فصلنامه اندیشه نوین دینی
پیاپی 19 (زمستان 1388)

Happiness has been regarded as an old problem in the field of ethics. Avicenna has known it as something demanded in itself and aimed for itself; the ways offered by him includes becoming aware of moral and immoral qualities, breeding all powers of the soul, acting in a moderate manner, leaving earthly wishes, having pure intention, putting all beings other than Allah away, mentioning Allah, paying attention to prayer, bing in agreement with angle in action, conquest of spiritual powers over other ones and Divinly accepted actions and believes. When studying happiness, he is affected by Divine law. His view has little been desireably documented upon The Book and Tradition and it is the reason why it has been critcised.

The relationship between faith and knowledge, from Shiite and Asharite`s point of view, has been explained in this paper. It should be noted that this point had not been the concern for Asharits, but since they considered human faith as an inner state and God-given gift, it may be concluded that faith is prior to knowledge for them. Needless to say, early and recent Asharits` views and their difference is needed for a full discussion on the subject. Imamiyyeh, however, emphasizes on the sameness of them and consider confirmation as synonyms for knowledge. They, therefore, say that the infidelity of unbelievers is not because of their following the Satin. It, however, is due to lack of knowledge on God and his messenger. If, as Imamiyyeh says, knowledge be the essence of faith and something acquirable, so would be the case of faith.

Undoubtedly the theory substantial departure as a great innovation has been originally established by Molla Sadra and fundamentally affected Islamic philosophy. Another important theory explained by Sadra after Avicenna's opposition is the unity of the knowing and the known. Though the theories are deeply interrelated, they have caused various problems that solving them would prepare the ground to solve many other philosophical problems. As is claimed in the second theory, the known by essence is the same as the knowing with regard to existence. However, on the basis of the first theory human soul, as the knowing, while in gradual departure by arriving at new knowledge at every instance, would cause the known to change. Here the question arises that how we can argue for unchangeable knowledge? This paper has studied the question.

Islamic mysticism has given a high importance to Guardian, Guardianship and the Seal of Guardianship. Western scholars of Islamic mysticism are not of the same view on the last Guardian. This study, reporting the most current views, tries to explain them critically and justify the one more compatible with Shiites.

The theory of religious experience is an attitude originally founded by Western scholars, of those the most leading is Fried Schleiermacher. Because of the ambiguties in the meanings of religion and experience, one hardlt can present an exact definition for religious experience. It is, however, in full agreement to say that every so-called experience would necessarily be qualified by some characteristics. When new age came and empiricist philosophers like Hume appeared, natural theology stopped and the authority of the Bible was put in doubt. Such scholars as Hume, therefore, inevitably considered religion as something originated from human feelings, emotions and inner experience. Doubtlessly such an interpretation never can explain the essence of Divine religion. This paper has studied the theory and its difficulties in a critical and analytical way.

For Israelite sons, prophecy is of two roles of speech and prediction. The roles can be seen for Jesus in fourth Gospels. The authors of the Gospels, however, have known him of a higher dignity, i. e. Divinity. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus has been called the son of God and in the fourth, the word of God, that is the intermediary in creation and the same as God. Further, in the Gospel of John a glad tiding is found on the coming of a so called Para Cletus that seems to be the Prophet of Islam. Jesus, in the gospel of Barnabas, denied his being God or the son of God and introduced himself as the salve of God and, so, invited people to worship him. Just like Quran, in this Gospel, the adventure of the past prophets like Adam, Ebrihim, and Moses as well as the coming of the prophet of Islam have been mentioned. Jesus, in Quran, has been introduced clearly and those having false conception about him are told that he was only the prophet of God and his slave In answering to their doubt about his being born from a virgin mother, also, has been said that his creation was the same as Adam, with no father and mother, and both are created by the power of Allah almighty.

As a great contemporary interpreter with a particular monotheistic approach and an educated scholar in the late seyyed Ali Qazi's school, Allameh Tabatabyi when interpreting some verses has presented an important problem on the knowledge of God under the title of perceiving existential poverty. This paper has intended to study the problem analytically. At first the high position and dignity of monotheism has been brought into eyes, and then the relation between existential poverty and monotheism has been made clear. Finally, referring to some of Divine qualities, it has been shown that how perceiving existential poverty affects one's action and thought.