A Review of the Experimental Revelation Theory

Knowledge of the truth of revelation and its descent has always been a concern for scholars and thinkers. Although it may be impossible to have knowledge of the nature of the revelation and provide a real definition of it, theorists have tried to explain and describe it to the extent of their understanding and ability. In this regard, various views have been raised, including the view of "religious experience." Based on this view, which is, in fact, rooted in Christianity and favored by some Muslim intellectuals such as Abdul Karim Soroush, the Prophet encounters God. In this encounter, no words or propositions are uttered; rather, revelation is the interpretation and the Prophet's account of his personal experience. Soroush seeks to solve the problems of revelation and tries to provide a natural explanation for it. In this explanation, the Prophet both formulates the revelation and interferes with the themes of the revelation. Since this theory leads to the identification of
revelation with religious experience, and reduces the revelation to a religious experience, it has indefensible requirements that have been faced by criticisms of many theologians and traditional believers. By presenting various perspectives on revelation, the present paper addresses the critique of Soroush's views and, finally, proposes a view that is both consistent with the Qur'an and tradition and accepted by Muslims philosophers and scholars.