محمدجواد ذریه

A noteworthy event during the era of the Safavid Dynasty, is the tension between the false Sufis and the Shiite scholars, including the Muslim philosophers and hadith narrators. Through the descriptive-analytical method, the present paper examines the part played by Mulla Sadra and Allameh Majlesi, as the representative of two ideologies, in standing against the deviations made by the false Sufis. According to the findings of the research, it can be said that Mulla Sadra, as a philosopher and Arif, introducing the pure Irfan through correction of the Irfani concept, providing the heavenly knowledge on the one hand, and assuming the real leadership for the guidance of the people in the society on the other hand, along with Allameh Majlesi, who, as a Faqih (jurisprudent) and hadith narrator, criticising the false Sufis’ deviation from the Sharia and remiss activities, with other Faqihs and scholars of his time, wrote some hadith collections in the fluent and simple Arabic and Persian, provided some explanation on the original and ancient religious texts and also provided some rejection letters on the said groups activities and beliefs, both attempted to promote the real Sharia and truly render the religious concepts for standing against the said Sufis ideological deviations.

Given the systematic nature of his philosophy, Mulla Sadra has categorized his semantic study of practical reason and theoretical reason under the theme of philosophical psychology. Following a descriptive-analytic approach, this paper explains his views in the field of semantics of practical and theoretical types of reason and explores their epistemological realms. Mulla Sadra believes that reason is one of the faculties of the rational soul and refers to two theoretical and practical faculties in order to clarify its functions. He maintains that, in spite of their different functions, these two faculties are, in a way, concomitant with each other. Given its role in the perception of universals, theoretical reason provides the basic concepts for morality and ethics, and practical reason perceives particular practical affairs through such basic concepts. By considering theoretical reason as the perceiver of universal concepts, Mulla Sadra introduces it as the origin of the development of two theoretical and practical types of wisdom. Regarding practical reason, neither, like some philosophers, does he consider it to be a purely practical faculty, nor, like some others, does he equate it with theoretical reason in terms of status. Rather, he believes that practical reason is capable of a kind of particular perception along with inference.

One of the necessities and aspirations of humanity in the present time is the understanding among the different religions and denominations so that the thinkers on dialogue among religions adopt different methods for dealing with this issue. The Dialectic Method of “division theology” attempts to build a bridge of similarities over the gap between religious traditions while adhering to one’ own religious traditions, which leads to an understanding of the other and creating a certain kind of life with social action, that is, if different religions and denominations want to reach a mutual understanding in addition to adhering to one’s own beliefs, it is necessary that, focus would be on the similar points and social issues and they engage in dialogue focusing on key such issues as human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of belief or on issues such as war, violence, and role of religions and denominations in setting international disputes. Islam seriously considers this issue under the title of inherent human dignity and the natural human rights. Accordingly the religious commonalities between the two sides can lead to a understanding and contribute to healing the divisions among religions and denominations. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this research attempts to give an account of the new dialectical method of "division theology" based on social action citing evidence convincing from Islamic teachings to introduce a new methodology for entering into a dialogue among religious traditions.

The two main factors which affected the creation and development of Feminist theology are the approach of the Holy Book and the function of the Church. Feminist theology is a powerful and a full-motivated movement which aims to revise all kinds of "Holy texts" and started this duty based on the sources of the Holy Book; in other words the Holy book, which is the theoretical backup of the present condition of women, is hermeneutically interpreted. The first steps to the Biblical studies for this purpose was taken by the publication of Women's Bible. The feminist interpretation of the Bible is cautiously based on the oppression women experienced and moves toward different readings and responses to interpret the Holy bible once again. In this research, using a descriptive-analytic method, we have investigated and criticized the changes of Biblical studies, and the effective factors in the formation of feminist theology, and will notice some parts of the Holy text which may be hermeneutically interpreted for the feminist theology.

Nowadays, the realization of global peace is considered as the main concern of many scholars. Paying attention to the common ethical principles is like epistemological strategic discourses in the field of global peace. The common ethical principles are at least some of the ethical principles of universality and stability and baseing on those principles making the cornerstone of lasting peace. Kung, a contemporary theologian, with the idea of "global ethics" in the corner of the nature and God-centrism is trying to achieve a minimum level of common human values and ethics ensuring the world's peace. Tabatabaei also believes that consistency of society, without ethical regulations, and enforcements of the law by faith in God, is not possible. In this study, based on Analytical method after explaining the Muslim world and the Christian theologian views, Allameh Tabatabaei and Hans Kung, with comparative intentional consensus to defining positions of these two issues discussed.

The role and interference of the author’s prejudgment, expectations and subjectivity when interpreting text are among the constituents of the philosophical hermeneutic. Proposing his particular theory on “the category of understanding” in the twentieth century, Gadamer sought to explain philosophical hermeneutics. He believes that no understanding occurs without prejudgment. The interpreters’ expectations, interests, and prejudgments are always involved in this process. Therefore, in his view, there is not an ultimate meaning to be achieved. Diversity and plurality of understanding (meaning) is the phenomenon that should be taken into account and there is not an ultimate and superior understanding. As an outstanding Muslim philosopher and interpreter, Allamah Tabatabai, though has not explicitly commented on the amount of prejudgment and prior knowledge in interpretation, has considered a kind of prior knowledge and presupposition (such as rational and Quranic presuppositions) which is necessary in interpretation and he has applied them. The paper aims at studying Gadamer and Allamah Tabatabai’s ideas about the amount of partiality interference in text interpretation and also attempting to explain the relationship and proximity between these two viewpoints regarding the usage of prior knowledge.

One of the main factors regarded in the definition of the meaningfulness of life among the presented definitions, is being purposeful. Being unaware of this purpose and consequently lack of a schedule to reach to this purpose has made some human pessimist and has made them feel absurd. Among Islamic thinkers, Molla-Sadra who has grown in the school of Islam, has presented a system in which the relation between human and the origin and the world is well explained. Inspired from religious teachings, there is a kind of connection, in the transcendental theosophy, between human, God and the existence in which the main factor which creates this connection is that God is the final purpose and destination. A correct understanding of this meaningful relation and putting a great effort in this regard, is the key of meaningfulness of human's life in Sadra's thought. The founder of the school of existentialism, S. Kierkegaard (1855- 1813), is also one of the Christian thinkers who seek for a noble destination and purpose for life inside Christianity. Having a critical approach to the present Christianity and criticizing the method of rationality in the field of religion, he tries to achieve a meaningful life; this is because he believes religion is superior compared with reason and human may achieve a noble and meaningful life only when he realizes his special 'existence' through an inward course. He believes option is inevitable for human because he is in authority and is a free creature. Therefore he elaborates the different steps of life to introduce a noble and meaningful life. Kierkegaard believes a meaningful life is equivalent with a religious and faithful life and considers achieving enthusiastic faith of God as the main condition of a meaningful life. In this article I have tried to present a comparative study of the perspectives of the two Muslim and Christian thinkers regarding human and meaningfulness of his life.