The triumph of mercy: philosophy and scripture in Mulla Sadra

Winner of the 21st International Book of the Year Prize in Iran

This book investigates the convergence of philosophy, scriptural exegesis, and mysticism in the thought of the celebrated Islamic philosopher Mulla ?adra (d. 1050/1640). Through a careful presentation of the theoretical and practical dimensions of ?adra's Qur'anic hermeneutics, Mohammed Rustom highlights the manner in which ?adra offers a penetrating metaphysical commentary upon the Fati?a, the chapter of the Qur'an 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 Qur'anic exegesis on the other, ?adra's commentary upon the Fati?a 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.