourse to Hadiths. They vehemently condemned the method of independent reasoning (ijtihad) and rational analysis.

Conversely, the rationalist movement—whose modern phase some attribute to Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki (Mir Damad’s maternal grandfather) and others to Al-Muhaqqiq al-Ardabili, reaching its zenith with the emergence of the rejuvenator Allamah Wahid Behbahani—deeply analyzed the concepts of the narrations and exercised strict scrutiny in accepting them. They advocated for greater attention to other sources, namely the Book (the Quran) and reason (aql). This school made extensive efforts to establish the foundations of jurisprudence on precise and logical arguments. Within this school, reliance on the general (umummat) and absolute (itlaqat) principles of the Quran expanded, and the validity and authority of many scholarly consensus (ijma’) claims and juristic opinions were called into question. A particular focus on the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) and the application of philosophical rules to substantiate certain jurisprudential principles are also prominent features of this school.

In any case, Mir Damad was among those who adopted a moderate approach in jurisprudence. By examining his limited surviving works in jurisprudence, one can gain some familiarity with his jurisprudential style. I have addressed this topic in a relatively detailed article titled “The Jurisprudential Stylistics of Mir Damad.” Considering the combination of factors that contribute to the formation of a jurisprudential style, several characteristics can be outlined for Mir Damad’s jurisprudential approach. Although he is not recognized as the founder of a distinct jurisprudential school, he possesses a clear and robust jurisprudential style.

In terms of attention to the sources of deduction (istinbat), while he pays special attention to the Quranic verses concerning rulings (Ayat al-Ahkam) and examines them meticulously, he simultaneously dedicates his full effort to investigating qualifying (mukhassis) and restricting (muqayyad) narrations. His expertise in the sciences of biographical evaluation (rijal) and Hadith analysis (dirayah), combined with his mastery of the comprehension of Hadith texts (fiqh al-hadith), ensured that he left no stone unturned when dealing with narrations. Mir Damad did not easily submit to the consensus (ijma’) claimed by other jurists; rather, through extensive research, he scrutinized all perspectives and opinions. While employing philosophical rules in various areas of jurisprudential discussions, he set aside unnecessary scholastic precision, displaying his mastery when relying on common understanding (fahm-e urfi) and textual inference (istizhar). In the process of legal deduction, he avoided resorting easily to precautionary measures (ihtiyat) so as not to impose hardship and difficulty on the legally bound individuals (mukallafin). My assertion that he maintained a moderate path in jurisprudence is fully supported by clear and robust evidence in his jurisprudential works. Although no independent work on the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) has survived from him, one can deduce his fundamental principles to some extent from his jurisprudential discussions. For instance, he expressed valuable views on subjects such as the implication of condition (mafhum al-shart), the implication of limit (mafhum al-ghayah), the implication of prohibition on invalidity (dalalat al-nahy ala al-fasad), and partial capacity for independent reasoning (tajazzi fi al-ijtihad).