نشریه تربیت اسلامی
پیاپی 48 (تابستان 1403)

 Literature, throughout the history of any nation, can reflect truths, events, occurrences, joys, sorrows, and undeniable epics. When it receives the special attention of the literati and intellectuals of its time, it gains distinctive features in other eras. In literature, the writer uses words, events, occurrences, and emotions to convey the essence of the message to the audience through desired methods and tools. Iran, a country with an ancient history, has undergone numerous transformations, including the eight-year Sacred Defense epic. The imposed war or Sacred Defense, which occurred after the Islamic Revolution, left deep impacts on all layers of Iranian life due to its relatively long duration. Consequently, it influenced Iranian literature to the extent that a specific genre called “Sacred Defense Literature” emerged. Thus, the issues of Sacred Defense were prominently reflected in our contemporary literature, including poetry and prose. The genre of poetry, especially poetry for children and adolescents, due to its unique characteristics compared to other cultural and artistic genres, has absorbed the most influence and impact from the tumultuous moments of the revolution and war. It has provided a suitable reference for future generations to examine and analyze how a culture, known as Sacred Defense, was formed and how it impacted on children and adolescents. Today, our writers and poets have tried to explain and value it through fictional literature and poetry. One of the methods used to address martyrs is thematic narratives, with numerous works in this field in poetry observed. Therefore, this study aims to examine the themes of martyrdom in the poems for children and adolescents published between 1979 and 2016.

 This study is an applied study conducted using content analysis. Fred N. Kerlinger defines content analysis as a method for studying and analyzing communications systematically, objectively, and quantitatively to measure variables. In this method, the researcher analyzes the produced messages to find answers to his research questions (Khanifar & Moslemi, 2018, Vol. 1, p. 79). Initially, the use of this method was limited to analyzing texts where the repetition of identified words would be examined. Today, content analysis has evolved into a scientific method, promising the fruition of inferences primarily derived from symbolic verbal data and communications, encompassing fundamental topics in psychology, sociology, educational sciences, communications, politics, etc.The statistical population of this study includes all poetry books published for children and adolescents. To identify these poetry books, information on all poetry books for children and adolescents, published between 1979 and 2016, was obtained from the Iran Book and Literature House, totaling 108 titles[1]. As The statistical population of this study was limited, all titles were analyzed, and sampling was avoided. To collect the necessary data, including bibliographic information on the identified poems and the discussed themes, a checklist was prepared and completed for each poem. The collected data were entered into Excel, and statistical analysis was performed on the provided information. The findings were presented in tables and charts.

