Dogmatic Teachings in the Theological Thoughts of al-Sheikh al-Mufīd; Nature, Bases and Understanding Method

The dogmatic teachings (al-taalim al-taabbodiyyah) in the belief realm are beliefs that the human intellect lonely cannot understand and prove them. Thus the only source for these beliefs is revelation and authentic religious narrations. The dogmatic teachings are of considerable presence in the Shii beliefs and offer a vast amount of the details of monotheism, prophecy, Imamate and resurrection. Understanding of the dogmatic teachings, which includes the phase of receiving and discovering and the phase of explanation and exegesis, was a matter of dispute among the Shii theologians; some have chosen the way of dogmatism (al-taabbod) and acquiesce (al-taslim) toward them and some have offered the way of reasoning and contemplation. In this regard, by accepting the bases of "reason's need to narration" and "acquired religious knowledge", al-Sheikh al-Mufīd tries to take a way between literalism and rationalism so that, in the receiving phase of these teachings, he accepts the narration after rational examination and, in the understanding phase, he uses both sources of reason and narration. The present research concluded that considering the way al-Sheikh al-Mufīd uses the sources, his approach towards the method of reasoning and taking into account the maximum use of reason is more inclined.