Philosophical Basis for Religious Education of Mentally Retarded People with a Look at the Philosophy of Mulla Sadra

The main purpose of this article is to propose philosophical basis for religious education of mentally retarded persons (based on Mulla Sadra’s theories). The article emphasizes mainly on the ultimate fate and prosperity of these people in Hereafter World. The methods used in preparing the present paper were analysis of Sadra’s texts and deduction. Existence being skeptic، existence being beneficent (blessing)، creation being material (physical)، soul being spiritually survival and substantive motion are of selected philosophical foundations for the religious education of the mentally retarded individuals. Heavenly bliss of mentally retarded people depends on their religious upbringing. What makes their existence different، and thus the difference in the retarded individuals’ blissfulness is the quantity and quality of habits and scientific variations united with their souls، obtained in the process of substantial motion. Practicing religious duties and withholding from committing sins (with help from other grownups)، even though with little understanding and limited will، would not be fruitless and abortive for mentally retarded individuals and result in their highly enhanced hereafter lives. Religious education of mentally retarded individuals should not be ignored because of this misconception that they are not obliged to do religious duties and God does not punish them.