پژوهشنامه عرفان
سال یکم شماره 2 (بهار و تابستان 1389)

The discourse of ethics is divided into two parts: theoretical ethics and applied ethics. Theoretical ethics and its related issues are discussed in ethics and philosophy of ethics; the analysis of perceptional principles of ethics are discussed in philosophy of ethics and the nature of good and bad behavior and its causes and consequences are discussed in ethics. A mysticism inspired by religious and Islamic teachings is also divided into two branches: theoretical and practical. The doctrines of theoretical mysticism deal with analysis of perceptional principles، while practical mysticism deal with doctrines that are related to the field of ethics and practical behavior. Applied ethics and practical mysticism،regardless of their different theoretical discursive analysis in the field of practice and behavior، enjoy certain commonalities and affinities. The present paper is an attempt to illustrate different aspects of applied ethics in Islamic teachings and also to explain the connections between doctrines of practical ethics and practical mystical doctrines based on Shaia.

The issue of primordial and consequently the issue of theology and natural God-worshiping is a longstanding issue in religious studies. In this regard، in the Islamic tradition، one may refer to Allama Majlesi and Ayatollah Motahari and in Christian tradition to Calvin and Plantinga. Ibn Arabi is a renowned theoretician in this field. In hisanswers to Tarmazi، he writes in detail on nature and man's primordial nature in his book Fotuhat Makiyeh. In his viewpoint، ontologically، man's primordial nature can be studied from four perspectives. On the basis of the Quranic versus on primordial nature as well as a tradition handed down from the holy Prophet of Islam، he concludes that manenjoys a natural theology and God-worshiping disposition. As a result he offers a number of creedal and jurisprudential decrees. One of them is that the children of infidels on the basis of their primordial nature remain Muslims and hence are not punished. His analysis ofprimordial nature is mystical and is compatible with his mystical system.

Despite the fact that Islamic gnosticism and Hindu gnosticism stem from two different schools of thought، since gnosticism، regardless of its affiliation to specific school of thought or territory، has its roots in man s truth-seeking inner being and given that all gnostics seek a single truth، these two gnostic schools of thought، which areapparently alien to each other، enjoy many commonalities in their cosmology. However، it should be borne in mind that the principles of Islamic gnosticism are more original، firm and integrated due to being based on divine revelation.

By a cursory look at the history of development of the idea of Wilaya in general and the idea of seal of Wilaya in particular one can conclude that Hakim Tarmazi by writing his book entitled، Khatm-ul- Awlia، changed the discourse of sidq to the discourse of sidiqiat/wilaya. In other words، we witness a transition from the discourse of sidq to the discourse of wilaya. Thus the concept of sidq which had a pivotal role in the school of mysticism، gave its place to the concept of wilaya. This development paved the way for the evolution of the idea of seal of wilaya in Tarmazi s writings. However، the idea of sidiqiat gradually lost its centrality in the viewpoint of Ibn Arabi in his book Angha Maghrib fi Ma rifat Khatm-ul-Awlia wa Shams-ul-Maghrib and in his other books، Futuhat Makkiya and Fosus al-Hikam the discourse of wilaya became dominant. Hence we may conclude that in the historical development of this current، Ibn Arabi is a turning point with whom the discourse of sidiqiat/wilaya was transformed to the discourse of wilaya.

One of the important issues that has drawn the attention of the scholars in studying mystical works is the existence of some of the logical contradictions and emphasis on some phrases which are not apparently compatible with logical principles and consequently with religious criteria. Regardless of the language in which they areexpressed، these allusions enjoy one common characterizes، that is، they disturb the discipline based on canonical measures at the individual and social levels. What can be useful in this regard is to understand the nature of these phrases and allusions as well as the experience from which they stem. However this will not leave any impact on its result، for the ruling systems have always been the main target of those who utter Shath. Also the excommunication sword of the religious leaders has always endangered the lives of those who utter shath. At a certain stage of time when Hallaj said "I am theTruth"، he had to pay dearly for it and at another time Galilee had to pay costly for announcing a natural law. Attempts have been made in the present paper to review some of the inner layers of the foundations of this forbidden section of Islamicmysticism and its reflection in viewpoints of Imam Khomeini.

The precedence of divine knowledge to the objective being of possibilities is among the issues agreed upon by all divine ontologists. However، the differences in their intellectual principles and interpretations of scientific and objective beings have led to theirdifferent analysis of the way of this precedence. In Aristotelian approach، the causal chain of beings، which finally culminate in God the Almighty، constitutes the objective beings. The Praiseworthy God، who is the root-cause of this causal system، through His knowledge is knower of all possibilities. This knowledge is acquisitive، which isgeneral and simple and is among the requirements of His Sublime Being and regarding the causal precedence is prior to all possible effects. On the basis of transcendental philosophy in which being is the only original objective issue، the objective being includes a chain of possible beings which finally leads to the Almighty as the only essentially independent objective being. But the knowledge of the Truth which causes the issuance of the possibilities is not in the form of conceptual forms but is the knowledge of Truth of its simple essence، which، regarding all existential perfections، while being simple is the very comprehensive discovery. But in mystical viewpoint، the true and objective being is confined to the quiddity of the Almighty and all possibilities are a manifestation of His statuses. The present paper is an attempt to study the precedence of scientificbeing to objective being in Aristotelian philosophy and transcendental philosophy and mystical principles.

Criticism of theoretical reason in the history of Islamic mysticism and in the schools of thought of Khorasani and Ibn Arabi are reflected in two different ways. In Khorasani mysticism emphasis has been laid on its incapability to accompany love in the course of wayfaring. This approach is mainly based on incapability of reason to encouragepractice and involvement in the realm of practical mysticism. In theoretical mysticism emphasis is laid on incapability of reason in the field of understanding and attention to the limitations of theoretical reason in understanding the truths. There are arenas of the truthbeyond the understanding of reason which should be understood through other ways related to those truths. Sadruddin Qunavi، a renowned figure in the field of theoretical mysticism، through relying on arguments based on philosophy and mysticism has tried to prove the incapability of theoretical reason. His arguments have been collected by Hamzeh Fanari. Attempts have been made in the present paper to review and assess the said arguments to find out their capability for proving this hypothesis.