Criticizing Foundations of Rationality and Spirituality Theory Based on Nahj al-Balaghah

The theory of rationality and spirituality, along with the emphasis on harmony with the inevitable realities of the modern world, negates the effectiveness of traditional religion in calming and reducing pain. This theory, which believes that a person cannot live a good life without spirituality, has replaced traditional religion with rationality and spirituality. Considering the deep and comprehensive spirituality of Nahj al-Balaghah, this question is raised: to what extent are the foundations of the theory compatible with the spirituality in Nahj al-Balaghah? The answer to this question was investigated and evaluated using the analytical-inferential method by studying Nahj al-Balaghah and searching for related words. The result obtained from the analysis of the cognitive knowledge, cognitive ontology, and cognitive value of the theory's indicated that rationality and spirituality has confused understanding of some fundamentals by ignoring the ambiguity and contradiction. However, it has some points in common with spirituality in Nahj al-Balaghah. Yet, because of the inability of theoretical reason to recognize metaphysical concepts like God and the suspension of belief in practical reasoning, this theory cannot reach the level of spirituality of Nahj al-Balaghah in terms of fundamentals and achieving maximum peace and pain reduction.