In response to the first research question, “What has been the status of the publication of Sacred Defense poems written for children and adolescents about martyr and martyrdom between 1979 and 2016?”, the data from Chart 1 is presented. [1]. According to the regulations governing the publishing industry in Iran, all published works must obtain an ISBN from the Iran Book and Literature House. When an ISBN is assigned to a book, its bibliographic information is entered into the Iran Book and Literature House database, making it the most comprehensive database in the country’s publishing sector.Chart 1: publication of poems for children and adolescents from 1997 to 2012The number of works in the form of poetry for children about Sacred Defense, focusing on martyr and martyrdom, has varied significantly over the years. The highest number of works, 25, was published in 2009, while the lowest number, 1, was published in 1990.In response to the second research question, “How has the participation of men and women in composing Sacred Defense poems for children and adolescents, focusing on martyr and martyrdom, been between 1979 and 2016?” the data in Table 1 is provided.Table 1: Frequency distribution of works based on the gender of their creatorsIn this study, a total of 40 creators (37.1%) were women, and 68 creators (62.9%) were men.In response to the third research question, “How has the participation of different provinces in the country in publishing Sacred Defense poems for children and adolescents, focusing on martyr and martyrdom, been between 1979 and 2016?” the data in Table 2 is provided.In this study, most of the works reviewed were published in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. Tehran accounted for 30.7% of the total works reviewed in this study. The works published in Qom and Mashhad each accounted for 22.3% of the total works published. Works published in other cities (Yazd, Isfahan, Kerman, Arak, Bojnord, Karaj, Ardabil, Bushehr, Rasht, Semnan, Sisakht, Shahrekord, Fars, Qazvin, and Kermanshah) accounted for one work (0.9%).In response to the fourth research question, “What themes are covered in the Sacred Defense poems published for children and adolescents, focusing on martyr and martyrdom?” the data in Table 3 is provided.Table 3: Frequency distribution of poems based on their themesAccording to table 3, the highest frequency is related to the “about of martyr and martyrdom,” with 55 poems. The themes of “terror” and “martyrs' will” are considered in two poems (the lowest frequency).Discussion and ConclusionIn response to the first research question, “What has been the status of the publication of Sacred Defense poems written for children and adolescents on the topic of martyr and martyrdom during the years from 1979 to 1989?”, it was found that the number of works published in the form of poems for children and adolescents has varied significantly over the years. It seems that from 1979 to 1989, the publication of poems for children and adolescents on the topic of Sacred Defense was very limited, or the books that specifically included Sacred Defense poems for children and adolescents were dispersed among other poems, making it difficult for researchers to identify them. Additionally, from 1990 to 2016, the creation of these poems resulted in a better formation, with a notable increase in book publications from 2007 onwards, reaching a peak of 25 works in 2009. However, there was a sharp decline to 3 works in 2010, followed by moderate fluctuations in publication growth until 2015, and then there was an increase to 14 works.After the war, from 1989 onwards, organizations and institutions such as the Office of Literature and Sacrifice and Resistance of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs and the Garden of the Museum of the Sacred Defense were established. They began to specialize in the literature for children and adolescents. In response to the second research question, “What has been the level of participation of men and women in the Sacred Defense poems written for children and adolescents on the topic of martyr and martyrdom?” the bibliographic analysis of the published poems showed that out of a total of 181 titles, the creators of the works were 68 men (62.9%) and 40 women (37.1%). The data indicates that male poets' participation rate was higher than female poets because women had a less prominent presence in the production of Sacred Defense poetry.In response to the third research question, “What has been the level of participation of different provinces in the country in the publication of Sacred Defense poems for children and adolescents on the topic of martyr and martyrdom during the years of this study?” the findings show that 18 cities participated in the distribution of publishers and the publication of the books for children and adolescents on the topic of Sacred Defense. Tehran, with 33 works (30.7%), Qom and Mashhad, each with 24 works (22.3%), were the most prominent. Other cities such as Yazd, Isfahan, Kerman, Arak, Bojnord, Karaj, Ardabil, Bushehr, Rasht, Semnan, Sisakht, Shahrekord, Fars, Qazvin, and Kermanshah accounted for less than 6% of the publications. In fact, most publishers were concentrated in major provinces, while other provinces played a minor or no role in producing the works. Tehran, being a metropolis, had the highest percentage of publications, and the cities of Qom and Mashhad, due to the sensitivity of the Sacred Defense topic for children and adolescents and their religious nature, made conscious efforts in distribution.ConclusionThe findings of this study showed that poets have tried to create role models for children and adolescents in this field, as many poems have been written on this subject. However, despite the clarity and simplicity of the poems, they have not been so successful in conveying concepts and processing the topic of martyrdom, as the poems seem very superficial and have not delved deeply into the issue.

To ensure that the Islamic Revolution remains connected to the revolution of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), we should focus on educating individuals who are potential soldiers of the front of truth in practice, with their main characteristics manifesting in three dimensions: faith, servitude, and revolutionary spirit (Razavi, 2017). The selection of the three categories of believer, devout, and revolutionary is based on the statements of the Supreme Leader in describing the main attributes of the great leader of the revolution, which he has elaborated on in various speeches and has introduced as an educational model for the future generation in these dimensions (Moradi, 2021). Attention to these three educational dimensions should begin from early childhood and adolescence and be strengthened over time. Accordingly, kindergartens and preschools provide a very suitable and diverse foundation for fundamental educational planning, and education at these ages will be more stable and beneficial (Yousefi, 2016, p. 161). The authors’ goal in developing an educational space-creation model (a model for creating an educational atmosphere) is to achieve a comprehensive framework for establishing educational objectives for all places, individuals, and capacities within a specific educational environment such as a school or any other educational setting. Based on these premises, the educational space-creation model can be defined as follows: “The educational space-creation model means selecting an approach in education where all factors, elements, and effective contexts in education are simultaneously employed and activated to achieve a unified educational goal within a defined time frame.”

