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An Analytical Approach to the Human Body… M.A. Saad & R. Bakhshayesh (37
body is the material cause of the synthesize both the material and
soul, which serves as the spiritual worlds. In material
formal cause and essence of terms, humans embody the total
humanity (Mulla Ṣadrā, 2003). form of matter, integrated with the
The connection between the essence of all physical
soul and body is mediated by elements (Ibid).
a subtle, luminous spirit that Various verses of the Qur’an
possesses both corporeal and elucidate human creation, covering
spiritual attributes. Once the both body and soul (Misbah
soul attains perfection, it no Yazdi, 2010; Tabatabai, 1997).
longer needs the body, and its The Qur’an mentions multiple
attachment diminishes until it stages and materials involved
eventually discards the body in this creation, including earth
at natural death. Mulla Ṣadrā (The Qur’an, 11: 61; 53: 32),
argues that the soul persists after water (The Qur’an, 25: 45; 21:
death, associating with a liminal 30; 77: 20; 32: 8; 86: 5-6; 25:
or otherworldly body (Ibid). 54), sperm (The Qur’an, 16: 4;
18: 37; 22: 5; 23: 13-14), dust
5. The Creation of the (The Qur’an, 3 :59; 13: 5; 18: 37;
Human Body 22: 5; 32: 7), clay (The Qur’an,
Delving into the creation of 6: 2), quintessence or extraction
human beings in Transcendental of clay (The Qur’an 23: 12; 32: 7-
Philosophy necessitates 9), sticky clay (The Qur’an, 37:
referencing the Holy Qur’an 11), sounding clay and mud
and Ḥadīth. Ṣadrāians believe molded in to shape (The Qur’an,
that God has incorporated the 15: 26,28,33), sounding clay
essence of all material elements like the pottery (The Qur’an, 55:
into the physical constitution of 14), and the Spirit breathed into
human beings (Mulla Ṣadrā, humans (The Qur’an, 15: 29; 38:
1981; Abdul Haq, 1972). 72).
They provide evidence from Ṣadrāians interpret these
these texts to support their terms as follows: dust represents
claims, asserting that humans
