Essential and Accidental Elements in Religion and Religiosity from AllamehTabatabaie's Viewpoint

The study of essential and accidental elements in religion is known an important discussion in philosophy of religion and modern theology entailing lots of consequences and results. From the statement of this problem، there have always been pros and cons on this issue explicating different aspects of it. The paper deals with feasibility of division of religion and religiosity to essential and accidental elements from Allameh Tabatabaie’s viewpoint. He confirms the essential and accidental existence on the one hand، and on the other hand، he rejects it. Proposing definitions of “religion” and “essential and accidental elements”، he believes that religion has essentials and accidentals: religion’s essentials demand submission to God، and its accidentals include instructions and religious teachings through which submission is occurred.