Ma`rifat Falsafi

The primacy of existence (Asalat al-Wujud) is the foundation of Sadraian transcendent philosophy. Among Sadraian scholars, there are differing interpretations of this concept. One significant source of disagreement lies in their diverse understandings of "quiddity" (Mahiyyah). Some consider quiddity to be the limit of existence, others regard it as an imaginary conceptualization of existence, and yet others see it as the very reality of existence. This article studies the interpretation of existence-quiddity identity and refers to it as the "interpretation of identity." Using an analytical-descriptive method, it seeks to explain the Sadraian doctrine of the primacy of existence by analyzing one of the foundational principles underlying the interpretation of identity in Sadraian philosophy. The study concludes that in this interpretation, existence is compared to quiddity. One of the premises giving rise to such an erroneous comparison is the assumption that existence is the analytical-causative aspect for quiddity. However, this premise is rejected due to a mistake of the realm of analysis with that of external reality, it also regards all contingent beings as necessary being inherently self-sufficient, which is logically untenable.