ماهنامه معرفت
سال بیست و هفتم شماره 4 (پیاپی 247، تیر 1397)

This paper is the transcript of professor Misbah's ethics lesson describing the actual characteristics of Shiites in the words of Amir al-Muminin. According to Imam Ali, the twenty-second characteristic of real Shia is their combining knowledge with action, and science with patience and tolerance. The Shiites avoid snap decisions in their conscious behavior. An inconsiderate and impious scholar who does not act upon his knowledge, and uses his knowledge to benefit from materialistic values has been condemned. For this reason, it has been stated in traditions that one who acts upon his knowledge is self-sufficient in what he does not know. Hence, those who seek knowledge for the sake of showing off are to blame, and it is recommended to acquire knowledge for divine purposes. Furthermore, it has been mentioned that seeking material world and not putting knowledge into practice are considered as blights on religiosity. Finally, those who act upon the commands of God the Almighty will enjoy divine knowledge.

Investigating, correcting and writing additional notes in the six volumes of the great book Behar al- Anvar (54-59) as well as additional notes in Maani al-Akhbar are among the first works of Professor Allameh Mohammad Taqi Misbah which include many points about Rijal and Fiqh al-Hadith. Using the analytical-descriptive method, this paper has examined some of the efforts of Professor Misbah in understanding the hadiths’ documents and achieved the following Some of hadiths’ documents in these books have had alterations in sense, omissions and additions, which Allameh has mentioned and tried to correct. Also, sometimes there has been a need to differentiate between hadiths with ambiguous words and unity of disputed words. The aforementioned titles are recognized, or their unity is emphasized. Moreover, many documents have been introduced, and their authenticity, weakness or anonymity, transmission or connection are mentioned with reasons, and some problems and shortcomings of the documents have been resolved.

From the perspective of the Holy Quran, divine piety is one of the best moral attributes which plays a pivotal role in the eternal bliss of man. the ideal state is when this virtue becomes a mental habit or faculty. The emergence of this faculty in man follows a number of successive stages or so-called a process. By collecting, categorizing and analyzing the verses using the method of thematic interpretation, this paper attempts to discover the process of achieving piety, and identifies the main and sequential steps to reach this faculty from the beginning to the end. These steps include "gaining knowledge", "stimulating the desire" and "doing and continuing the action." Man’s knowledge of the virtue of piety and the means of piety make the destination and the path clear for him. Flourishing mans’ lofty reactions and emotions creates motivation for setting off a mystical journey on the path of divine piety. Finally, repetition and continuity of optional actions, which include (spiritual) faith and (physical) right deeds, lead to achieving a favorable result, that is, the faculty of piety.

The word "heart", which in the Quranic worldview represents man’s identity and soul, is subject to some harms and diseases. These various diseases can be categorized in different dimensions including tendency, insight and action. Using the analytical- descriptive method, this paper studies heart diseases in terms of tendency, and recommends appropriate treatments from the perspective of the Quran. Investigating tendency-related heart problems in the Holy Quran leads to the conclusion that the main causes of these problems include separation from God and the neglect of the divine human-making personal and social commands that are reflected in the Holy Quran and the words of the Infallibles.

The main question of this paper is whether knowledge of the interpretation of the Quran is only exclusive to God, or that the infallibles are also aware of the interpretation of the Quran. In order to prove the infallibles’ knowledge of the interpretation of the Quran, this paper first uses a descriptive-analytical method to examine the implication of the seventh verse of chapter "al-e-Imran", which is a major evidence and Quranic explanation used by the opponents. The paper then proves that, firstly, this verse can definitely be considered as a reason for the knowledge of those firm in knowledge (including the infallibles) about the interpretation of the Quran, and secondly, even if this verse can be used as an evidence by the opposite group, the existence of other evidence overall leads us to the conclusion that those who are firm in knowledge (and infallibles above all) are aware of the interpretation of the Quran. Finally, some other Quranic and narrative reasons have been mentioned which prove the claim of this paper.

In addition to military actions, one of the most important ways of intervening in countries is to influence them through cultural policies. Media is one of the most important and effective tools used by the enemy for cultural influence. The Holy Quran has seriously paid attention to the issue of knowing the enemies of the Islamic Ummah and how they influence the society. Today, media is an important tool that enemies use to penetrate other countries. Therefore, we need to know their methods of penetrating through this tool so we can effectively cope with their tricks. In this research, by reviewing the Quranic verses through an analytical –descriptive method, we look at the views of the Quran about spreading rumors and doubts, two important methods used by the enemy for cultural influence through the media. The search in the Holy Quran shows that spreading rumors by enemies has such effects as anxiety and unrest in society, the prevalence of unfounded accusations, and the weakening of religious beliefs. Also, according to the Quranic verses, the doubt of determinism, the doubt of regarding divine promises as lies, and the doubt of regarding the Quran as non-divine are the results of cultural influence (i.e., casting doubts).

The present paper examines the history and causes of Tajwid (recitation of the Quran). The main question of this study is" when and why did the knowledge of Tajwid begin?" Using a descriptive-analytical method and the historical approach, and after defining "Tajwid", the paper examines seven theories about the history of Tajwid, and concludes that although there were some basic rules for the correct pronunciation of Arabic vocabulary, which was later called Tajwid among the Arabs before Islam, the elaboration of the rules of Tajwid, correct reading and other literary sciences after the advent of Islam were developed with the guidance of Imam Ali (AS). In the middle of the third century, after the developments in the mentioned sciences, the term Tajwid was chosen for "rules governing proper pronunciation during recitation ", and turned into an independent filed of knowledge. This paper seeks to prove that the field of Tajwid or more precisely, the "technique of Tajwid" is not a science established by Islam, and is not specific to the Quran or even to the narratives. It teaches us the correct way of speaking Arabic, and the reason for its development was the Arab’s need for proper speech. Consequently, the theories that address this issue and the theories that specify a time for the advent of Tajwid are not acceptable.

One of the most important features of religion is dividing existence into holy and non-holy. Abrahamic religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are no exception to this, and emphasize the two holy and non-holy concepts. Contrary to mythological religions, in these religions the discovery of sanctities is based on divine texts and scriptures (the Testaments and the Holy Quran). Referring to the traditional scriptures of these three religions, i.e. the Qur’an, the New Testament and the Old Testament, this research has extracted the holy places and times. According to the findings of this research, considering the centrality of the belief in God and the claim of monotheism in all three religions, the secret of the sanctity of these places and times is regarded to be the manifestation of God in them (Jehovah, the three hypostases of the Trinity and Allah).