MAQALAT WA BARRASIHA
Year:2003 | Volume:36 | Issue:73(2)|Papers Count:6

Wahhabism, a relatively new sect founded in the birthplace of Islam, is getting greater int1uence in other Islamic countries because of the strong political and economical support it gets. Considering that its followers think to be the only ones to know the truth and consider other Muslims as heretics, polytheist and out of the domain of Islam, the importance of a careful study of the principles of this branch of Islam is unquestionable. This article gives first a short biography of the founder of this sect, Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab. Then, by referring as far as it can, to sayings and works of Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab, it discusses his opinions about unity of God (towl;dd) , recourse to God (tavassul), intercession (Siftia), innovation (bida) and accusation of heresy against other Muslims (takflr) . The validity of theses opinions is afterwards investigated.

The methodology of the specialist of religions, Mircea Eliade, has been bitterly criticized by other researchers in the same field. Some blame him for neglecting historical methods, others for being bound to theological approach. Therefore, his views as a specialist of religions are not given much credibility. and his books as a whole are considered as non - critical. Nonetheless, an analysis of his works shows that his approach. which enables us to understand the very essence of religion and of religious experiences. originates in a descripto - experimental and phenomenological process. According to Eliade, religion is a suitable answer of man confronted with the "sacred"; and this answer will be obtained through an experimental process and the course of the life of the man who practices his religion.

"The meaning of life is our most urgent problem" (Albert Camus). Humans need to know the reason why they are living in this world. If not, they dont know in which direction they should use their strength and how to spend their lifetime. Ail comes down to this question: where can we find the purpose of our life? Do we have to search it in the midst of the creation itself, or in the religious books? Can this purpose be given any objective features, or, on the contrary, is it something totally subjective that everyone should define in its own way for its own life?

Opposition to philosophical thought and to rationalism in general has deep roots in Islamic culture. This opposition has existed more or less during the different historical periods, but it never vanished. One of its most brilliant manifestation is the school of "tajkik" (literally: division, separation), a name given by Mohammad Reza Hakimi and related to the students of the late MTrza Mahdl Esfahanl. This article is a brief analysis of the credo of this school.

Avicenna has been the first in the history of logic to discuss in detail the quality and the quantity of the conjunctive - conditional predicate (gozare- ha - ye sartT -e mottasele). He presented in simple terms the general and particular problems posed by this kind of sentence, as well as the condition of affirmation or negation. Although this analysis enabled him to precise numerous points, he didnt give a final formal system on this subject, mainly because he mixed the common and acceptable logic of the conditional predicates, which lead to a number of contradictions. Avicenna is considered as the founder of conjuctive - conditional syllogism. Apparently. he intended to compare conditional predicates with categorical ones, and basing himself on their similarity, he used the same kind of logic for both.