Theological methodology of Abossalah al-Halabi

Abussalah, Taghi bin Najm bin Ubaydellah al-Hlabi (374-443 H) is an Imami jurist and theologian in 5th century after Hijrah and one of the pupils of both Seyyed Murtadha and Shayk al-Mufid. Concerning the theological method, he belongs to the non-philosophical rationalist school of Shi’ite theologians of Baghdad. Based on this method, rational thinking has the epistemological and religious credit but the study of philosophical problems before theological discussion does not have any place and so he is not so mindful to the views of the philosophers. He rarely uses the scriptural reason in discussions that reason works and has that ability to realize and understand doctrinal teachings and in those rare conditions that he uses the scriptural reason he employs them to emphasize and support the rational reasons. Nonetheless, in discussions like the special leadership that the scriptural reason is helpful he employs the scriptural reason a lot. Encountering the views of others, he uses many ways to assess and criticize them.