A Developmental Study of the Verse of Mawadda and the Levels of Faith in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Transcendent Theosophy

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Document Type : Research Paper

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گروه اموزش معارف اسلامی، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، تهران، ایران.

10.22061/orj.2026.12548.914

Abstract

This research, employing conceptual analysis and philosophical interpretation within the framework of Transcendent Theosophy (Ḥikmat al-Mutaʿāliyah), demonstrates that faith in Mullā Ṣadrā's philosophical system is a graded (tashkīkī) and existential reality. The five levels of faith—linguistic, imitative, argumentative, intellectual, and unveiling faith—bear a formative (takwīnī) and structural correspondence with parallel levels of affection (mawaddah). The findings reveal that the soul's substantial motion (al-ḥarakah al-jawhariyyah) necessarily and intrinsically determines the quality and depth of affection toward the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). In other words, as the soul ascends through its existential levels of cognition, its affection for the Perfect Human (al-Insān al-Kāmil) becomes deeper and purer. This systematic correspondence elevates the Verse of Mawaddah beyond the realm of mere ethical exhortation, transforming it into an expression of an ontological law that governs the relationship between the perfected human existence and its ultimate perfection. Within this framework, affection is not a transient emotion but an objective manifestation and an inner effulgence of true faith. Consequently, the intensity and quality of affection serve as a direct indicator of the believer's existential rank and their proximity to the truth of Walāyah (Divine Guardianship). This analysis offers a philosophical and profound hermeneutic of the Verse of Mawaddah, opening a new horizon for understanding the relationship between humanity and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

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Journal of Ontological Researches

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 June 2026

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