Immateriality in Islamic Philosophy: Conceptology and Typology

One of the important topics in Islamic philosophy is to study the dimensions and various aspects of immateriality with the aim of achieving a criterion for understanding its meaning through a careful examination. Among the most important issues in discussing immateriality are accepting or refuting ideal immateriality that has been the main concern of Islamic philosophers throughout history. Among the Islamic philosophers, the Peripatetic Philosophers obligating to their own philosophical system and its supplies denied ideal immateriality. But then Sheikh Shahab ad-Din Suhrawardi, with intellectual proofs, especially with reference to the intuitive revelations, proved ideal immateriality and thus imaginal world; however, due to the fact that he considered the idea the exclusively separated one, he was not successful in tolerating the controversies. But later on a wise philosophy appeared in the Islamic world called Sadr al-Din Shirazi, and according to the mystics, proved the separated and discrete idea, and was successful in solving many of the philosophical problems. Therefore, ideal immateriality is one of the most important issues of immateriality, and is very effective in a study of its concept, characteristics, types, and effects. Thus, when we study these issues, we should make a distinction between those who believe in ideal immateriality and imaginal world and who deny them. The present study examines the various dimensions and aspects of immateriality from the perspective of the three great schools of the Islamic philosophy: peripatetic philosophy, illuminative philosophy, and transcendental philosophy.