 To achieve this, the research method and data analysis were conducted using the Colaizzi method (1978) in several stages:The relevant texts (Quran, hadith books, and statements of the Supreme Leader) were read several times to familiarize the researcher with them and to be able to understand them.Important sentences related to the topic (attributes of a believer, devout, and revolutionary person) were underlined. Each important sentence was summarized into a descriptive concept.The concepts derived from the first three stages that were similar and could be grouped were categorized under a common theme.The categories were reviewed to group them into larger categories based on similarities and commonalities, which could then be used to describe educational objectives.The above description was validated by revisiting the studied texts and comparing the description with these texts.The results from the previous stage were applied to the findings.In the second step, according to these topics, the general educational objectives for each section were extracted, totaling 24 general objectives. In the third step, specific, behavioral, and educational principles based on the above general objectives were extracted, totaling approximately 52 specific objectives. In the fourth and final step, appropriate educational methods for institutionalizing these topics suitable for preschool ages were written with an inferential and analytical approach by the authors. The inferential orientation of this section is also based on the general principles of religious education. Finally, educational content appropriate to the proposed objectives and methods was suggested within the plan.

 The educational space-creation model with the theme of faith, considering elements such as God, the unseen (angels, the Day of Judgment), and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), with the overall objective of creating a suitable environment for the manifestation and strengthening of the child’s innate faith, is executable. The required implementation time is one week, and it is suggested that the faith schedule be held during a week coinciding with one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) festivals, using the week’s slogan “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” and the gift of walnuts, symbolizing the Prophet’s gift to children. The specific objectives of this model include:Creating a foundation for the manifestation and strengthening of the child’s innate faith in God.Understanding the concept of the unseen and explaining its instances and the relationship of humans with these instances.Creating a heartfelt connection of children with the Prophet (PBUH) and understanding the reason for his mission to strengthen faith in the Prophet (PBUH).

 If we consider the foundation of the philosophy of education to be based on assumptions such as the inseparability of education, and on having a hierarchical view of the subject of education, and also believe in the principle of holistic consideration in the aspect of education, and under this principle, in the methodological aspect, to strengthen and enrich educational objectives, we utilize all involved elements and factors, and also in the content aspect, mobilize data towards achieving a unified purpose, and finally have a correct understanding of the timing of achieving objectives, we arrive at a native model that can be referred to as educational space-creation model. Undoubtedly, native educational models can have mechanisms that address the shortcomings of Western models in terms of their conflict with the internal philosophy of education. Although we are not independent of Western educational modeling in education, this does not mean we should ignore the depiction of native models based on our philosophical foundations of education.According to this introduction, the advantages of this research plan can be enumerated as follows: a) Having a theoretical basis and presenting a model with a view to its intellectual and philosophical foundations; b) The comprehensiveness and applicability of the model in providing an operational pattern; c) Comprehensive utilization of educational elements and capacities towards achieving educational objectives; d) Meeting the higher-level objectives of the education system in the form of operational elements; e) Visualization and modeling of the depicted model in the form of scheduled work tables to facilitate the planning process for those in charge of education.Finally, the practical findings of the research indicate that the major and minor objectives of religious, moral, and revolutionary education can be transformed into micro and multifaceted parameters within the framework of the model, and by utilizing all the capacities of the educational environment towards achieving educational goals, enrich both educational processes simultaneously. This model can serve as a pattern and model for all educational levels and subjects, as well as educational activities, although, due to the freedom of action in preschool levels and the existence of multiple educational capacities at these levels, this model is introduced in the present article for the preschool group. This requires determining goals, depicting the components of the educational space, and aligning and coordinating these two educational aspects. What still requires research and standardization is enriching the educational objectives in our model compared to other similar or Western models in practical and tangible educational spaces. Therefore, it is suggested that our model be compared with other educational models in the field and the experimental groups. This has been a limitation for the researchers of this model.

Religious education is an activity aimed at shaping and transforming religious identity. A psychological analysis of the process of religious identity formation in the mental system reveals that from birth to eighteen years, four distinct models of religious identity emerge based on the child’s cognitive development. From birth to three years, the initial roots of religious identity are formed. When language and thought emerge and converge between the ages of three to seven, the first model of religious identity in the child is shaped, reflecting the outward and visible aspects of adult faith. The third model of religious identity is formed between the ages of seven to twelve, imitating the system beliefs and values of the social context in which the child lives. During adolescence, the first reflections and revisions of the identity formed in the previous stage begin, and the first model of religious identity based on the adolescent’s choice is shaped. Since the model of religious education at each age stage is based on the achievable and specific religious identity model of that stage, four models of religious education can be discussed from birth to eighteen years. Therefore, the purpose of the religious education model is to provide a roadmap for shaping and transforming religious identity, appropriate to its achievable level, for different life stages. This study aims to present a model of religious education from birth to three years, examining the five dimensions of the model based on a psychological analysis of the child’s capacity to shape religious identity in this age range. The five dimensions of the model include 1) the achievable objectives of religious education; 2) the nature and source of religious education content from birth to three years; 3) methods for forming the initial foundations of faith; 4) the role of the educator and the cognitive, emotional, and skilled characteristics required to achieve the objectives; 5) methods for evaluating the attainment of the religious education objectives.

