نشریه کتاب نقد
پیاپی 76 (پاییز 1394)

In the discussion of the relation between science and religion and Islamization of sciences, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi first distinguishes the most famous meanings of science, religion, and the possible relation between each case, and finally explains his preferred meanings. The definition he accepts for the meaning of science is a collection of issues consisted of a subject and a predicate, such that the subjects are subset of a single subject, and require a positive or negative ordinance. Science, in this meaning, includes both descriptive and prescriptive sciences, and has no restrictions in terms of its source or research method. Therefore valid religious texts could be used, for the believers of a religion, as a source for scientific research. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi believes religion is like a map which helps us achieve the final perfection and have a program for a prosperous life, and its only referent at this time is the pure Islam. Religion has to explain the facts and commands which are necessary for human’s prosperity and thus includes all human’s optional behaviors. The different parts of religion are hierarchal such that each part takes care of its subordinates. The source and method of understanding religious teachings has no restrictions as well. He believes only the sciences which have a common border in their subject, issues, goals, bases, values or methods with one of the parameters of religion (beliefs, values, and commands) are considered religious (or non-religious). Therefore religious science is a science which considers religious values and convictional bases of religion in different levels (descriptive and prescriptive) and is in accordance with it or at least doesn’t disagree with it. On the contrary, the scientific theories (descriptive or prescriptive) which are either based on anti-religious bases such as materialism, denial of abstracts, or denial of a soul independent from body, or suggest some methods or behaviors which are incompatible or are in contrary with religious beliefs or values, are considered nonreligious or anti-religious science. The beliefs, moralities, and practical commands of religion can affect the postulates, answers and instructions of sciences. The most important role of religion in prescriptive sciences is by affecting religious values.

Since the realities known by the propositions of descriptive sciences are merely reality on the basis of God’s criterion of reality, are Divine and are not secular or indifferent with respect to God, and since there are rational and narrational proofs for this claim, therefore any scientific proposition of descriptive sciences, which describe these realities, are not secular or indifferent with respect to God; or otherwise it would necessitate none of descriptive sciences be true. Therefore the view of some Islamic scholars, who believe the criterion of having a Divine descriptive science, is just to respect some religious values cannot be true.

There are different approaches introduced for the achievement of Islamic religious science. After criticizing some approaches, the theorizers have defended their own approach; but an analysis of their works shows that other approaches are implicitly used in their theories. This article tries to identify the position of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s religious science theory among the classifications of the theories of religious sciences and the contribution of each approach in the process of production of Islamic humanities in his view. This is done by considering one of the classifications as the base in this article – which is modeled on Weber’s notion of acceptable sample and includes a great number of the theories of religious science – and also analyzing his works. This research shows that Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi considers achieving Islamic humanities as a manageable process and believes the change of the individuals and the social structures is necessary in this process. He also applies the cognitive approaches of purification and completion of present sciences, deductive approach and foundationalism in his theory in different forms.

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi believes Islamization is one of our most essential cultural matters; the issue [the concept] of “science” is one of its minor matters. The first part of this article describes his view on religious science. He defines science [knowledge] as a collection of issues consisted of subject and predicate in which all of their subjects are the details or parts of one single subject. According to the definition he chooses as the best definition for religion, it is equivalent with the pure Islam and its main purpose is to show the path to prosperity. Therefore we may have a religious or nonreligious section in descriptive sciences when there is a common part – in their bases, values and methods - with one of the parameters of religion (beliefs, values and commands). Prescriptive sciences may also be divided into religious and non-religious parts considering their dominant values, whether they are in accordance with religious commands or not. The second part of the article explains the steps to produce religious science or Islamization of sciences from the perspective of professor Mesbah Yazdi. Two steps should be taken for this purpose a. criticism of present theories and sciences from internal and external perspectives; b. foundation of philosophical (epistemological, ontological and anthropological) and religious studies basis consistent with Islam.

The view of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi about religious science is studied and investigated in this article. This investigation is done in three steps considering the quiddity of science, quiddity of religion and quiddity of religious science. In the first step, his view on the quiddity of science, which is called subject-based, is discussed. There are some criticisms posed such as moving back and forth between having a subject-based and problem-based view, paying little attention to the method and purpose of science and ignoring the effect of a scholar’s view on the definition of science. In the second step, his non-encyclopedic approach to religion is considered as a positive point. And in the third step regarding religious science, two points are seen as the remains of the positivistic view in his approach: his definite distinction between descriptive sciences and prescriptive sciences, and considering descriptive sciences concrete and neutral. The result of this view, which is disregarding descriptive sciences in religious science and restricting religious science to prescriptive sciences, is also criticized.

The advancement of the literature of religious science depends on presentation of a model and avoiding the abstract and philosophical discussions of religious science more than anything else. Therefore the model-recognitive?? evaluation of religious science approaches and models prepares the ground for the achievement of an efficient model based on the necessary and sufficient conditions of the production of science; a systematic and coherent model which conceptually includes the bases, metaphysical and philosophical presuppositions of science and logically and methodologically, identifies and includes the methodological parameters and elements of production of science. The effectiveness of religious knowledge on humanities in three basic paths, and a methodic system which is based on religious values (extraction of humanities from religious sources, i.e. the Holy Qur’an and tradition) are some evidences on the efficiency of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s theory of religious science in the production of Islamic humanities. Nevertheless to evaluate the model- recognitive?? production of science, this model needs to be clarified, completed, and advanced in terms of application of bases in the methodology of production of religious science, restriction of the domain of religion in valuating propositions, considering descriptive propositions neutral, neglecting the role of subject in the process of understanding, and not explaining the most important requisites of deductive methodology to achieve an efficient foundational or productive model.