Philosophical Insight and Understanding Religion

This research pursues the analysis and study on the role of the philosophical insight in understanding religion as being favorable or harmful. Therefore, at first we will proceed with explaining and analyzing of approaches, and then will criticize the opinions and attitudes toward the subject. Determining the kind of relationship between religious knowledge with the fact of religion is the important point in clarifying the problem. By clarifying this relationship, the role of the philosophical thought will be clarified. There are four approaches about this issue; first approach, regarding Ta’wil (esoteric interpretation), believes that there is no correlation between the truth of religion and religious knowledge; Therefore, it makes dominant the insight which is in accordance with the contemporary age, on the role of the philosophical thought in understanding religion. The second approach, regarding the interpretative role for philosophical insight, accepts the correlation between the truth of religion and religious knowledge, and adaptive of philosophical insight with religious knowledge. According to the third approach, religious knowledge come from the truth of religion, and it is in opposite of human insights, like the philosophical insight. Therefore, this approach not only believes in the role for philosophical insight in understanding religion, but also assigns it as an impediment to understanding religion. In fourth approach, emphasizing on the authority of common sense arising from common insight, knowledge of religion is the same as religion realities; and counts the interference of philosophical thought in it, is “Bidah” (any innovations in religious matters) and unlawful. The selected approach, by emphasizing on understanding religion on influencing of religious thought, believes that religious knowledge is correspond with the truth of religion, and also at the time of understanding religious knowledge from religion resources, effective elements in this understanding are efficacious. As a result, if influence of philosophical insight, in summary, is in the direction of religious thought, religious insight can be as an effective element, without the interference of principles, in understanding the truth of religion, Otherwise, it Stipulates on the philosophical insight precision in understanding the truth of religion.