Desire for Death in the Interpretive Perspective of Mulla Sadra

Mulla Sadra, through a moral-based analysis and interpretation of Quranic verses on the desire for death, has shown that an honest and perfect servant of God, due to belief in the absolute authority of God, obtaining the next world’s bliss, seeking survival from the inferior world and holding mystical knowledge about God, yearns for death. However, when the servant has an inclination for further elevation, he can tolerate the distance from the beloved and pray for further endurance in the world. Willingly death and the conduct of these individuals represent an authentic desire for death in their nature. Faithfuls have a continuum of love from self-love to love for the world and love for God. When the love for God reaches its perfection, love for the world inclines toward naught. It means that love and guardianship of God motivate the desire for death. Yet, the desire for death does not decrease the passion for life. The desire for death does not mean committing suicide, rather it means seclusion from the world and its business until the real death occurs.