Mullā Ṣadrā: his life and works

Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī is one of the most revered of all philosophers in Islam, especially among Muslim intellectuals today. His full name is Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Qawāmī al-Shīrāzī, and he is commonly known as “Mullā Ṣadrā” to multitudes of Muslims, especially in Persia, Pakistan and India. ¹ His honorific title, Ṣadr al-Dīn (“Pundit of Religion”), indicates his accepted rank within traditional theological circles, while his designation as “Exemplar, or Authority of Divine Philosophers” (Ṣadr al-Muta’allihīn) signifies his unique position for generations of philosophers who came after him. He was born in Shīrāz in southern Persia in c. 979/1572 to a wealthy family. His father was reportedly a minister in the Ṣafavid court, but was also a scholar. Ṣadr al-Dīn is said to have made the pilgrimage to Mecca six times, and on his seventh journey died in 1050/1640 in Basra where he is buried and where his grave was known until recent times. ² Fairly extensive and accurate information on his life, his studies, his students and his works are available. Owing in part to the relative proximity of his time to ours, several autographs of his works, many letters and glosses on earlier textual traditions have survived, giving us a better insight into his personality than most of the philosophers of earlier periods. Most historians and commentators of his works divide his life into three distinct periods. ³