This study employs a “holistic and interdisciplinary wisdom-based methodological model.” The term “holistic” specifies the approach to conducting the research, which, in studies concerning humans, must consider the interaction of innate needs witpersonal, social, historical, and cultural factors. Additionally, the individual, in spite of all his relationships with other beings, is viewed as reflecting the relationships of signs or symbols of an absolute truth, namely God. The term “interdisciplinary” refers to the necessity of integrating psychological, theological, and philosophical findings to achieve a more comprehensive picture of reality. The term “wisdom-based” points to the philosophical source of the model, which is the Transcendent Wisdom (Hikmat al-Mutāʻalīa). B) Research Method The model is derived using an analytical-inferential problem-oriented method. That is, questions about the nature of the five topics that collectively form the religious education model are addressed based on accepted philosophical foundations, the specific religious identity model of this stage, and relevant narratives, with methodological considerations on how to understand the text.

The findings in the objectives section led to the discovery of a system of religious education objectives, including the ultimate goal and achievable intermediate goals for the span from birth to three years. In the methods section, four methods are discussed: 1) internalizing the initial foundations of religious feelings, 2) knowing God, 3) enhancing transcendence-seeking, and 4) empowering the physical dimension. In the discussion on the role of the educator, the educator’s role is considered under the role of God as the primary educator, and the necessary cognitive, emotional, and skilled characteristics for effectively carrying out educational activities are explained. Finally, the method for evaluating the level of religious maturity is presented. The table below summarizes the findings Objectives of Religious Education 1. Creating components of the child’s emotional health: trust, safety, courage; 2. Shaping the feeling that the newly entered world is a safe place to live, where the child’s constant inner needs can be appropriately met through the kindness and reliability of parents; 3. Shaping purification of the heart; 4. Creating the capacity to internalize the knowledge of God as a trustworthy being; 5. Internalizing the initial foundations of a range of religious feelings such as safety, tranquility, and courage.  Content The parents' behavioral model in interaction with the child shapes the content (experiences and opportunities for religious learning) from birth to three years. The parents' and caregivers' behavioral model includes methods of feeding and hygiene, facial expressions, type of clothing, room decoration, toys, and a set of auditory and religious stimuli that shape the child’s detailed, repetitive, and enjoyable experiences, and achieves the specific intermediate and ultimate goals of this stage.Methods  Methods for internalizing the initial foundations of religious feelings;· Methods for shaping the initial foundations of religious knowledge;  Methods for enhancing transcendence-seeking in the child;  Methods for empowering the physical dimension to achieve religious education. Role of the Educator The role of the educator can be understood in light of God’s role as the primary educator. From birth to age three, the child’s relationships are limited to interactions with parents, educators, and accessible environmental objects and stimuli. Therefore, the educator’s role at this stage is to regulate the child’s interaction with the surrounding world to achieve the specific intermediate and ultimate goals of this period. Fulfilling this mission requires various cognitive, emotional, and skilled competencies. Evaluation A checklist containing children’s reactions in real situations.

Many parents and educators question whether religious education from birth to age three, before the child has developed the convergence of thought and language, is significant. This significance pertains to whether it currently lays the groundwork for the child’s psychological well-being and facilitates their future religiosity, or if religious education at this age is not particularly important. This study showed that from birth to age three, the initial foundations of religiosity can be formed as an emotional core comprising multiple, indistinguishable feelings. By the end of this period, when language and thought converge, the child can gradually learn words related to God and His attributes, as well as other religious concepts, and can imitate certain religious practices.

