Religions and Mysticism
Year:2012 | Volume:44 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

South Indian Language, Culture and Civilization, Dravidian civilization, is important for many of linguists, anthropologists and archaeologists. So, they are trying to find the origins of it. Today, the scholars of civilizations try, however, to find any connection between Dravidians culture and their own language and culture. So, they attempt to study in this field.It is clear that the cultural, religious and linguistic and even traditional similarities of Dravidians in different parts of the world could be a better reason for serious study of this civilization. They didn’t leave any systematic thing about their own culture and rites, coherent philosophical system, substantial literature, manuscripts and written sources to show their religion. But, we can obtain information about them from the stories and legends that are observed in the festivals and holy books and Indian religions.

Amonhotep IV, one of Egypt's most famous pharaohs, has been composer of hymns in praise of the sun or sun god, which remains in Inscriptions from fourteenth century BC. Amonhoteb stone inscription is the oldest document in which, at the first time, he has invited people to monotheism. Mehr Yasht is second long Yasht, in praise of sun, Mehr or Sun God, remains from one thousand years BC.This paper introduces the life of Akhenaten, and then compares similar content of two hymns. This comparison shows that God of Aton is eternal, creator, Administrator and somewhat monotheistic or pantheistic God, but Mehr (one of Iranian gods) although is not the sun & creator, but is observer of the world and supporter of the righteous.

Each part of Karl Rahner’s theology is in deep relation to his understanding of human situation. He believes that God has communicated Himself with man. This self-offering of God to human needs a response from man. Such an existential part has certain effects on the concrete human life and seeks its true and ultimate realization. This attitude to human leads to transcendental Christology. Christ is the definite response to the self-offering of God. So He is the pinnacle of the possibility that all people enjoy; saying yes to God. Through emphasizing on an evolution in the world, Rahner indicates the Christ’s cosmological importance. In addition to his importance for man, he maintains Christ is so important for the entire world. Such an attitude to Christ is in conformity with the traditional one, saying Christ is the incarnation of the word of God, a real unification between God and man has occurred in him. In the present essay this is indicated, not only in surveying the transcendental Christology and Rahner’s belief in evolution, but in his paying attention to Chalcedon Creed.

The mystical knowledge that ‘Ayn al-Qudat propounds does not seem much different from other mystic’s point of view, but it might have been for the first time presented in a compiled form by him. Hence, the fundamental question in this research is: what is mystical knowledge in ‘Ayn al-Qudat’s point of view and how this mystical knowledge is discerned from scientific knowledge? How can we find it? How epistemological value of each human perception is determined in mystical knowledge in his point of view?In all his works, ‘Ayn al-Qudat attempts to explain true (mystical) knowledge and discern it from other human knowledge. He tries to avoid mistaking them with each other so that the seeker does not sink into exoteric knowledge, but he always concerns about moving toward the true knowledge. In his opinion, mystical knowledge is not the result of rational thinking or reasoning, but it is arisen from the nature of that knowledge itself which human being can only find it through disclosure, intuition, and revelation.

In early Islamic sources, it has been mentioned of a temple with exceptional natural position in Kashan Ardhar, where Zoroastrians held a ritual in the thirteenth day of July. This ritual includes knocking stone to mountain and seeking water from the spring for healing. Also in the sources of Ghajar Period, a step of the same natural position is mentioned in Ardhar area, where more or less the same ritual was performed by residents. The position that is now recognized is located in the mountain known the step mountain in the village of Kalle. In this position, there is a gap like portico, of which water is leaking, and there is a spring of little water which the people call Abjah Kahra. The similarities in both early and late reporting and its comparison with the current situation, definitely show that this two report refer to the same situation. The survey of this issue shows that, at first this ritual as Tirgan celebration and the ritual of seeking for rain was performed in relation to Tishtar god. Nahid god as Bidokht (Baghdokht), too, was sought for healing and water.

One of the most important doctrines in Christianity is original sin. It has a key role in Christian theology and was the concern of many Christian thinkers during the history of Christianity. The debates and disputes of Christian theologians about it, especially in early history of Christianity lead to take a formal position about it by the Church. In sacred texts of Muslims, especially in Holy Qur’an many verses point out to disobedience of Adam and Eve too. So, many thinkers and commentators deal with the sin of Adam and Eve from the view of Holy Qur’an. Despite a general agreement between Christianity and Islam about the disobedience of Adam and Eve, there is, nevertheless, a main disagreement between them about the quantity and quality of the sin of Adam and Eve. This essay tries to show the similarities and differences as to the disobedience and sin of Adam and Eve through a comparative study which is based primarily on Islamic and Christian Scriptures.

With the advent of Islam in Iran, many aspects of Iranian culture and civilization were changed. One of these areas was the realm of food and customs which finds its final form from second century to seventh century A.D. It was simultaneous with the consolidation of Islam dominance in Iran during the Abbasid caliphate. These changes were injected into Iranian society by different pathways. One of these paths was Sufis and mystics who changed customs of food according to their understanding of Islamic teachings and transmitted it by their recommendation or behaviors.