پژوهشنامه حکمت و فلسفه اسلامی
سال هشتم شماره 29 (پاییز 1388)

The argument about confines of Tawaf has always been an area of interest for Shiite and Sunni jurists. Jurists of Holy Prophet's Family are of the various ideas. Following the investigation of proofs of Tawaf confinements in this article, the permission of Tawaf beyond Station of Abraham has been proved. Sunni jurists consider all the Sacred Mosque as Tawaf confinement and do not restrict it to the distance between Kaba and Station of Abraham. This article has posed the views of various judicial schools of people of Sunna and investigated them.

The criterion to make distinction between lawful and unlawful animals refers to religious teachings. Scaly fish of sea animals is considered to be lawful by majority of Shiite scholars, whereas there is disagreement over moray and some special kind of fish. However Hanafite jurists among Sunni scholars, are of the view that every kind of fish is lawful, while the view other Sunni scholars hold is that all sea animals are lawful even not slaughtered in conformity with Islamic rules. All Muslims unanimously consent that the meat of wild four-legged animals is lawful, and Imamieh scholars state that the meat of horse, mule, and donkey is also lawful. Shafiites, Hanbalites, and Malekites have issued their judicial opinion regarding lawfulness of horse meat, (whether pure-bred or no) while Hanafites have pronounced it disapproved. Shafiites and Hanbalites are of the opinion that donkey meat is unlawful, whereas mule meat depends on the inferior mate (male or female) from which it is born.The meat of predators is considered to be unlawful by Imamieh, Hanbanafites, Hanafites and Shafiites, however Abou Yousef and Mohammad, among Hanbalites, have declared lawfulness of fox and hyena meat.

Mohsen is the youngest son of Ali (AS) and Fatima (S) who has passed away in infancy, according to Shiite and Sunni sources. Shiite and Sunni sources do not present matching news about the time and the way of his birth and departure. This article tends to narrate and comment on the reports from people of Sunna as well as evidences regarding his birth and departure in the era of Holy Prophet (God bless him and his household). Furthermore Shiite narrations in this regard have been investigated and some of them have been criticized.

During The Buwayhid reign, Baghdad witnessed convergence and divergence of various groups and sects. Meanwhile, Twelvers, taking advantage of The Buwayhid authority and enjoying their company, on one side and Hanbalites, possessing the Abbasids caliphate, on the other side, had taken up their positions on two opposite poles. The most fundamental disagreement between Twelvers and Hanbalites has been in theological beliefs. This argument also served as a reason for oppositions in political beliefs between them. Of the most significant intellectual and theological argumentations between them, Divine Unity, Holy Quran, Sunna, Holy Prophet's stance, Imam and Imamate's stance, enjoining right conduct and forbidding the evil, and also the absolutely essential topic of the Companion's stance can be outlined.The arguments regarding Divine Unity, Holy Quran and Sunna from the view point of these two sects have been investigated in this article, furthermore the similarities between their points of view have been illustrated aiming to clarify the areas of their conformity and dispute in intellectual and theological beliefs. In the talk about their approaches, other issues pertaining to their performance and behavior have also been discussed. That is because majority of the issues regarding convergence and divergence among sects relies on studying the behavior of the followers of the sects in conformity with their beliefs.

Following the emergence of schools of thought among Muslims, various interpretations regarding beliefs, and Imamate in particular, have been presented, which can be classified in a number of major categories including philosophical, mystical, theological, and traditional. Moreover, some of the views have enjoyed two or more systems and made up their ideas. Combinations of theological and philosophical, mystical and traditional, or mystical and philosophical have played a vital role in the emergence of various dimensions of Imamate, to name a few. Spreading theoretical mysticism through Shiism, Seyed Heidar Ameli has applied it to interpret Imamate and made effort to illustrate it in conformity with mystical foundations and to repudiate and interpretation in contrast with Shia principles, some thing we can see in the discussion pertaining to seal of Wilayate. Historically Wilayate in mysticism, taken from Shiite Imamate and mystical interpretation of Imamate, owes theoretical mysticism. New and specific approach of this article initiates a fundamental reform in taking advantage of various conceptual systems to illustrate and analyze the issue more accurately; as numerous traditions have been granted a more exact meaning in this system

Messiah (AS) is one of the divine prophets who was responsible to guide Children of Israel. However various interpretations pertaining to his personality and life were presented, following his Ascension. This article aims to investigate dimensions of Messiah's personality and life in a comparative style, applying the four Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke, John) and Paul's letters of the New Testament which are valid among Christians as well as traditions of Holy Prophet's Household (peace be upon them).

This article discusses the thoughts of Hassan ebn-e Farhan Maleki - contemporary researcher of the Predecessors – regarding definition of the "Companion". He is of the view that there is no reason in Holy Quran and the correct Sunna to prove that every Muslim who has seen the Holy Prophet can be entitled "Companion". Praises about the Companions in holy Quran and tradition only encompass particular Companions, those who became Muslims prior to Hodaibieh conquest. While those who accepted Islam following Hodaibieh are included among "Common Companions", or in other words "Successors". In his view, Islamic sects wont succeed to eliminate sectarian animosities and conflicts unless they all refer to Holy Quran and correct Sunna and avoid blind prejudices and imitations and furthermore revise and amend the exaggerations in their beliefs and views.