Imkan al-Ashraf

Imkān al-Ashraf (Arabic: إمکان الأشرف; "The Possibility of the Nobler") is a fundamental principle in Islamic philosophy, particularly within the School of Illumination, concerning the sequential order and existential hierarchy of beings. This rule posits that contingent beings are arranged in a specific ontological gradation; the existence of a being of a lower rank (the "baser" or weaker) necessitates the prior existence of a being of a higher rank (the "nobler" or superior).

Essentially, the principle dictates that in the hierarchy of existence, entities are ordered by degrees of perfection and strength. Consequently, an existentially stronger being must existentially precede those that are weaker.

Scholars trace the development of Imkan al-Ashraf from its initial conceptualization by Ibn Sina to its formalization by Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi as a pillar of Illuminationist wisdom, and finally to its comprehensive elaboration by Mulla Sadra in Transcendental Wisdom.

• In Peripatetic Wisdom: While Ibn Sina did not codify Imkān al-Ashraf as an independent rule, he introduced the concept by referencing Aristotelian theory. He asserted that contingent beings are ordered by perfection, and that for any given being, a superior entity must exist prior to it in the order of being.
• In Illuminationist Wisdom: Suhrawardi formally established the rule. He attributed its origins to Aristotle and aligned it with innate human judgment regarding the arrangement of the existential hierarchy. Suhrawardi utilized this principle to demonstrate the existence of "luminous beings" and "luminous species," arguing that immaterial, luminous entities must occupy a rank superior to other forms of existence.
• In Transcendental Wisdom: Researchers note that following Suhrawardi, Mulla Sadra discussed the rule in depth, providing a rigorous, demonstrative and epistemological analysis. In his works, particularly Al-Asfar al-arba'a, Mulla Sadra juxtaposed the rule of Imkān al-Ashraf with the rule of Imkān al-Akhass (the Possibility of the Baser), arguing for and proving both. He maintained that within the existential hierarchy, every degree of perfection must be adjacent to the degree below it.

Philosophical researchers apply the rule of Imkān al-Ashraf to demonstrate the theological principle of Mahdism and the necessity of the existence of an Imam. This rational argument establishes that an Imam must exist within the cosmic order, though it does not identify the specific person of the Imam. While reason alone cannot pinpoint the specific individual, it proves the necessity of the Imam's attributes, such as infallibility and superiority (afḍaliyya). The specific identity is subsequently determined through the method of "exclusion and division" (sabr wa taqsīm).