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

246 Part 3: Islamic Philosophy in History
ma‘åd, and Asfår of Mullå |adrå, annotations upon the introduction of
Qay∑ar¥ to his commentary upon the Fuƒ¶s, and a number of independent
treatises including those on the relation between the created and
the eternal, trans-substantial motion, universals, and existence. He also
wrote a series of glosses upon the Shifå˘ along with the correction of
the text, which was one of the main works that he taught. Jilwah was
also so much interested in Sufi poetry that he corrected the text of the
Mathnaw¥ of Jalål al-D¥n R¨m¥. Unfortunately, most of his works, like
those of ≈qå Mu±ammad Ri∂å, remain unedited. Also like his illustrious
contemporaries, Jilwah trained numerous students among whom
one can mention especially ≈qå Sayyid ¡usayn Bådk¨ba˘¥, who established
a circle for the study of Islamic philosophy in Najaf in Iraq;
M¥r Sayyid Shihåb al-D¥n Nayr¥z¥, the well-known authority on ‘irfån
and philosophy; M¥rzå appleåhir Tunikåbun¥, one of the foremost later
masters of philosophy in the School of Tehran; and ≈kh¨nd Mullå
Mu±ammad H¥daj¥ Zanjån¥, known especially for his famous commentary
upon the Shar÷ al-manz.¶mah of Sabziwår¥.
M¥rzå ¡asan Sabziwår¥
We know much less about the last of the four founders of the School
of Tehran, M¥rzå ¡asan Sabziwår¥, except that he was a student of
¡åjj¥ Mullå Håd¥ Sabziwår¥ and migrated later from Sabziwar to
Tehran, where he taught in the ‘Abd Allåh Khån madrasah in the bazaar.
Although he taught philosophy, his main concern was with
mathematics, for which he became justly famous. He also had a number
of famous students including H¥daj¥ and M¥rzå Ibråh¥m Riyå∂¥
Zanjån¥. What is significant about him is not only his fame among his
contemporaries but that in the thirteenth/nineteenth century in the
School of Tehran the study of mathematics had not become as yet
completely separated from that of philosophy and that the traditional
link between philosophy and mathematics that one observes in apple¨s¥,
Qu†b al-D¥n Sh¥råz¥, the Dashtak¥s, Shams al-D¥n Khafr¥, and Fa†h
Allåh Sh¥råz¥ was still alive, although it was soon to become greatly
weakened. The presence of M¥rzå ¡asan assured that something of
this important link would survive into this later period. My own teachers,
Sayyid Mu±ammad Kåπim ‘A∑∑år and Sayyid Abu˘l-¡asan Råf¥‘¥
Qazw¥n¥ and a major later representative of the School of Tehran,
Ab¨˘l-¡asan Sha‘rån¥, had extensive knowledge of the traditional
Islamic mathematical sciences, in addition to their great mastery
of philosophy.