Physical Resurrection in the Thought of Two Philosophers: Åqå Alì Mudarris Zanĩzi Tihrånì and Mìrzå Abĩ'l-Hasan Rafì'ì Qazwìnì

Physical resurrection is among the principles of Islamic belief to which God has referred explicitly in the Holy Quran. Until the 10th century A.H., Islamic scholars appealed to revelation as the only way to verify this doctrine. However, in the 11th century, Sadr al-Mutaallihìn Shìrazì (d. 1050 A.H. [lunar]) added a philosophical proof for the verification of the idea. His theory was criticized by philosophers following him, including the late Åqå Alì Mudarris Zanĩzi Tihrånì (d. 1307 A.H. [lunar].). Having criticized Sadr al-Mutaallihìn's ideas, he presented his own innovative theory in this regard, which was later approved by some of the outstanding Islamic philosophers following him, including the late Ayatollah Mìrzå Abĩ'l-Hasan Rafì'ì Qazwìnì (d. 1395 A. H. [lunar]). According to Åqå Alì Mudarris, in contrast to the belief of religious lay-people, the physical resurrection is not a return of the soul after its departure to the same material, worldly body, preserving its worldly status, because this is logically impossible; rather the physical resurrection is an ascent of the body toward the departed soul as a result of substantial motion (harakat-i jawhariyyah) and the qualitative ascent of its essence.In this article, by employing the late Åqå Alì Mudarris's words, we have tried to clarify Ayatollah Rafì'ì's theory regarding physical resurrection.