فهرست مطالب ahmad salami

There are two different approaches in perception of spirituality: religious approach and non-religious approach. In Islam, spirituality is always emphasized as the main element in religiousness and religious education. The modern view to spirituality has a trans-religious approach and pursues spirituality regardless of religion. The aim of the current research is to study the philosophical foundations of spirituality from the perspective of Islam.

The current research has studied the philosophical foundations of spirituality in Islamic thinking with a descriptive-analytical method, and has determined the difference between the philosophical foundations of religious and non-religious spirituality with a comparative method.

In Islamic thinking, spirituality pertains to the realm beyond the material world and the origin and end of the world. This religious spirituality refers to both the existential dimensions of human, and also to human relations. On the contrary, the extensiveness of spiritual experience in modern approaches is such that it includes any kind of human connection with "transcendental reality". The non-religious attitude towards spirituality, causes pluralism in spirituality that faces serious epistemological limitations.

In the ontology of spirituality, Islam considers two domains for beings and all creatures in the universe: the heavenly domain and worldly domain; In contrast, the non-religious attitude, which deals with spirituality without an origin and end, lacks firm ontological foundations. In the epistemology of spirituality, Islamic spirituality brings a person to a special kind of knowledge, which is related to the unseen world, and this spirituality can be acknowledgedat the level of the individual and society. In the positivist and radical scientist approach, on the other hand, only empirical and scientific knowledge is valid, and spirituality is not very recognizable. In the axiology of spirituality, the set of spiritual values that divine religions call to man are mainly different from the spiritual values called for in non-religious spirituality.

The spiritual emptiness in the modern era caused a kind of return to spiritual life and communication between different parts of life. "Spiritual health" was proposed as the fourth dimension of health when other dimensions were not considered sufficient in meeting human needs. "Art" can be regarded as one of the most influential factors in restoring spiritual health. Iranian-Islamic art has always produced artworks about spirituality by showing manifestations of the higher world and an image of heaven. It has provided a necessary part of the spiritual health of society. This study aimed to assess the relationship between art and spiritual health.

This research was carried out in a library manner by referring to studies related to art and spiritual health, and a descriptive-analytical method was used.

The results demonstrated that there has always been a two-way relationship between art and spiritual health in Iranian-Islamic culture. Iranian-Islamic art, including literature, architecture, painting, and music, has played a vital role in the progress of spiritual health. This art has invited people to a different aspect of life and provided a platform for sublimation. It has been one of the most influential factors in the progress of spirituality in society. At the same time, it was influenced by religious teachings and the religious life of the artist. Therefore, the effect of art on spiritual health (as well as the effect of spiritual health on art) is considered the most notable result.

Considering the interrelationship between art and spiritual health, art promotes spiritual health as a basic need of societies. Spiritual health is not only limited to the cognitive dimension of a person. Thus in this context, attention to art, which directly affects motivation and strengthening or weakening wills, is essential. Art inspires and mediates between the world of the senses and sensations by using the power of imagination and stimulating emotions. Therefore, it is not possible to achieve good results in improving spiritual health without using the capacity of works of art.

In several verses, the Qur’an introduces itself as muṣaddiq (confirming) previous books, and in one of the verses, in addition to the description of muṣaddiq, it uses the attribute of muhaymin (guardian) to express its relation to previous books, especially the Torah and the Bible. Taṣdīq means confirming the revelation and guidance. Most commentators have considered haymana to mean the domination of the Qur’an and have mentioned one of its meanings or derivatives as explaining distortions. The fundamental question is what the meaning of muhaymin is and how it will be compatible with being muṣaddiq. In this research, using descriptive-analytical method, we have tried to get an accurate understanding of the features and signs of being muhaymin so that we can thereby get a comprehensive picture of the semantic construction of the Qur’an with previous books, especially the Torah and the Bible. Finally, it was concluded that in the verses, while emphasizing the principle of revelation of the Torah and the Bible and testimony to their being revelatory and guiding, the Qur’an is distinguished in the field of elaboration (diversity and profundity) of knowledge and change of minor rules. This meaning has nothing to do with showing verbal distortions and seeks to keep away from spiritual distortions, preserve the originality of religion, and promote it to a broader horizon. The Qur’an’s being muṣaddiq and muhaymin in the notion of interfaith communication is a concept that is considered as somehow denoting the recognition of the Abrahamic religions.

One of the frequently used phrasings in the Qur’an in relation to the preceding Revealed Scriptures is “Torah and Evangel”. The basic question is whether this phrasing concerns the “Holy Scripture” or it refers to the books that existed in the life time of the Prophets Moses and Jesus (A.S.). We recognized two common perspectives about the meaning of these phrasings and their application to the Testaments and tried, by textual (internal evidences of the verses) and contextual (external evidences) studies and free from theological partialities, to approach the intention of the Qur’an. Regardless of whether the Revealed Books historically existed in the time of the Prophets Moses and Jesus (A.S.) or not, the Qur’an’s explanation does not concern proving as such; rather, it refers to the Books common among the People of the Scripture at the time of the Revelation, as they exist today, too.

Nutraceuticals, mostly phytochemicals derived from dietary or medicinal plants such as soya bean, garlic, ginger, tea as well as propolis, honey and others, may have chemopreventive activities, as already suggested by epidemiologic and animal model studies. Their ability to reduce cancer incidence in these studies is likely related to apoptosis.