Examining the Place of "Nazar and Thinking" from the Viewpoint of Qazi 'Abd al-Jabbar

Qazi 'Abd al-Jabbar is one of the famous figures of Mu'taziliteKalam which is of considerable views in epistemology especially in the discussion of "nazar" (contemplation). In Qazi's theoretical system, nazar means thinking and arguing, and like other human acts, stems from his power and will and is his own act. From nazar and thinking gained another act named knowledge. Thus Qazi considers nazar and thinking that is the way of reason as the only way to gain the knowledge of God. From his point of view, the first duty of mankind is rational reasoning to know God. The present research wants to examine the role and place of nazar and its relationship with knowledge and awareness as well as especially its relationship with knowing God in 'Abd al-Jabbar perspective.