The Influence of Self-Refinement on Insight, from the Viewpoint of Khājeh Nasīr Ṭūsī & Fakhr Rāzī

This paper is to talk about Khājeh Nasīr Ṭūsī and Fakhr Rāzī's views about the influence of self-refinement on insight. Both agree that developing insight is influenced by self-refinement. Generally, there are two kinds of influences: positive and negative. Negative influence means the things that keep away a person from what deprives him of insight. One of the negative influences, which both are agreed upon, is avoiding sins. Avoiding sins provides an interior illumination that helps to develop insight. Positive influence means something that brings insight or strengthens it. Among positive influences, which both agree about, is the priority of refinement over education, and believing that knowledge is a light. Regarding positive influences, Khājeh Nasīr considers observing etiquette of insight as positive influence preparatory, but Fakhr Rāzī believes in visiting graves as a preliminary to gain insight; however, their different opinions are related to the preliminary issues for develop insight.