فصلنامه اندیشه نوین دینی
پیاپی 66 (پاییز 1400)

The issue of the meaning of life is the concern of contemporary man, on the one hand and on the other hand, Allameh Jafari considers human life as the result of his goals in life. The problem of research is that in the contemporary era, meeting a multitude of interpretive works on existential issues such as man and the emphasis on the originality of existence, freedom and choice, human responsibility, death, loneliness, hope, desire, peace, meaning of life indicates that a fundamental change in the style of interpretive research has occurred and a new interpretive approach called the existentialist approach has been formed. To better explain this interpretive tendency, in this article, one of its important components, namely the meaning of life in the translation and interpretation of Nahj al-Balaghah by Allameh Jafari, has been examined. The method and technique used of this research are descriptive and library-based. Therefore, this article intends to show one of the interpretive tendencies of Allameh Jafari by addressing the existential issue of the meaning of life in the explanation of Nahj al-Balaghah.

How to explain the doctrine of badā` and to analyze its relationship with the attributes of God, Divine destiny and the knowledge and infallibility of the infallibles (a) from the perspective of Mulla Sadra and Allameh Sha'rani, is the subject of the present study. The present descriptive-analytical study examines the principles of Mulla Sadra and Allameh Sha'rani about the doctrine of badā`. As understood by the study, Mulla Sadra uses the principles of transcendent wisdom to explain the truth of badā` and its relationship with the attributes of God, Divine decree and infallibility of the infallibles (a) in this context. Allameh Sha'rani, though being in the framework of transcendent wisdom, but according to his own hadith-theological principles, considers any change in the attributes of God and Divine decree impossible and criticizes badā` in the meaning intended by Mulla Sadra. He also proves the impossibility of badā` in the news of the infallibles (a) by using the argument of grace, lutf.

Examining the role of ta`wīl in understanding religious texts and passing from the appearances of the words of Quranic verses has been one of the most challenging issues for Muslim scholars. In the last century, appearance of the school of tafkīk, and specifically denial of ta`wīl and emphasis on the necessity of the purity of the appearances of Qur'anic texts, has led to two poles of proponents and opponents of ta`wīl in the field of religious studies. This article examines the issue with an analytic method and library-based technique and compared of the works of professor Hakimi and Allameh Tabatabai in the field. The findings indicate maximum difference between the two views in the type and method of explanation. Also, due to the revelation`s state of being of various levels, no sect or school has escaped from ta`wīl. The way to separate the appearances of religious texts to avoid ta`wīl will remain an impractical idea and dream.

In this research it has been intended to investigate the epistemological position of mystical discovery in the philosophy of Sadr al-Mutallahin and also to examine whether, based on this position, this philosophy can be used in theologico-rational proofs for the general public? This research has performed by an analytico-descriptive method and library-based technique for collecting data. The findings of the research indicate that there is disagreement among the researchers regarding the place of discovery in the methodology of transcendent wisdom; Although kashf, intuition, is not regarded as a precedent in philosophical reasoning, but the role of purity of  human soul and tenderness of human nature and kashf in understanding Sadra's deep rational teachings, makes understanding this philosophy out of the reach of the public (non-explorers or those who are not of austerely and self-purifying). Accordingly, its use in denial and proving rational-theological proofs for the general public is not effective and its extensive education is ineffective.

The question of the way in which the attributes of God are related to one another and to the Divine essence has been a long-standing issue among Muslim thinkers. Meanwhile, the attribute of God`s Speech, kalam, is of special importance and the scope of discussion about it is extended to the Holy Quran as being everlasting or non-everlasting. Mulla Sadra considered the Ash'arite theory of the Qur'an`s being everlasting as one leading to polytheism and the multiplicity of everlasting beings, and the Mu'tazilites' theory of its being non-everlasting as one leading to God`s possibility and non-everlasting. However, Allameh Tabatabai, by recognizing God`s speech as being i`tibari, introduced some objections against what said by the Ash'arite and the Mu'tazilite and, using the same principle and with regard to Shiite hadith and traditions,  criticized the theory viewing Divine Speech as being essential. The present study, in a descriptive-analytical approach, explains Allameh Tabatabai's theory about this Divine attribute as being in the level of action and believes that Shiite hadiths do not lead to the Attribute as being in the level of action.

