The Day Mulla Sadra Walked Away from the World

A story of patience, sincerity, and spiritual rebirth

In the bustling city of Shiraz, long before his name became known across the world, Mulla Sadra sat among scholars who did not understand him. He was young, brilliant, deep in thought, and his ideas about existence and the soul were unlike anything the scholars around him had heard. Instead of celebrating his insight, some mocked him, others accused him, and many treated him with suspicion.

Day after day, their criticism grew louder. His heart grew heavier.

One evening, after a long day of debates and harsh words, Mulla Sadra walked home slowly. The sky over Shiraz was darkening, and the wind carried dust across the empty road. When he reached his home, he sat alone and whispered to Allah (swt):

“My Lord, if my knowledge brings envy, and if truth brings hostility, then I do not want the world. I want only You.”

The next morning, he disappeared. He walked away from the city, from the debates, from the noise of people who could not see beyond the surface. He travelled toward the mountains of Kahak, a small, quiet village far from the centres of learning. There, he found a simple hut made of mud and stone, and he settled in it alone.

For years, he lived in silence.

No titles.

No students.

No books except the Qur’an.

He spent his days in worship and contemplation, reflecting on existence, the soul, creation, and the journey toward Allah. He would wander among the open fields, sit beneath the clear Iranian sky, and let the verses of the Qur’an guide his heart.

It was in that isolation, far from praise and far from rejection, that Mulla Sadra was transformed. He discovered a truth that later shaped an entire school of Islamic philosophy. He realised that true knowledge is not found in arguments or reputation. It is found when the heart is purified, when the soul faces its Creator without distraction.

Years later, when he returned to teaching, he returned with a heart strengthened by solitude. He carried wisdom that shook the world of philosophy and opened new doors for seekers of truth. His works, especially al Asfar al Arba’ah, became monuments of Islamic thought.

One of his students later asked him, “Master, how did you reach this depth of understanding?”

Mulla Sadra said gently, “I ran from the world until Allah allowed me to understand the world. I purified my heart, and He opened the doors of knowledge.”

His story teaches us that greatness is not born in the noise of the crowd. It is born in sincerity. It is born in patience. It is born in moments when a believer chooses Allah over everything else. This was the strength of Mulla Sadra, the sage of Shiraz who found truth not in a palace, but in a lonely hut near the mountains, with nothing but his heart and the Qur’an.