ESSENCE (Mahiyat)
In philosophy, essence is the attribute or set of attributes that make an object or substance without which it loses its identity. It has by necessity. Quiddity (Ma`hiyat) was another term for the essence of an object, literally its "whatness," or "what it is." Quiddity of the thing is known by our forming of a concept. It is abstracted by the human intellect.
The essence of a horse is horse-ness and Man is Man-ness.
Quiddity is not Equivalent to Existence:
Proof -1: Quiddity might or might not Exists but Existence always Exists
The essence of a horse that exists, and the essence of a horse that doesn't are absolutely the same, namely horse-ness. But a horse's existing is totally different from what kind of a thing it is.
I can understand what a man is, and yet not know whether or not it exists in reality. Therefore, it is evident that the act of existing is other than essence or quiddity.
When one asks about the reality of ‘things’, the response he receives is ‘quiddity’. The definition of ‘tree’ is equal to describing its quiddity. Weather or not it exists.
Proof -2: Quiddity is not everywhere but Existence is
As the famous saying goes, quiddity, by itself, is neither existent nor non-existent. So the second proof based on first proof i.e. Quiddity might or might not exist therefore there may be and there is an existence without any Quiddity.
Further one particular Quiddity is not every where. But there is collection of different characteristics groups (Quiddities) are speeded in universe. On the other hand Existence is every where and there is no room for non-existence. If non-existence is then it is again because of “IS”.
Proof -3: Quiddity is not common
Every being has different quiddity but every being has a common thing due to which it is being and that is existence.
Proof -4: To Exist; Quiddity is dependant but Existence is independent.
In other words, existence exists per se (by itself- Dhati) and not through something else. These are quiddities that require existence to be realized. In fact, existence is not an accident for quiddity; rather, it is quiddity which, like a mental mould and linguistic and conventional garment, dresses the external realized existent.
Proof -5: Quiddity is not compulsory for real and external existence
In other words, as a philosophical argument, we should pay attention to the point that quiddity is not always affiliated with real and external existence and its effects, since the truth of everything is something which possesses the effect of that thing, and the effects of things arise from their existence. A great number of quiddities which appear in our mind, writing, and speaking are created there inside, and lack the effect of an external existent, thus they have not been realized yet. So Quiddity is not compulsory for real and external existence.
Proof -6: Unity of two or more Quiddities
If a Tree is Green then Tree and Green are two separate quiddities and both requires something as platform to be united and that is Existence. We can no more say that in the statement, ‘the tree is green’, the quiddity of the tree is essentially different from the quiddity of green. If the verb ‘to exist’ – ‘to be’ – (which is the sign of the interference of external existence) does not appear between the two, these concepts will never come into unity with each other, and no predication or unity will ever be realized in the world.
So existence is separate from Quiddity
Conclusion
1- Thus every external thing can be considered as consisting of two parts, one being its existence, since we see that it is present and exists, and the other being its essence and characteristics, which separate it from other things, are employed in defining that thing, and are used in the response given to the question of ‘what is it?’; this part is called quiddity or Essence or Mahiyat.
2- In spite of the fact that every thing has a quiddity and an existence, we know that considering its external realization, it is only one thing and cannot be more than that. For example, we can only see a tree or a man before our eyes, rather than both the existence of the tree and the tree itself, or the existence of man and the man himself. This is because every external thing, that is, the realized and existing thing, is only one thing rather than two.
Asalat ul Wajud
Taskik ul Wajood
God does not create essences and then make them exist. God creates existing things and we see that they are various colors or flavors or modes of existence. But in this seeing we tend to leave aside existence and focus on the different modes and forget they are modes of something, modes of existence. Essences as they actually exist are identical to the modes of existence.
Isalat al-Wujud
For Mulla Sadra, "existence precedes the essence and is thus principal since something has to exist first and then have an essence." This is primarily the argument that lies at the heart of Mulla Sadra's philosophy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendence_(religion)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_theory
http://www.aquinasonline.com/Topics/essencex.html
http://www.innerexplorations.com/philtext/howreal.htm
