Islamic Theology and Religious Studies
Year:2013 | Volume:8 | Issue:31|Papers Count:10

One of the most considerable proofs of theologians on temporal appearance of universe is that established on the appearance of the four levels of being. The completeness of this proof, however, can be agreed with when the proof of the limitedness of successive events in the past be accepted. Khajeh-e Tusi, relying on the proof of correspondence, has intended to prove the claim of limitedness of the past successive events and, following it, to prove temporary appearance of body. This paper has showed the failure of the proof even in Khajeh's explanation of it in proving the limitedness of body.

Paulo Coelho, intensely being affected by Marx and Engels' works and accepting a kind of disbelief and paganism, fundamentally changed Marxist beliefs. His following of Marx has been to such an extent that a considerable part of his thoughts, specially, those of belief and religion, can be known as derivations from Marx. His view on belief is self-contradicted, in some cases he seems as a supporter of belief while in others as an opponent. Again, on one hand, the case for belief is not clear for him and, on the other hand, he seems of little attention to belief. In addition, his thought and works stand directly opposite to religion. In many cases, he has known religion as something meaningless. In this paper, Coelho's view on belief and religion has been criticized.

In transcendent philosophy the teaching of the Hereafter along with Divinity has been known as the foundation of religion. Sadr al-Mutallehin, establishing the immateriality of imagination, prepared a philosophical foundation for those religious teachings pertaining to Hereafter pleasures and pains. Imaginary power of human soul has been considered by him as an important power living after death with soul. This power, in the shadow of substantial perfection, became of such an ability that can create various forms in resurrection. These forms neither are purely intellectual nor semi-intellectual. They are just the same forms that human souls meet in worldly life. The forms such as Hereafter promised wives, palaces, ginger, scorpion and other accessories of that life appear without any corporeal base. Human soul meets them there with its special nonmaterial body and senses.

The scholars of charity is a phrase used by some Imam's companions for characterising Imams' place. Relying on the usage of the phrase by some, some have viewed that those using the phrase have not agreed with such Imams' properties as purity and infallible science. Studying the sreams of thought of Imams' companions on Imam's science and relevant concepts, one concludes that some used the word scientist in a meaning other than that by other, to describe the difference of Imam and Prophet's ways of connection to angles. For the former, Imam is in connection with angles but not in the same way as Prophet. Imam does not see angles at all, sometimes angles, however, speak with him. In this way, the phrase the pious people of charity in Imimi's traditions can be regarded as a reference to a position equivalent to infallibility.

There can be found some words in the common language of people in daily life with different degrees of validity. When considering them logically, one can not evaluate them based on two valued logic. Fuzzy words and terms, being of many orders with regard to the standard of comparison, are of various cases of usage. On this basis, holy verses of Quran, including different fields of religious beliefs, social, economic, military, political, administrative, ethical and cultural problems, presents a special logic knowing it would lead man to attain true principles of thought. This paper intends to study some cases for using fuzzy logic in Quranic verses. Then, using fuzzy principles for making models of fuzzy systems, it has introduced some cases for them in the field of religious sciences to be assessed by religious scholars.

Ibn Arabi, rejecting determinism and absolute free will, agrees with the middle position. For him, the former would lead to uselessness of Divine religion and the latter to limitedness of Divine power. Though some of his speeches formally support determinism, his four principles of the individual unity of being, Names wedding, human state of being the face of Truth and his references to some holy verses make his real view on the middle position clear. Human will in relation to Divine will can be regarded as a shadow and an appearance only. In this way, Ibn Arabi harmonize human free will with absolute will of God. In addition, he presented his theory of Divinity existence of acts and their modification by the servants and, therefore, stand in a considerable distance from Asharites.

Knowing God is considered the highest and the most valuable knowledge, one way for attaining it consists in knowing Divine Names and Attributes. This paper has intended to compare the views of two well-known theologians on the Divine Will and Its relevant problems. The problems at issue consist in: is Divine Will an action attribute or an essential? Is It the same as Essense or other than it? Is it temporal or nontemporal, absolute or limited? Given it absolutely, how can we deal with human will? Khajeh Nasir has regarded the Divine Will as a motive and known this as the awareness to expedience. He views Divine Will existentially to be a positive, essential attribute, rather the Essence Itself. For him, human will is established as a shadow of the Divine Will. Yet, Ash'ari knows It to be different from other essential attributes including Science. He views the Divine Will as positive, nontemporal and self subsistent. God is the direct agant for all human actions and no room can be found for human will, rather, God has created power of action in man and man has acquired it.

There can be found many cases of evidence for individual unity of existence. The author has intended to explain some of the cases. At first, relying on Sara's view on the essentially dependent existence of effect, individual unity of existence has been described and, then, the methodology for perceiving the meaning of the verses and traditions presented. The relevant verses and traditions has been classified into eight including those dealing with: Divine superiority to all things, His true ownership, His absoluteness unity, His approximate signs, His Attributes and Essence, His being accompanied with things, essential nothingness of things and action unity.

The what ness of human soul, its corporeality or in corporeality and its manner of connection to body have always been one of the most challenging problems in philosophy and theology. In this paper the views of Aristotle and Avicena on the what ness of human soul have been explained and the consequences of their views, in particular regarding the hereafter life, made clear. Aristotle has seen human soul as interacting with body, while on his philosophical principle of matter and form it is existentially united with body. In this way, he may not believe in hereafter life for human soul. Yet, Avicenna has distinguished two aspects of the the soul, namely, its dependent and independent aspects. He, therefore, has proved the hereafter life of human soul.

One of the problems concerning Divine revelation deals with its receiver. Some scholars of the field of religious studies view the Prophet as the author of Divine revelation. For them, revelation originates from the Prophet's genuine, experience or dynamic spirit. On the view of the paper, there has been bestowed a special poer to the prophets by which they receive Divine revelation and turn it into the language of their people without any change. The very turning is the part of the prophets. Considering, however, the Divine state of revelation and the gifted power, the speeches of the prophets would be just the same words of God revealed in the earthly level to be perceivable for man. The view seems to be acceptable for theologians and stable against relevant objections.