The rule of the one or al-wāḥid (nothing proceeds from the one, but one) is one of the most fundamental rules which is referred to in philosophy and, particularly, in discussions on the quality of the creation of the world. This principle has provoked several debates in
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The rule of the one or al-wāḥid (nothing proceeds from the one, but one) is one of the most fundamental rules which is referred to in philosophy and, particularly, in discussions on the quality of the creation of the world. This principle has provoked several debates in the history of philosophy, and many philosophers have resorted to it when explaining their own cosmological views. However, some philosophers have found it completely inconsistent with the absolute power and will of Almighty Truth and harshly criticized it. Mīrzā Mahdī Āshtīyānī is one of the scholars, who, in spite of being a well-known philosopher and presenting a great number of innovative ideas, has not received the attention that he truly deserves. He studied the “rule of the one” extensively and intended to demonstrate it based on several rational and traditional arguments and through resorting to various Qur’anic verses and narrations. Following a descriptive-analytic method and based on several historical documents, the present study initially explores the origin of the rule of the one and its historical development among philosophers. Next, it presents the view of Mīrzā Mahdī Āshtīyānī regarding the rule of the one and analyzes and examines his rational and traditional arguments.
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