Mīr Dāmād, in his commentary on the narration “iʿrifū Allāha bi-Allāh…” (Know Allah through Allah), presents two interpretations. According to the first interpretation, if Allah’s knowledge is acquired through intermediaries—by referring to contingent beings (mumkināt) and testifying through what is other than Allah (mā siwā Allāh)—it does not constitute Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh. However, if knowledge arises from attentiveness to the nature of existence and one attains Divine knowledge through this nature, then maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh is realized. In his second interpretation, he explains this form of knowledge as recognizing Allah through all the attributes of perfection (ṣifāt kamālī), which are identical to the Divine Essence and not extrinsic to it. Nevertheless, these two interpretations are not only inconsistent with Mīr Dāmād’s philosophical principle of the primacy of quiddity (iṣālat al-māhiyya), but they also fail to align with the content and context of this narration as well as other related reports. This study analyzes and examines Mīr Dāmād’s perspective using a descriptive-analytical method. The significance of addressing this issue lies in two key points: first, his detailed interpretation has not been explicitly mentioned elsewhere, and second, this study further clarifies the role of philosophy in interpreting and explicating religious texts.
Zeyaee,S. (2025). The Analysis and Examination of Mir Damad’s Interpretation of the Narrations on “Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh” (Knowing Allah through Allah). Nasim-e-Kherad, 10(2), 111-126.
MLA
Zeyaee,S. . "The Analysis and Examination of Mir Damad’s Interpretation of the Narrations on “Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh” (Knowing Allah through Allah)", Nasim-e-Kherad, 10, 2, 2025, 111-126.
HARVARD
Zeyaee S. (2025). 'The Analysis and Examination of Mir Damad’s Interpretation of the Narrations on “Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh” (Knowing Allah through Allah)', Nasim-e-Kherad, 10(2), pp. 111-126.
CHICAGO
S. Zeyaee, "The Analysis and Examination of Mir Damad’s Interpretation of the Narrations on “Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh” (Knowing Allah through Allah)," Nasim-e-Kherad, 10 2 (2025): 111-126,
VANCOUVER
Zeyaee S. The Analysis and Examination of Mir Damad’s Interpretation of the Narrations on “Maʿrifat Allāh bi-Allāh” (Knowing Allah through Allah). Philosophy, 2025; 10(2): 111-126.
