A Review of Belief in the Eternity of Human Rational Souls in comparison and contrast with the Verse of Covenant (World of Pre-material existence), With Emphasis on Allamah Tabatabaii's View

• Main Author: Sayyid Ahmad Reza Shahrokh
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: University of Qom 2018-02-01
• Series: Pizhūhish/hā-yi Falsafī- Kalāmī
• Subjects: man's rational soul; temporal; eternal; the world of pre-material existence; Allamah Tabatabaii
• Online Access: http://pfk.qom.ac.ir/article_1038_fbafeab5a2782a2f5dfffe0be4e803f2.pdf

The human rational soul or spirit has always been a topic of consideration and research for many scholars. One of the basic issues about the human rational soul is how it is created. The present paper addresses the question as to whether the noble Quranic verse of "covenant" can approve the pre-material existence of the human rational soul; because according to the verse, God has taken a promise and acknowledgement from human beings, testifying to His oneness before they have descended to this world and they have acknowledged this oneness; they have then been returned to the loin of Prophet Adam. There are three views about the meaning and interpretation of the verse of "covenant" that are as follows: as a proof for the world of pre-material existence; taking innate covenant from man in this world; and the collective existence of souls before God, which occurred in a stage before this world. To evaluate, judge and answer the aforementioned question, the author believes that the first view which corresponds with the eternity  of souls, contradicts intellectual necessity and the apparent meaning of the verse, and results in reincarnation, which is null and void. The second view also contradicts the context of the verse and forces us to attribute a metaphorical meaning to the verse. Thus, according to Allamah Tabatabaii, , the verse cannot validate the pre- material existence of rational souls; rather, it means that souls were collectively present before God before this world andexperienced God in His divinity and , this experience was through their own soul;  to a certain extent, it seems  improbable toattribute the noble verse to Allamah Tabatabaii's view.