Religious Science from the Perspective of Martyr Professor Motahhari

This research studies the essence of religious science and its method on the basis of anthropology and 'fitrah' (the origin of cognition and tendencies) concerning three main questions. Martyr Motahhari believes experimental science, as one of the categories of knowledge, has vertical relation with other kinds of cognition; and a reliable experimental method discovers the reality, contains beneficial results, fulfills the personal and social needs of the Islamic society aimed by Islam, and is considered religious science and has religious authenticity. Religious science identifies the natural tendencies of human on the basis of justice (nothing more or less than the natural right) and respects each part to guide the individual and the society to perfection. Religious science is based on the selected transcendental and conscious tendencies and is sacred; it neither leads to opposition to religion nor escaping religion. The latter characteristic of religious science is descriptive or prescriptive because it exploits all the authentic cognitive sources including 'fitrah' (effective in theory and practice and also in the evaluation of cognition), heart, and especially the different degrees of narration and reason which are together (always consistent and complementary) in all the different phases of the formation of religious science. The goal of religious science is to help the individual to achieve the highest degree of perfection and their closest proximity to Allah; and to help the society to achieve the Divine characteristics. Its advantage is to provide the opportunity for the individual and the society's best guidance and management. The mission of religious humanities and social sciences is to show people the path and prescribe the techniques for the approximation to the absolute perfection. Instead of reducing human to his/her body and the natural world, religious science identifies 'fitrah' and the internal talents of human and the society and develops them. The method of this research is analytic.