فصلنامه فرهنگ رضوی
سال دوم شماره 6 (تابستان 1393)

‘Reason’ is one the unique bounties of Allah (SWT) to the humankind. This bounty is of so high status among human beings that everybody claims that they use it in the best way and consider their own speech and behaviour as reasonable and rational. Nevertheless, humans’ speeches and behaviours are so different and contradictory that cannot be considered as rational at the same time. The main question of this article is whether there are criteria for social rationality in Imam Reza’s teachings based on which one can evaluate Muslims’ social behaviour. Research in semantics, religious resources, etc. on reason and rationality shows 10 criteria for rationality in Imam Reza’s teachings. The criteria, among others, include hoping one’s doing good, being safe from one’s evil, aggrandising other people’s good efforts, not aggrandising one’s own good efforts, not giving up efforts to solve other people’s problems and not giving up scientific efforts. This article concludes that reason and rationality are not only neglected, but also are of high status in Imam Reza’s teachings. Considering the purpose of creation and the necessity of human’s development which should be fulfilled in this world, rationality has a certain definition. According to this definition, there are criteria in an Islamic society that should be applied carefully and without going to any extremes.

Silsilat-uz-Zahab Hadith is quoted from Imam Reza (AS), requested by agreat number of narrators while in Neyshabour on his way to Merv in a forced trip by Ma’moun. Since the chain of narrators in this hadith - from Imam Reza (AS) to the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) - fully consists of infallible Imams, it is known as ‘Al-Musalsal Bi-l-Ashraf’ (narrated by a chain of the noble) among Sunnis. The hadith includes two points: first, it talks about Tawheed (God’s unity) as a MOSTAHKAM castle, which everyone enters will be safe against any divine punishment; second, entering the castle requires a condition that is the position of Wilayah and recognizing the Imamate. This article discusses the importance and truth about Kalimah Tawhidiyyah (La Ilaha Illa Allah) as well as the chain of narrators for the hadith. It also discusses the Kalimah Tawhidiyyah in terms of literary importance. Considering that the narrators in Neyshabour knew who Imam Reza (AS) was, it is worth of asking why Imam Reza (AS) narrated the hadith in a full chain of narrators ending to the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). It is also worth of asking how the ‘condition’ and the ‘conditioned’ can be related. This is the very main question that this article is going to discuss. The article answers the questions in a descriptive, analytical method. The main answer to these questions is that there is no way to understand Tawheed other than through an infallible Imam. Therefore, the reason behind narrating this hadith for those people in Neyshabour is that one should differentiate between an infallible Imam and a caliph or a governor.

Knowing Imam Reza’s theoretical as well as practical logic not only will make us familiar with the Imam’s unique character, but also is necessary to be applied in our individual as well as social areas of life. Among these considerable areas in our social life is being and hosting a guest. Therefore, we are required to know about Imam Reza’s lifestyle and advices in this regard in order to adapt our lifestyle to the Imam’s. This article is to elaborate on some of Imam Reza’s etiquette of being and hosting a guest in order to benefit from his teachings with this regard.

The process of understanding and interpreting the hadiths of infallible Imams (AS) has a close relationship with knowing about intellectual, historical and cultural contexts surrounding the Imam. This article is to introduce the main belief deficiencies as one of the contexts of narrating hadiths on Tawheed (God’s unity) by Imam Reza (AS). Having penetrated to cultural layers of the society and creating challenges in the Age of Imam Reza (AS), these deficiencies had an undeniable influence on the heritage of Imam Reza’s hadiths. Knowing the deficiencies can help us to better understand Imam Reza’s teachings on Tawheed. In order to do this, we derived belief deficiencies of the age in a descriptive, library method. Results of this research show that denying the existence of God and doubting in His existence, Tashbih (likening anything to God), Tajsim (incarnation), etc. are among the main belief deficiencies in the age of Imam Reza (AS).

Is modesty always good or always bad? Where is modesty good and where is it bad? Some imagine that modesty is always good, beautiful and necessary and one should never be immodest! This is a wrong attitude some religious people have. This article discusses the status, meaning and examples of modesty and shamelessness according to Imam Reza’s teachings. The fundamental issue in thisresearch is deducing answers to the above questions from Imam Reza’s hadiths. The research method is descriptive-analytical, using a thorough study in authentic collections of hadiths. Reflecting on Imam Reza’s hadiths shows that the word ‘modesty’ has a very broad usage. Necessity or avoiding modesty depends on its roots, belongings, application and influences. The modesty which is rooted in deep faith in Allah and results in safety form committing sins is sacred and beautiful that one should obtain. However, the modesty which is based on ignorance and results in failure in knowledge and social development and failure in considering divine rights is ugly and condemned that one should avoid.

‘Ayat-ul-Ahkam’ is applied to verses of the Holy Quran upon which, or with the help of other verses, Islamic rulings can be deduced. As one of the main Islamic issues, these verses have been subject to many debates throughout centuries. According to Allah’s saying, the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) is the first ever exegete of the Holy Quran who has a duty to interpret verses of the Quran, including Ayat-ul-Ahkam, for the people. After the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) also made exegesis on Ayat-ul-Ahkam. The great number of hadiths by the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) shows that they had a big concern for explaining Islamic rulings. Furthermore, they had a big concern for the authority of the Quran and the necessity to benefit from its teachings. These two conclude that Ayat-ul-Ahkam has been of high importance in the view of the Ahlul- Bayt (AS). In order to attract the attention of researchers to Imam Reza’s valuable heritage of exegesis, this article tries to discuss parts of this heritage on Ayat-ul-Ahkam in terms of the Quran exegesis not Islamic jurisprudence.