Although classroom interaction includes dialogue and silence between teachers and students, the role of dialogue is often emphasized, while the role of silence is either overlooked or considered negative and indicative of non-participation. However, this silence can have different meanings, and non-participation is just one of them. This study introduces another meaning of silence, viewing it as a human action that can play a role in educational interaction. Attention to the meaning and concept of student silence has also been considered by some researchers, some of whom have tried to reveal the meanings of silence and assist teachers in communicating with their students. Examining the presented meanings shows that some of these silences can also be considered the students̕ actions; however, this point has been overlooked. This study aims to explain the nature of the action of silence based on the perspective of human agency. This perspective arises from the anthropological view of the Islamic approach to action, which posits that human behaviors, possessing cognitive, affective, and volitional foundations, can be considered human actions and hold the agent responsible. This study aims to answer two questions:  1. How can student silence be considered their action? 2. what educational implications does their action of silence entail?

The methodological approaches in this study are conceptual analysis and inferential methods; therefore, to answer the research questions, we first used the conceptual analysis method to achieve the conceptual framework of the action of silence and then, according to it, we presented the corresponding educational implications using the inferential method. This method is the same as Brody’s derivative method, which responds to educational questions with a philosophical perspective. This practical response is extracted from and inferred philosophical foundations (Bagheri, 2009, p. 101). In other words, in this section, the philosophical basis of agency is the perspective that responds to the educational issue related to the interaction of teachers with silent students. That is, to deal with student silence, attention must be paid to the agency of both the teacher and the student in a practical syllogism, which includes the following three stages:The teacher should realize educational interaction. (normativeproposition)Realizing educational interaction depends on a safe emotional atmosphere and the negation of protective silence. (realistic proposition) The teacher should provide a safe emotional atmosphere and eliminate protective silence to realize educational interaction. (normative proposition)

The findings are presented in two sections. First, silence can be considered a human action with cognitive, affective, and volitional foundations, leading to various types of actions, including silence due to ignorance, imposed silence, domineering silence, protective silence, silence as a sign of respect, silence as a sign of protest, and contemplative silence. Paying attention to student silence as an action in interactions increases sensitivity to it; therefore, teachers need to appropriately address the foundations of these actions to achieve constructive interaction.In the second section, the educational implications and principles are discussed. These implications include the necessity for teachers to regard student silence as an action, to identify different types of student silence, and to respond appropriately to each type of silence while adhering to corresponding educational principles. These principles include guiding silence due to ignorance, providing an atmosphere for contemplative silence, transforming domineering silence into critical dialogue, ensuring a safe atmosphere for protective silence, breaking protest silence and inviting dialogue, avoiding imposed silence, and fostering silence as a sign of respect.

This study introduces student silence as a responsible action. Understanding student silence as an action and identifying its various types can open new perspectives for educators, helping them achieve constructive interactions with students, clearly understand their questions, and strive to enhance their learning. This paper emphasizes the complexity and ambiguity of the concept of silence and the sensitivity of the action of silence, highlighting the need for educators to pay special attention to student silence in education. Educators should not overlook any silence, as delayed attention to it may lead to serious consequences.

This study aims to explain the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i's point of view and to derive its educational implications in moral education. The research method is descriptive-analytical and inferential. Based on Allameh Tabataba’i’s fundamental belief in God as the fundamental good of existence and the non-existence of evils, the findings indicate that the emergence and manifestation of evils are necessary for the evolution of the world and humanity. The results show that in the approach of confronting evils as an educational opportunity, in addition to avoiding and escaping from evil, the opportunity can be used constructively with a view to the development and perfection of the learner. In this regard, the first reaction after the occurrence of evil is patience. The subsequent stages include reasoning, persistence in good deeds, and avoidance of unrighteous deeds, which together create suitable conditions for a reasonable confrontation with evils.  

 Evil, meaning badness and ugliness (Motahhari, 2009, pp. 150-160), has been introduced with a dual function. In one aspect, evil is not severely bad but rather necessary, as good without it cannot be recognized and perceived (Breyer, 2013, p. 192). In another aspect, evil is inherently bad and its existence in the world is not necessary (Pinnock, 2004, p. 132), thus it must be combated. Accepting the dual function of evil, the fundamental issue here is that, from an educational perspective, in most educational systems, evil has generally been viewed as inherently undesirable, and an avoidance approach has prevailed in confronting it. Although there are many recommendations and advice on avoiding evils, there has not been a perspective on confronting evils as an educational opportunity (turning a threat into an opportunity). To address this issue, this study aims to explain the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i's viewpoint and to derive its educational implications in moral education.

