نشریه حکمت سینوی
پیاپی 32-33 (بهار و تابستان 1385)

Good question is half of knowledge. It is necessary for human mind to move along the way of subject-centered path. In fact philosophy means to conceive, thinking, contemplating, looking at things discovering, understanding, having questions and asking the right questions.Therefore, one of the primary conditions for the field of science and philosophy is seeking for truth and asking questions about oneself and others.Just as the kind of thinking, viewpoint and reflections of human beings are different from each others, so the kind of questions they ask are different. The reason for this widespread differences is that the philosophies are not of the same nature and are of different orders. Sometimes philosophical outlook is penetrating, sometimes it is superficial and without depth.Again, the kind of questions are sometimes deep, sometimes superficial and sometimes for amusement and teasing others.Therefore, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has taught us: O man ask questions about where you have come from? Why you have come to this world? And where are you going after this life? On one occasion a person came to him and asked a complex question. Imam told him: Ask so that you understand, do not ask to trouble others.

Derivative perceptions as a particular kind of conceptions are generated in an un conscious and involuntary way in order to satisfy the natural and social needs of human beings (and animals). In fact, these concepts and perceptions have an instrumental role and are useful for practical purposes and man needs them in his personal and social life.Familiarity with this kind of perceptions and differentiating them from real perceptions is of utmost importance since they save us from many misgivings in epistemology, in cluding the problem of urelatirity of knowledge” and unstability of rational principles. Also, knowing that the human sciences are divided into real and derivative will prevent us from thinking that human knowledge is solely obtainable in a natural and involuntary way. Indeed, the reason why some people have thought that human knowledge is obtained involuntarily and is subject to internal and external motives, is the existence of these kind of derivative and practical concepts among human perception.

Access to the Knowledge of God, from Ghazzali’s viewpoint, is possible from two ways: the way of “teaching” and the way of “discipleship” (mystical journey). The first way is suitable for an intelligent youngman who has access to a scholar and an independent person, but the way of “mystical Journey” is suitable for those people who by spiritual struggle, worship, cutting of worldy bonds and the aid of divine mercy become aware of heavenly realities. From his point of view dogmatic affirmation and purity of heart from any doubt in faith is necessary for all people. But those people who believe in God imitatively and possess some intelligence, if they become doubtful about their religious convictions or by hearing dubious matter their hearts become affected (in particular in a period where the heretics by inculating doubts are trying to deceive the believers in God) some people - as a sufficient necessity - must become well-versed in kalam and as a necessary precaution to teach them the argument which are common in kalam.However, Ghazzali thinks that the role of mutakalim is to protect and defend people’s religious convictions against heresies, without believeing that his knowledge and faith should be valued more than deserves it.On the other hand, common people and the individuals who have no necessary ability and intelligence to understand reality and are involved in a profession should not engage themselves in theological debates. Ghazzali believes that this group should be invited to God by preaching and they are to be warned against controversial problems about religious matters. Ghazzali considers the faith acquired from theological arguments weak and instead regards the faith of those people deep who either in childhood through auditory and successive teachings of faith have been established or have experiented faith after puberty and by the aid of worship and invocation have completed it and the lights of the knowledge of God have enlightened their hearts.In the present article different views of Gazzali about the science of kalam will be considered in detail.

Human being, as the greatest sign of God and his successor goes through his spiritual development from pure potentiality to the stage of complete abstraction in a substantial movement and progressively by removing determinations and worldly bonds attains the unity. On the basis of Sadrian principles all the attributes and effects of creatures derive from being and all creatures according their degree of existence partake of perfections. In the meantime, every human being depending on his existential capacity is the manifestation of some of God’s attributes and has own virtues and perfections and can by complementing his two theoretical and practical faculty continues the course of his progression towards God until he attains to the station of annihilation (fana).Perfect Man by his two wings of knowledge and total servitude goes through this course to the end and actualizes in himself all Devine names and become object of their manifestation In the school of Sadr - al - Mutaalehin man in his mystical journey goes through four successive stages toward perfection. In the first journey by removing all the veils (hejabs) between himself and Devine essence he attains to the station of annihilation and in the second journey accompanied by Devine essence he attains perfections from the station of essence and he attains annihilation by way of essence, attributes and actions. The mystic in the third journey attains of the station of sainthood and by God’s permission he receives the power of intervention in universe and makes people conscious of what brings about their happiness and wretchedness. In his final journey the mystic with his truly devine being observes the creations and sees God’s beauty in everything and speaks with people about God and His names and attributes as well as true knowledge according to their capacity.In this spiritual journey the Perfect Man after going through all stages attains to the sacred essence of God with all His names and attributes.

The equation of existence with subsistence is one of the most primary problems in islamic philosophy which most muslim thinkers have raised questions about it and provided answers to give answer to a group of islamic mutakalimun, who unlike philosophers do not believe in the equation of existence with subsistence and on the contrary regard subsistence more general than existence. This group of mutakalimun because of their different religious motives have raised such a discussion. Among these motives we can point to their explanation of divine knowledge of things before creation of them.