Examination and Analysis of God’s Providence (Qayyūmiyyat) from the Perspective of Mulla Sadra and the Traditions of the Infallibles (ʿAlayhim al-Salām)

One of the questions that has been raised among Islamic thinkers in recent years is the extent to which Islamic philosophy is compatible with the verses and traditions. In this paper, the providence (qayyūmiyyah) of God and its explication from the perspective of the narrations and Ṣadrā’s philosophy are examined, and an attempt will be made to judge this issue without prejudice. For this purpose, using an analytical-descriptive method and library research, the features of God’s being qayyūm are first extracted and explained from the perspective of Ṣadrā’s wisdom. Then, the narrations related to the attribute of God’s qayyūmiyyah are examined. Analysis of this attribute from Ṣadrā’s viewpoint shows that a qayyūm being is self-subsistent and independent of others; it is never preceded by nonexistence and has always existed and will always exist; it is beyond time and place, is one and has no partner, all creatures depend on it, and its will and power prevail over the entire world. Examination of the narrations likewise indicates that the qayyūm being possesses the features mentioned in Ṣadrā’s philosophy. These investigations show that philosophical thought and the Qur’anic verses and narrations of Islam regarding divine qayyūmiyyah are not only compatible with one another but can also support each other. In other words, the characteristics of God’s qayyūmiyyah in Ṣadrā’s wisdom correspond well with the deep and rich meanings of the Qur’anic verses and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).