The approach of this study is qualitative, and the research method is descriptive-inferential. To explain the philosophical foundations of evil, a descriptive method is used, and to extract educational implications, an inferential method in the philosophy of education is employed. In this research approach, a philosophical school along with its broad views on ontology, epistemology, and axiology is taken as the basis, and educational theories and guidelines are extracted and inferred based on them (Kiani & Sadeqzadeh, 2011).

To answer the questions of this study, we first derived the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i’s views and then inferred the educational implications, including principles and methods in the field of moral education. A summary of these foundations, principles, and methods is presented in Table 1 below. Table 1: Philosophical Foundations, Educational Principles, and MethodsPhilosophical FoundationsEducational PrinciplesEducational MethodsEvil is non-existent.knowing God as the source of all the good.using rational arguments to know God as the fundamental good of existence, seeking refuge in God, praying, and reciting the QuranEvils are specific to the material world. The expansion and evolution of the world depend on change and movement.. changing situations and conditions through the will of society and individuals, leaving places of sin (migration, emigration, etc.).The system of existence, despite the presence of evils, is the best possible system.principle of aesthetic argument.using observation to perceive order and harmony in the world, nurturing spiritual beauties.Natural and moral evils result from human misuse of free will and ignorance.Cultivating rationality.encouraging thought and reflection, consulting with wise individuals.Natural evils are a means of testing for humans.Principle of the need for flourishing, guidance, and care of good potentials.Education and discipline.Evils are the external consequences of actions and the punishment for sins.Necessity of punishment and retribution (principle of compensation).Punishment and admonition through submission and fairness, preaching and reminding, establishing laws and regulations for punishment, reminding of the Day of Judgment and the way actions are accounted for, storytelling, and learning from examples.Natural evils are an inevitable stage of human development and necessary for good and moral virtues.cultivating moral virtues.Self-purification: performing good deeds, piety, repentance and seeking forgiveness, prayer, almsgiving (zakat), charity, patience, resistance and steadfastness, forgiveness.Evils arise from human ignorance and are relative and subjective.acquiring knowledge and awareness.Learning: empirical and inductive sciences including research, investigation, prediction and foresight, careful observation, and hypothesis formation in confronting natural evils. Discussion and Summary: From Allameh Tabataba’i's view, both natural and moral evils have various instances influenced by different factors. Therefore, they are relative and subjective in terms of time, place, form, and conditions, and no single solution can be recommended for them. Thus, confronting each type of evil, depending on its nature and causes, can be an educational opportunity and requires different educational actions. The first reaction after the occurrence of evil is patience, followed by reasoning. Allameh Tabataba’i considers the realization of most moral virtues dependent on the attribute of patience. Although patience does not encompass all virtuous morals, if it is found in someone, other virtues will also be found in him. However, examining Allameh Tabataba’i’s thoughts reveals that, in addition to patience, reasoning and reflection can comprehensively cover other methods for educational confrontation alongside combating evil.

Faith-based education aims to shape fundamental understandings of human life and beliefs through the teaching of religious teachings. In recent decades, a significant concern has been providing suitable epistemic content to foster transformative faith experiences among learners. Within the context of Islamic education, efforts have been made to develop epistemic plans. However, these plans need reconsideration from two perspectives: First, they often remain confined within limited thought paradigms, failing to engage emotions and sentiments effectively, and thus not leading to behavioral transformation. Second, they lack a substantial divine dimension, making it challenging to attribute them directly to revealed texts.In this context, among the scholars, Ali Safai Haeri has addressed these concerns. He has developed an epistemic plan that begins with core religious teachings and extends to the necessary criteria for decision-making in various life situations. Notably, hedraws inspiration from Quranic literature in his work titled “A Merchant’s Perspective on Human Life.”This study employs a descriptive-analytical method to extract his epistemic framework, focusing specifically on essential religious teachings such as “knowing man and his dignity,” “knowing Allah and His Greatness and Mercy,” “knowing humanity’s role in existence,” “Belief in the Afterlife,” and “knowing the role of prophets and Imams in guiding man.” By integrating insights from the Quranic concept of “trade,” the resulting epistemic content takes on a fresh perspective.

