A Comparative Analysis of the Concept of Creation in Mulla Sadra and Thomas Aquinas: Foundation for Muslim-Christian Dialogue.

The article provides a comparative analysis of the concept of creation as articulated by Mulla Sadra, a 16th-17th century Islamic philosopher-theologian, and Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Christian philosopher-theologian, aiming to establish a foundation for Muslim-Christian dialogue. Both scholars affirm a theistic worldview in which the universe was created in time by one omnipotent, eternal God, who is the uncaused Cause and unmoved Mover, and both integrate Aristotelian metaphysics, particularly the notions of potency and act, into their understanding of creation. While Sadra emphasizes the temporal origination of beings from non-existence and introduces ideas of continual transformation and eschatological return to God, Aquinas underscores creation ex nihilo (out of nothing), the hierarchy of beings, and teleology oriented toward eternal happiness with God. The article suggests that their shared philosophical and theological perspectives on creation, including the recognition of God’s free creative act and the contingent, perishable nature of creation, provide common ground to foster respectful interreligious dialogue, promote peace, and address religiously motivated conflicts between Muslims and Christians.