نشریه معرفت ادیان
سال پنجم شماره 3 (پیاپی 19، تابستان 1393)

The similarity between monotheistic religions is among the issues with which Islamic narrations (Shiite and Sunnite) have dealt. In these narrations such topics as the similarity between religions concerning their having various sects and their accepting the belief of Return, are put forward. According to some scholar's views the authenticity of these narrations are unanimously agreed upon, and, in terms of sound argument, they are verified by the Quran verses. The Quran emphasizes that the nations are common in as far as divine prescription are concerned and divine prescriptions recur throughout history. Proposing the idea that the Quran has been distorted, some refer to these narrations and verses and argue that, due to the similarities between monotheistic religions and because the Holy Book has been distorted, then the Quran must have been distorted, too. In response, shiite scholars have made every effort to correct people's misinterpretation of these narrations. Although some of the responses to this misconception are strong this paper offers more comprehensive responses.

The soundness and rationality of the essential doctrines of any religion represent the basis of religiously. One of the central doctrines of Imamites and Catholics is the necessity of Divine mercy or bounty for bringing welfare and salvation to mankind. This paper investigates the rationality of the doctrine of God's mercy in the theology of Imamites and theology of Catholics using a documentary analysis method. Thus, after investigating the reasons for the necessity of divine mercy in each of these two faith, the paper concludes that, according to Imamites the principle of Divine mercy is based on firm rational evidence, whereas according to Catholics the doctrine of divine bounty is based on a set of pre-assumptions absolutely viewed from inside religion the existence of which is confirmed by Pauls and Christian fathers. Thus, it is very difficult to prove its rationality.

The Psalms of Prophet David (1085-1015 BC) contain a collection of poems and sacred songs which are centred on invocation, worship and confidence in God. Most of the issues of the 150 chapters of the mentioned Psalms are compatible with the contents of the Quran and hadiths. Some Islamic hadiths state that Prophet David (peace be upon him) has been directly addressed by God. The present paper reviews the common issues contained in David's Psalms and in the hadiths relating to God's address to him in order to point out the common teachings of Abrahamic religions, without considering their authenticity. “Worship”, “praising and glorifying God”, “confidence in God”, “hope”, “repentance”, “thanksgiving”, “God’s mercy”, “refrain from being clothed in enemies’ clothes”, “refraining from arrogance” and “helping the needy “are among the common teachings of the in Psalms and the hadiths relating to God's address to Prophet David. Apart from the overall orientation and thematic common grounds, in most cases, similarity is detected in phrases, structures and arguments. On the whole, this bears testimony to the celestial authenticity of Psalms.

In the eighth century (‘AH’), Sultan Ishaq (Sohak) founded a sect called “Ahl-e-Haqq” in Kurdistan. He developed his ideology on the concept of Don be Don (incarnation) and took this theory from Hindu-Buddhist religions. Then, he had the most famous ancient Iranian and non-Iranian stories and myths and, to some extent, their rituals assimilated into the new sect he had founded. The present paper seeks to show the structural similarities of incarnation and attempt to make explicit the effect of Hindu-Buddhist religions on Ahl-e-Haqq sect by exploring the hidden themes in the texts of Ahl-e-Haqq. A documentary-historical approach is used in this paper.

In the middle of 1370s, the sect of cosmic circle mysticism, led by Mohammad Ali Taheri, began its activities in the area of mysticism and therapy, and in mid 1380s reached its climax. Despite Taheri’s arrest, the teachers and followers of this sect are still shaking the faith of Iranian youth and families all across the country. Introducing ultra-therapeutic activities and the made up term of psymentology as his honor in his mystical school of thought, Taheri invites all to such an experience the condition of which is to surrender and to witness, and the aim of which is to connect to the net of cosmic sense or the Holy Spirit. With this great deceit, he at first claims that all these things have been revealed to him by God and he has not extracted them from any source and secondly, he seeks to explain pure Iranian-Islamic mysticism. This paper aims at rejecting these two claims and showing that his claimed revelations have previously appeared in other heretic schools of thought such as Ricky (the Japanese energy therapy). Among commonalities between these two denominations are cosmic consciousness and its intelligence, healing in the circle and Ricky, Submission, treatment by a specially trained person, disbelieving any religion, permission before connection, the protective layer, externalization in Ricky and the circle, return of the malady, becoming tranquil in the circle and Ricky, surrendering and witnessing, treatment in Ricky and the circle as the reason for unity of being, and levels of gratefulness for cosmic consciousness. Disproving his second false claim, all these similarities show that his mysticism is not based on Islam, it is rather evidently against the Quran and the divinity.

In a theoretical and content-based analysis of the works of the fourteenth Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, this paper seeks to investigate and criticize lifestyle from the Perspective of Dalai Lama. Emphasizing on a number of the basic principles of lifestyle, Dalai Lama regards that achieving joy is the goal of life and that all activities and plans should be organized in line with this goal. He holds that feeling of sympathy towards others on the basis of general kindness prepares the ground for tranquility and cheerful life. Exercising the noble eightfold path, daily meditation, self- knowledge, and vegetarianism are among his teachings on lifestyle. These teachings are derived from Buddhism. The fundamental shortcoming in his teachings on lifestyle is that they are drawn from secular morality and stand aloof from metaphysical principles and goals. The research results show that, although his recommendations in respect to some habits bear similarities to Islamic teachings, Dalai Lama's teachings are not genuinely based on divine revelation and therefore, they are far from being reliable.

“Compassion“(Karuna) is one of the Buddhism’s teachings that it’s importance is different in (Theravada and Mahayana). Compassion is the third state of the fourfold spiritual states which is, according to Theravada, the only state of Arhat; and in Mahayana besides the basic principle of Bodhisattva leads to salvation.According to Arthur Schopenhauer (1860-1788), the teaching of Vedic ‘Tat Tevam Asi’ corresponds to metaphysical unity to which he always refers. He regards this teaching as the basic principle of Compassion. Considering Maya as the basis of suffering and argues that eradication of Maya through understanding reality that is, understanding the teaching which says “Tat Tevam Asi“contributes to the realization of the teaching of “None-Self“and real metaphysics. Freedom from Samsarah happens when the teaching of “None-Self “is put into practice. That is,Karuna and then, Nirvana are realized. This Buddhist course is of paramount importance in the doctrine of Mahayana. In fact, Compassion is the main feature of Mahayana and it is the goal of Bodhisattva. According to Schopenhauer's philosophy, deliverance or salvation is hard to attain, therefor his philosophy is considered close to the doctrines of Theravada.