Types of expression of moral priority in Hadiths from the Shiite Imams

Actions are not ethically equal, and it is particularly important to understand priorities among them in cases such as moral dilemmas. To find such priorities, it is helpful to consult religious statements in which “origins, ” “keys, ” “peaks, ” and “heads” of superior values are introduced. When we examine their instances, however, we face the question of how to reconcile these apparently inconsistent statements. To answer the question, we have deployed the descriptive-analytic method, and after the introduction of their instances in hadiths, we have reconciled these seemingly inconsistent instances by drawing upon explications within these or other hadiths, as well as rational analyses. As to “keys, ” each instance is in some respect significant for reasoning and action; instances of “origins” count as roots of other moral propositions from different perspectives; and as to “peaks” and “heads, ” the inconsistency can be interpreted away by considering different aspects. In general, it turns out that a reconciliation can be made among these apparently inconsistent instances by elaborating different aspects considered by them.