Authenticity of Essence and its Cognitive Effects According to Sayyid Al-Sabzawari

Hussein Hisham Ya'qub

Abstract

In his discussion on the dialectic of existence and essence, Sayyid Abdul-A'la Al-Sabzawari believes in the authenticity of essence in occurrence (tahaqquq) and appointing (Ja’l), while denying the moral participation of the concept of existence. He sees that the fact of the Necessary Being is above the fact of existence and above what we can comprehend. Therefore, the term "existence" is used in a rational sense that applies to other entities, to the Necessary Being with metaphor, and to the possible by reality. However, the genuine real existence, which is beyond perception, is applied to His existence in reality. The main arguments he has in this concern, according to the sources we have at hand, are nature (fitra) and religious texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, not to precede revelation over reason, but because the philosophical arguments mentioned for proving this claim were defective, either due to their incompleteness, or that the subject is beyond the capacity of reason.

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