فصلنامه قبسات
پیاپی 78 (زمستان 1394)

Art is the second version of creation and the third version of being because it is the recreation of realities, thus, has the same origin as creation. For this reason human's nature is essentially familiar with art and also religion and art are homogenous and have many relations. The subject of this article is the definitions of religion and art, the division of art into substantive and formal, and explaining the relation of the two.

An important and key point in scientific discussions is the ramification or division of sciences; this ramification was first started by the division of science into theoretical and practical sciences and found more extensive divisions by the development and change of meaning and science. The world of arts had its portion of division and composition as well. Like other sciences, this division was first started by Aristotle because beside theory and practice, he was the first to consider a third aspect for human: the aspect of innovation. Aristotle's poetics or De Poetica was a result of this division. To present a configuration of the theoretical discussions, three fields should be distinguished: the discussions about the philosophy of arts and aesthetics; the field of understanding and criticizing artworks; and the field of history of art and the philosophy of the history of art.

Art is one of the important events of human's life and should be systematically deduced [from the Islamic tradition]. The subject of art may be investigated in jurisprudence [the Islamic law] in two ways: with a general view and disregarding art works, or focusing on special cases.
It is important, in the general view, to deduce the first and main principle [of Islam] in this regard. According to religious texts, art is recommended [but not necessary]. An investigation of the art work cases forbidden or disliked in jurisprudence it becomes clear that the problem arises from a title other than art itself; and this title sometimes coincides with art and sometimes does not [and in the cases which does not coincide there is no dislike or forbidding.

Among the ancient theories about aesthetics, the most classified theory is seen in Plato's works. He believes beauty and art are the basis of education. He looks for the real origin of art in this subject, i.e. what all beauties benefit from it. He believes it is difficult to explain the essence of beauty; and if this is done, it will be easy to understand the beauty of human creatures. Analyzing and explaining the reality of beauty, he does not believe it is conformity or harmony, correspondence with the culture of Greece, beneficial or pleasure, rather he believes beauty is an extrasensory and real matter which is the end of the mystical path and all beauties. This eternal beauty is absolute and by-itself and is the idea and origin of beauty, belonging to the world of ideas [or world of symbols]; and depending on how much beautiful things have a share of it, they are beautiful. He also considers love in analyzing beauty; and he believes art is an imitation of imitation.

Methodology in Islamic sciences, including Islamic arts, is inevitable; and makes it possible to judge about the essence of Islamic arts and ask some theoretical questions about it. The scholars of this field have considered different methods and each have a special perspective in this subject; and their various methods has ended up with different conclusions which has ended up with some disagreements and contradictions between the judgments about the essence of Islamic art. Phenomenology and historicism are two of these methods in Islamic arts considered by scholars. One of the important ways to understand Islamic arts is phenomenology which is affected by Husserl's philosophy and is used by Orientalist religion and art researchers. Phenomenology and historicism are affected by two philosophical courses, which is Husserl's phenomenology and Hegel's philosophy of history respectively. Each method indicates a special aspect of Islamic art and has some advantages and disadvantages with respect to the other. Investigating the possibility of understanding Islamic arts from the two perspectives, this article shows the application, importance and advantage of phenomenology with respect to historicism.

Art is less considered by Islamic tradition except the cases it is mentioned in jurisprudential tradition. There is no discussion of the essence and definition of art in philosophy. Philosophy of art, as is discussed in the West's philosophy especially after the eighteenth century, is not discussed in Muslim's philosophical, mystical and theosophical books at all. Art is mentioned only in a few cases in mystical books following the discussions of 'fotovvat nameh' [generosity] and light. Yet beauty is elaborately discussed in these books. Following the discussion of existence, most mystics have mentioned the discussion of beauty. After discussing the beauty of God, some mystics have discussed sensuous beauty and have described expressions such as beauty, prettiness, goodness, cuteness, ….
Therefore beauty and art should be investigated in Islamic tradition with a different and new method, without considering West's philosophy as a measure for Islamic philosophy. Non-sensual aesthetics is seen in Islamic tradition and it is not correct to impose the texts of the West on the texts of Islamic tradition to find the Islamic philosophy of art. It is not helpful to find common words between the two to find a philosophical system according to the West's philosophy for an art developed in the context of Islamic culture and civilization.

"Beauty" is one of the world's facts concealed in human's nature from his/her birth. West philosophers have had some reflections on 'beauty' from ancient times till today but Islamic philosophers mostly have not discussed beauty independently. Yet 'beauty' can be explained and analyzed according to the teachings of Islamic theosophy. Research on the subject of 'beauty' is certainly an important step toward production and establishment of Islamic art science. This article tries to analyze 'beauty' according to Islamic theosophy especially the teachings of 'the transcendental wisdom'.

Language and speech are the main parameters of creation and innovation. Language here is not the social structure considered by linguistics; rather it is what the world is based on, and is beyond syntax and inflection [words and grammar]. Thus considering language as the background of creation and innovation, the universe - as the "verbal act" of God - became worth appearance and coming into existence. According to this definition of language, there is a relation between the essence of language and existence; and [in fact] existence becomes discovered and extended because of language.
Imagination, which is the essence of innovation, has a state similar to dream – while it is not materialized – and depends on the Name "Al-Baten" of God [The Hidden]; and when it comes into external existence it becomes an art work. In fact, imagination is a kind of existence which becomes an object in thought with the mediation of language. Imagination has its special degrees and behavior; the different degrees of this imaginary behavior, guarantee the formation of different kinds of art. This article has an epistemological approach to the subject of the Divine speech, creation in the ground of language, imagination and its different kinds and its position in the creation of universe and its relation with artistic-literary innovations.