The issue of the relationship between reason and transmission and the realm of priority and posteriority and their types of functions from the perspective of Sheikh Mofid has been explored in this study by an analytical-descriptive method. The results of the research show that Sheikh Mofid specifies the role of being a light, miṣbāh, and also supports the interactive role of reason. In defining reason, he has dealt with both its theoretical and practical aspects. Sheikh Mufid, like the Mu'tazilites, considers religious knowledge to be acquired, but they leave the necessity of opinion because of the Divine command, not reason. He considers reason as being in need to revelation in all stages of reasoning and conclusion. In other words, revelation is both the first stimulus of the intellect and teaches the oblige, mukallaf, the quality of reasoning. Sheikh Mufid used reason in jurisprudence, unlike the people of hadith, but this did not cause him to accept feqhi analogy.

The issue of the present article is the equality of hereditary choice, religious knowledge and the reasons derived from religious texts. The purpose of this study is to show that hereditary choice, religious knowledge and reasons for religions are not equal. The method used is by way of description and analysis. The findings, the change of extension in the family and ethnic religion, reject the equality of religions. The cases of knowledge derived from the texts of religions are different and inconsistent. As scholars of different religions do not agree with each other's knowledge. Some religions offer incompatible concepts and cognitions from within. The reasons for religions are no longer valid with other scholars. Islam has considered the knowledge of certainty and logical reasons along with the study of various sayings as the criterion for choosing a religion as has viewed the compatibility of concepts within religion a prerequisite for the legitimacy of religious teachings. Hence, the religion of Islam, by presenting compatible cognitions and concepts, rejects external reasons and the astonishing expansion of religious equality.

The purpose of this article is to explain Ibn Arabī's view on the satisfaction of the Lord with regard to the vassal, especially the reasons for God's satisfaction toward Ismā`īl (as). This research has been written in a descriptive-analytical method and based on the Ismaili faṣṣ of Fuṣūṣ al- ḥikam. The findings of the research show that Ibn Arabī considers the attribute riḍā, satisfaction, in the human field as a part of the statins, maqāmāt, for some people and a part of the states, aḥwāl, for some other. But the attribute in the case of God is a Divine Attribute and is subject to His Attributes. The focus of Ibn Arabī's view on the causes of the Divine Satisfaction regarding the Prophet Ismā`īl (as) is based on the rule of manifestation and his knowledge of God. He considers Hazrat Ismā`il as the case of Divine satisfaction for his knowledge of the subject, his worthiness and his state of being sadiq al-wa`d, .

The main issue of this research is the study of the type of relativism in "cognitive theology" and its basic critique based on transcendent wisdom. For this purpose, in the first stage, the works of Mujtahid Shabestari on the subject of theology, called by him as "cognitive theology", have been studied in a descriptive and analytical method and, then, criticized according to the rules of transcendent wisdom. The findings of this study indicate that Shabestari hermeneutics, although hesitant between Schleiermacher's author-centered hermeneutics and Gadameri-centered interpreter hermeneutics, has a more inclined direction towards Gadameri's philosophical hermeneutics. Sometimes it even goes beyond this and considers meaning as a posterior thing that is made in the process of understanding, which in any case is similar to relativism. The gap between the types of relativism indicates that the gap between subject and object is the origin of the types of relativism that have arisen following the challenge of how the object and the mind relate. However, with the epistemological principles of transcendent wisdom, this gap is filled from the beginning and does not lead to relativistic devices.

Arguments on the gradation of infallibility is amongst important issues which can be expounded based on foundations and principles of Islamic philosophy and remove many of suspicions casted on the issue of infallibility. The current research is an attempt to investigate the nature of infallibility based on the philosophical theory of gradation of existence, which provides a different content of the issue of infallibility, through a descriptive-analytical method. Thus, firstly, the major elements and components of infallibility are extracted and then compared individually against the principle of gradation of existence. It was concluded that infallibility enjoys a gradational truth and therefore, each human being can possess a level of it depending on their existential capacity and the difference between the immaculate and the ordinary Man resides in the level of infallibility rather than presences or lack of this characteristic.