The problem of causality in the context Hikmat al-'ayn and its commentari̇es

One of the main issues that philosophy cannot ignore in terms of researching the knowledge and the cause of existence and reality is the problem of causality in terms of ontology, theology, epistemology, logic and psychology. As a quest that always keeps human curiosity alive, the true value of the inquiry into causality proceeds from the fact that it concerns all philosophical sciences and constitutes the starting point of the search for truth. In this study, we examined the problem of causality from a metaphysical point of view in the context of the Hikmat al-ʻayn, a work of an important philosopher in the history of Islamic philosophy, Najm al-Dīn Alī al-Kātibī (d. 675/1276), and its commentaries. We tried to analyze the metaphysical dimensions of the definition of cause and effect; the various types of causality and their distinguishing features which separate them from each other; the essence complete and incomplete cause (al-ʻilla al-tamma and al-ʻilla al-nāqisa), which thereby express whether or not the cause is sufficient for the existence of its effect to be brought about; cause and effect in terms of their being within the schema of the foundational concepts of ontology; the division of existent entities in terms of the necessity of causality; the dependence of every existent possible entity on physical or metaphysical causes; essence's necessity of causality; the dependence of existent possible entities on complete causality for them to gain existence; the relation between cause and effect from the perspective of ontological and temporal priority; the principal justification for why effect stands in need of cause and the parallelism between the dual impossibility of infinite regress and circular reasoning and the rational proof for the existence of God, along with the influence of the Divine Attributes on the conception of God in terms of how they impact upon the existence of the effect. The principal aim of the thesis is to identify and analyze how the issues which were presented and explained surrounding the notion of causality -one of the cornerstones of Ibn Sīnā's (d. 428/1037) metaphysical system- were inherited by Kātibī and his commentators as a result of the criticisms levelled against Ibn Sīnā by Fakhr al-dīn al-Rāzī's (d. 606/1210) and al-Rāzī's own contributions to the discussion; and what the similarities and points of departure between Kātibī and his various commentators are on these matters. The main objective of this study, therefore, is to contribute to the understanding of the metaphysical thought of Kātibī and his commentators by determining their various positions and views, their approaches to the subject, and their differences regarding the metaphysical dimensions of the problem of causality. Key Words: Metaphysics, Causality, Najm al-Dīn Alī al-Kātibī, Hikmat al-ʻayn, Commentary-Marginal Glos.