Abstract

This paper undertakes to explore the different ideas and critiques posed by Muslim philosophers with respect to the five meanings of contingency as presented below:1. Contingency in the sense of the lack of necessity of existence and non-existence for quiddity;2. Contingency in the sense of an affirmative negative predicative proposition;3. Contingency in the sense of the sameness of quiddity with respect to existence and non-existence;4. Contingency as a matter which is dependent on the other for its existence and non-existence;5. Qualification of quiddity for contingency in the form of affirmative negative predicative proposition.Mulla Sadra supports the first meaning from some perspectives and from some others, the second one. Dr Haeri Yazdi supports the second meaning, and other philosophers believe in the third one. Fakhr Razi defends the fourth meaning, while Allameh Tabatabai defends the fifth one.