Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the ...

240 Part 3: Islamic Philosophy in History
his early education in literature, logic, and fiqh in Tehran and then
studied such philosophical and theological texts as the Shawåriq of
Låh¥j¥, Shar÷ al-ishåråt by apple¨s¥ and al-Mabda˘ wa˘l-ma‘åd (The Origin
and the Return) by Mullå |adrå with his own father. Upon his father’s
death, he set out for Iraq to study the transmitted sciences in Najaf
and then went to Isfahan to complete his studies in philosophy. In this
still vibrant center of Islamic philosophy he studied the Shifå˘ of Ibn
S¥nå and the Asfår and Mafåt¥÷ al-ghayb of Mullå |adrå with the son of
Mullå ‘Al¥ N¨r¥, M¥rzå ¡asan N¨r¥. He also studied with other major
figures of the city such as Sayyid Ra∂¥ and Mullå Mu±ammad Ja‘far
Langar¨d¥. Then he spent some time in Qazwin studying Mullå |adrå
with Mullå ≈qå-yi Qazw¥n¥, whom he considered to be the best teacher
of the principles of |adrean philosophy. After that short period, he
returned to Isfahan, and about 1270/1853–54 he finished his formal
studies in the intellectual sciences.
Finally ≈qå ‘Al¥ settled in Tehran, where he continued to study
the transmitted sciences with M¥rzå ¡usayn ≈shtiyån¥ and began to
teach philosophy. His career in teaching in Tehran was to last forty
years, first in Qåsim Khån madrasah, then for a few years in his own
home, and then for more than twenty years as official madarris in
Sipahsålår madrasah. The main texts that he taught were the following:
Asfår, al-Mabda˘ wa˘l-ma‘åd, Shar÷ al-hidåyah (Commentary upon the
Book of Guidance [of Ath¥r al-D¥n Abhar¥]) and al-Shawåhid alrub¶biyyah
of Mullå |adrå, the Shifå˘ of Ibn S¥nå, and Shar÷ ÷ikmat alishråq
(Commentary upon the Theosophy of the Orient of Light [of
Suhraward¥ and Qu†b al-D¥n Sh¥råz¥]). His lessons were attended by
numerous students and were famous throughout Persia and even in
certain other Islamic countries, and he trained a large number of important
students belonging to the next generation of philosophers of
the School of Tehran. After a long and fruitful life, he died in Tehran
in 1307/1889 and was buried in ¡adrat-i ‘Abd al-‘Aπ¥m in Rayy.
Some twenty-seven works of ≈qå ‘Al¥ Mudarris are known to
have survived. 18 His works include a number of major annotations
(ta‘l¥qåt) upon several works of Mullå |adrå, especially his Asfår and
Shar÷ ÷ikmat al-ishråq, glosses upon Shar÷ al-ishåråt by Låh¥j¥ and Låh¥j¥’s
Shawåriq, and his own father’s Lama‘åt-i ilåhiyyah; other works are independent
or semi-independent texts on resurrection, 19 attribution
(÷aml), the soul, relational existence (al-wuj¶d al-råbi†¥), unity, the transcendent
unity of being (wa÷dat al-wuj¶d) of the Sufis, a short history
of Islamic philosophy, and a short autobiography. In addition to these
works and a number of poems ≈qå ‘Al¥ wrote Badåyi’ al-÷ikam (Marvels
of Wisdom), which is perhaps his most important text and con-