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Personal Identity in… Sh. Vahidi Mehrajardi et al (61
notion of resurrection loses its Understanding the Persistence
validity. Finally, Misbah Yazdi Question
asserts that an individual's The question is roughly what
entire identity should be is necessary and sufficient for
based on their soul. a past or future being to be
Considering the soul as someone existing now. We
merely a component of a sometimes ask what it takes
person does not address the for someone to remain the
problem, as the destruction of same person. The persistence
the whole i.e., body and soul question is often taken to ask
combination, would render what it takes for the same
the parts obsolete. Some may person to exist at two
view the soul as a different times. The most
characteristic of the body, common formulation is
akin to the scent of a flower. something like this:
However, Misbah Yazdi argues If a person X exists at one
that by removing the essence, time and a person Y exists
all associated features are also at another time, under what
eliminated. Consequently, he possible circumstances is it
concludes that the soul is an the case that X is Y?
independent entity that
coexists with the body and This asks, in effect, what it
can occasionally depart from it. takes for a past or future
He supports his person to be you. We have a
interpretation by referencing a person existing at one time
verse from The Qur’an (55: 26), and a person existing at
suggesting that it excludes the another, and the question is
soul from the statement that what is necessary and
all beings on earth will die, as sufficient for them to be one
the soul does not reside on earth. person rather than two.
(Misbah Yazdi, 2012: 434) These are clear questions
about what it takes for us to
