The Theory of the Identity of the Divine Essence and Attributes in Light of the Principle of Abstraction in Islamic Philosophy

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22108/coth.2026.148438.2105

Abstract

Addressing the relationship between the divine essence and attributes in Islamic philosophy, Imāmī philosophers and theologians have predominantly adopted the "theory of identity" (ʿayniyyat al-dhāt wa al-ṣifāt) and offered various arguments in its support. The primary motivation behind this position is to safeguard divine simplicity and avoid introducing multiplicity or composition into the divine essence. However, by neglecting a crucial epistemological dimension of the problem, this view faces a serious challenge: explaining how multiple, semantically distinct divine attributes can be abstracted from a single, absolutely simple essence. Employing an analytical method, this study formulates this problem under the title "The Incompatibility of the Theory of Identity with the Principle of Abstraction." The principle of abstraction is articulated in the works of Muslim philosophers in two distinct forms: primary and secondary. The results of this study show that: first, the theory of identity is logically incompatible with the secondary principle of abstraction; and second, since the composition of the divine essence and attributes constitutes a metaphysical (rather than physical) composition, the distinction of the divine attributes from the divine essence does not entail the ontological dependence of the divine essence and, therefore, is not incompatible with its absolute necessity.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Comparative Theology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 September 2026

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