In the Name of Allah

An Excerpt from the Booklet, Reincarnation (1) by Esteemed Philosopher, Professor Mosavi on Volume 9, Page 2 of Mulla Sadra's Book, Asfar Arba'a
Mulla Sadra says:  Fi Ibtal Tanasukh an-Nufus wal-Arwah …
       For the purpose of clarification of the subject and to help those hearts which are dealing with thoughts and problems relating to reincarnation, it is necessary for us to take into consideration strong sources in the rejection of this subject.
       Some scholars have only mentioned the word 'metempsychosis' or 'reincarnation' in their researches. Others have only given examples of reincarnation. Some other scholars have rejected the doctrine of reincarnation upon commencing this subject. Mulla Sadra has adopted the latter method in this regard.
Esteemed Philosopher and Researcher, Professor Mosavi says:
I want to start and reject the doctrine of reincarnation in a different way.
       To clarify the subject, we will give an example about someone and try to understand his/her identity. What should he/she be like? It is favorable that our example will be of a great person such as Muhammad ibn-Ibrahim also called Mulla Sadra (Who passed away in 1050 A.H.). He had a jewel within him which was apparent since his childhood.
       We want to come to recognize Mulla Sadra through his identity; not only through his blood, bones, muscles or veins.
       At that moment when he started moving from left to right and right to left in his mother's womb he had an identity. The first moment his identity (the four spirits (rouh), the seventeen souls (nafs) the four intellects and other abstract beings (mujarradat) and most importantly his eminent love) filled his body and flowed upon his neck, forehead, eyes, throat, chest, arms and legs and other parts of his body and he started moving within his mother's womb he conveyed this message to his mother:
      O Mother now I am myself. Till now I was you. I was your blood, your bones and muscles. Until now there was no 'me'. But now I am me (However, Gnostics believe man has been in other worlds before coming into his mother's womb). I am other than your blood, other than your body and soul. I am other than your identity. I have an identity which will forever be mine. My own self is itself. It is an origin; a source.
       Now his identity is formed. Is his identity his love, his spirit or his senses (mudrikat)? Or is it a collection of abstract beings and his body? The latter is correct. When all these became his; the soul (nafs) together with these arms, the spirit (rouh) with this head, the senses with this heart and all these advantages came together with this body and it was called 'identity'.    
       Truly each person's identity (his body, soul, abstract beings and matter) belong to he, himself.
       Reincarnation means transmigration of the spirit (rouh) and soul (nafs) in another body after death. According to the above explanation, reincarnation is not acceptable based on the Holy Quran and sound judgment and also narrations by our Imams.
If a person's identity transmigrates into another body, this is called reincarnation.
       Now based on the above introduction, if the entire world gives reasons as to the existence of reincarnation, you, the reader, can not accept that reincarnation exists since identity is unchangeable and each person's identity belongs to himself and only himself. Reincarnation is rejected…
        Await other reasons and researches on the doctrine of reincarnation.


Resource: An Excerpt from the Booklet, Reincarnation (1) by Esteemed Philosopher, Professor Mosavi on Volume 9, Page 2 of Mulla Sadra's Book, Asfar Arba'ai