An Examination of the Role of Knowledge in the Reality of Faith from the point of the Traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (a)

In Islamic thought, from the very onset of theological discussions, the reality of faith was given careful consideration. From amongst the various factors that are influential in the reality of faith, knowledge has been emphasized more than any other. It has not been objected to as much as the other factors that play a role in the formation of faith. In this research article, an attempt has been made to discover and analyze the reality of faith from the point of the traditions of the Infallibles (a) that are one of the original sources of Islamic knowledge. What is more, the methodology of ‘ijtihad’ that is the method suitable to the extraction of Islamic teachings from religious texts. Based upon the examination that has been conducted, it is possible to say that the knowledge that is influential in the existence of faith can be divided into two categories. One is a condition for faith and paves the way for its genesis. Naturally, such knowledge falls outside of the reality of faith. However, it is necessary for it. The other type of knowledge is found within faith and this is the knowledge of the hearth. In this paper, an attempt has been made to show how the word ‘marifat’ (knowledge) has been used in these two manners in the traditions.