Human beings are calculative creatures! Our lives, with their countless choices and actions, are a series of transactions. Therefore, it is logical to expect us to be prudent in this regard!Generally speaking, the nature of any trade can be summarized in four components: what we give (inputs), what we receive (outputs), the needs or desires that drive us to engage in trade (needs or desires), and finally, the party with whom we trade (buyers). Consequently, a calculative person must accurately understand these four elements in every transaction to ensure the correctness of their trade.Inputs: In comparing myself to other beings—such as animals, trees, and stones—I find, in addition to the common talents (capital) I possess, I have unique abilities such as thinking, reasoning (intellect), free will, choice, and conscience, which they lack. Therefore, I (the human) am more capable and, as a result, more efficient than they are. Additionally, by carefully observing the interaction among my abilities, I realize that they function like the letters of the alphabet. Consequently, despite the limitations of each, their interaction makes their efficiency/value infinite and unlimited. Thus, the precise measure of this capability/efficiency is obtained.Needs/Desires: From the existence of additional human talents, we can infer the continuation of life (existence of other worlds), even if only as a possibility. These abilities are meant for those realms, much like how we infer from observing a fetus in the womb. Since the extent of human ability (efficiency) is infinite, continuing this path implies an infinite journey. This long and infinite path that we hypothesize for humans will bring about needs, and since this path is infinite, undoubtedly, its needs will also be immense.Outputs: The calculative human must trade with their talents/capital and cultivate them to properlymeet their immense needs on the long journey ahead. Naturally, we will seek a buyer who can cultivate our infinite capital.Buyers: We face various buyers such as the “soul,” the “world,” and “people.” However, all of them either have less capital than us, like the world and the soul, or are on the same level as us, like people. Therefore, they cannot be our trading partners because they cannot increase our capital; instead, they diminish it, causing us to lose what we have.At this stage, a question arises: Is there a superior buyer worthy of trading with humans? The “comings and goings of abilities and inabilities” and the “existence of a set of unwanted limitations” in humans indicate that none of these events occur by his will. He is bound by this situation, and there must necessarily be a ruler who orchestrates these comings and goings and limitations. Careful consideration of the concept of “ruler” reveals that a ruler cannot be bound (non-subjugation). From non-subjugation, we can infer the attributes of “self-sufficiency” and “limitlessness.” The ruler’s self-sufficiency also implies “non-composition.” Similarly, the ruler’s limitlessness can guide us to “uniqueness,” “encompassment,” “presence,” “knowledge,” “power,” and so on. Additionally, if we accept the ruler’s self-sufficiency, we can also consider the ruler to be “beneficent” and “merciful.” These combined attributes indicate that the ruler can be the buyer of our capital because none of the deficiencies and shortcomings of previous buyers exist in the ruler.

Method of Trade: 

To trade with the ruler, our actions must have three characteristics: Firstly, they must be for the ruler (intention). Secondly, they must be in the manner and method that the ruler desires (tradition). Thirdly, in cases of conflict between actions (the ruler’s desires), the most important one should be prioritized (importance).To achieve “tradition,” among the possible ways (“instinct,” “revelation and inspiration to each individual,” “sending a book for everyone,” “appointing an intermediary and guide”), only the third way is undeniable. To verify the claimants, we can use five characteristics: “knowledge of what I do not know,” “freedom from attractions,” “kindness towards me (human),” “ability to perform miracles and miraculous deeds,” and “information provided by previous guides.”

This study aimed to present the fundamental teachings of religion using an innovative and novel method. The main structure of the paper was built based on the pillars of trade (input or capital, output, need or desire, buyer) and developed over ten steps. In the first and second steps, preliminaries about the “nature of trade in human life and the factors of human loss in it” were discussed. In the third and fourth steps, under human capital, the “human talents and their greatness and their incompatibility with worldly goals” were highlighted. The fifth and sixth steps were dedicated to the “continuation of human life (the afterlife) and the immense needs it entails.” Steps six to eight, under the pretext of discussing buyers, explained “knowing God and His distinguishing attributes by moving beyond the soul, people, and the world”. In the last two steps, under the method of trading with Him, the “path to reaching Him” and the “divine proofs and ways to identifying them” were discussed.In summary, as previously mentioned, this plan has two advantages compared to many similar plans. First, in choosing the format and language of the discussion, it is Quran-based. Second, the knowledge it conveys is not abstract; rather, it is belief-forming and emotion-evoking, a feature that relates to the tangible and perceptible nature of the concept of “trade” for humans.