A Survey of Tasbihati Arba`ah As Denoting the Combination of Tashbih, Anthropomorphism, and Tanzih, Transcendentalism, from the perspective of Allameh Tabataba'i and Imam Khomeini (r)

The discussion of divine attributes, especially those of declaration, has always been an important and controversial topic. The three theories of anthropomorphism, ta`til and transcendentalism are the most important approaches to this discussion. In the meantime, using the doctrine of the personal unity of existence, the mystics made an agreement between anthropomorphism and transcendentalism. In this article, which is written in a descriptive-analytical way, the way in which tasnihati arba`ah denote the agreement between anthropomorphism and transcendentalism in the view of Allameh Tabataba'I and Imam Khomeini (r) has been described and it has been made clear that they have interpreted tasnihati arba`ah on the same basis. Of course, there is a difference between the two thinkers in the how of this denotation; so that both consider the position of tasbih as that of tanzih, the position of tahmid as showing that of tashbih, when expressing the position of Tahlil as unity of Divinity, the opinions of Allameh Tabatabai and Imam Khomeini are the same and it means that they have made an agreement between tashbih and tanzih. In expressing the position of takbir Allameh Tabatabaei considers takbir as referring to the position of absolute monotheism and personal unity. But Imam Khomeini considers it as a sign of such a position. But what is compatible with the legacy of Islamic mysticism is that the position of takbir is above the position of tasbih.