Ayeneh Ma‘refat
Year:2024 | Volume:24 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

The concept of love for God in the works of Ruzbihan Baqli is not a merely conceptual or abstract expression. Rather, it is the result of encountering and experiencing God in beautiful imagery and accompanied by ecstatic states. Although he always emphasizes the transcendence and purity of God's essence and rejects anthropomorphism (tashbih) and corporealism (tajsim), from a structuralist perspective on religious experiences, the realization of this experience is compatible with contexts such as aestheticism, the Ashʿari belief in divine vision (ruʾya), and the Sufi concept of iltibas. Ruzbihan considers beauty to be the object of love, and in divine love, beauty in its sensory sense takes precedence and is not interpreted in other terms such as goodness or perfection. As an Ashʿari, he believes in the possibility of seeing God. The Ashʿari God, transcendent of logical laws, is capable of any action and thus, while being transcendent in existence, can descend to the realm of human perception and knowledge. According to the Sufi theory of iltibas, divine lordship can manifest in objects and visible forms, although this manifestation is epistemological rather than ontological. From the totality of these contexts, love for God is interpreted in its conventional, interpersonal sense and the result of a personal experience. The analysis of the meaningfulness of love for God, considering its experiential nature and its contexts, is one of the findings of the present paper

This article delves into how philosophy can be linked to a pragmatic will to make objective decisions in life. The question is, how does philosophy, which is inherently considered abstract thought, relate to our functioning in the process of living, and consequently, what perspectives and functions should be prioritized in the project of "philosophical living"? The article's hypothesis rests on the possibility of such a connection. Since, from Mulla Sadra's perspective, a commitment to action is essential for the advancement of philosophical inquiry, every action must be taken in light of attention to God and for the purpose of resembling Him. Actions develop based on philosophical insights and converge on a unified approach. Thus, human distinctiveness lies in the relationship that one establishes with existence, and this relationship is also shaped by the approach one chooses for one's life. The outcome of the integration of ‘thought’ and ‘action’ is also manifested in the flourishing of thought within the context of a commitment to actions.

Focusing on the interconnection between belief, character, and behavior can yield a novel understanding of the concept of 'action'. This research aims to formulate a definition of 'action' based on this relationship, employing a descriptive-analytical methodology. Sadra distinguishes 'action' from a mere doing by positing that 'awareness precedes action'. Practical intellect is responsible for cultivating this awareness, which is facilitated by theoretical intellect's grasp of universal concepts. Each of the three components of religious stations—knowledge, states, and actions—can be viewed both as consequences and antecedents. The repeated performance of actions preceded by awareness, derived from practical intellect, gives rise to acquired dispositions and ethics within the soul. Subsequently, these dispositions foster knowledge. The outcome of this knowledge is a state and a disposition that catalyze actions. Actions preceded by deeper knowledge result in more solidified dispositions, which, in turn, influence the soul's knowledge-based functioning. From this perspective, actions are preparatory steps towards attaining wisdom and serve as precursors to knowledge. Both actions and dispositions are ultimately linked to the purification of the heart, a process of negation that involves removing the obstacles imposed by the sensory realms to reach the ultimate truth. Consequently, the role of action in this relationship is secondary and incidental rather than being the intrinsic or primary objective.

According to model-theoretic inferentialism (and despite proof-theoretic semantics and model-theoretic semantics), both proof-theoretic and model-theoretic notions play a role in the meaning of logical constants. However, proof-theoretic notions have a more fundamental role compared to model-theoretic notions, so that the semantics and its structure are determined by the proof-theoretic notions. In other words, in proof-theoretic inferentialism, we follow a method by which we can read the semantics from the proof theory. This approach is related to the problem of categoricity and Carnap's non-normal models for proof systems. In this paper we investigate this issue for two paraconsistent logics, mbC and LP. We show that while multi-succedent sequent calculi are categorical for mbC, they are not for LP. That latter has non-normal models. We argue that for the latter we cannot easily read the semantics from the proof theory, except at the cost of distorting the notion of logical consequence.

Philosophy and theology, as the theoretical underpinnings of Islamic thought, offer a unique worldview and understanding of humanity. In many literary and artistic schools, art and literature mutually influence each other. Impressionism, an artistic movement, made its mark on the literary world, giving rise to humanistic works. The cornerstone of Impressionism, much like the Khusrawian wisdom of Bayazid Bastami, is light. This connection aligns him with the hallmarks of Impressionism. This research, employing a descriptive-analytical method, explores the interplay between Sufism and art based on the sayings and teachings of Bayazid. It aims to answer how Impressionistic characteristics are reflected in Bayazid's works. The findings reveal that fundamental Impressionistic features, such as individualism, subjectivism, metaphorical perspective, the use of nature, light and color, and the perception of the moment, are abundantly evident in Bayazid Bastami's statements. Therefore, his style can be categorized as Impressionistic and artistic.

The occurrence of illness has been a complex issue for humanity throughout the ages. Philosophical psychologies consider health essential for human growth and development, viewing illness as an obstacle to human progress. However, Islamic traditions emphasize the constructive nature of illness. This research delves into the analysis of illness's impact on human spiritual growth from the perspective of Transcendent Philosophy, aiming to contribute to the understanding of illness' ultimate purpose. Through a library-based approach and considering the philosophical principles of Transcendent Philosophy, this study examines the effects of illness on humans. Contrary to the views of many physicians and philosophers who perceive illness as a hindrance to human growth and development, based on the principles of Transcendent Philosophy, illness can be one of the most important tools for the ascension and spiritual growth of the human soul. In other words, illness, in the very roles that seem detrimental to human growth, can aid in its advancement. Accordingly, illness can have beneficial effects on at least learning, worship, remembrance, thought and judgment, experiencing pleasure, and controlling anxiety. It can even, better than health, awaken humans and lead to their spiritual growth.

The Hadith of Kumayl is narrated from Imam Ali and has drawn the attention of many Shiʿi theologists, amongst whom are the leaders of Shaykhi School, Ahsaʾi and Rashti. The propagation of the Shaykhism is to be considered a major reason that paved the way for the Babi belief. The frequent usage of this narration can also be posited in Babi works. This paper aims to explain the reason of the frequent Babis’ reference to this hadith and is to validate it. In doing so and by using an analytical method, it is found out that the Bab’s interpretative approach to this hadith ended up allowing Babis to take advantage of that narration by distorting its meaning. The results of such distortion are observable, but, inside the Babi paradigm, played a great role in proving the legitimacy of Subh-i-Azal as the true successor of the Bab, and in refuting Bahaʾullah’s claims about founding the Bahaʾi Faith.