Investigating the Scope of the Function of Reason in Understanding Islamic Teachings Based on Verses and Narrations

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Law and Political Science, Samt Organization, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The relationship between reason and religion and the extent of the involvement of reason in religion is one of the issues that was raised in Islamic societies, especially in the modern era due to the establishment of Western modernity, and has caused a lot of controversy. Exaggeration in defining the broad role of reason, which is a reflection of modern Western thought, has led to serious damage to Islamic culture. In the meantime, it is necessary to study the power of human intellect in understanding religious truths. Therefore, the present article seeks to examine the scope and extent of the function of reason based on verses, narrations and sayings of religious thinkers. In this analysis, by explaining the two general and specific areas of using reason in understanding religious teachings, the nature of each area is examined. Then, its specific function in the science of jurisprudence is analyzed as one of the four sources based on the principle of accompaniment between reason and sharia. According to the main sources of Islam (verses of the Quran and the narrations of the infallibles) as well as the approach of religious scholars, the general and specific role of reason in understanding the religion generally and specifically is limited to the boundaries set by religious sources. Therefore, in spite of the verses and narrations in which the role of reason is highlighted and also despite the principle of accompaniment between reason and sharia which itself shows the high position of reason in understanding the religious teachings and objectives of rulings, it is not possible to use reason in all fields. In fact, the intellect is incapable of understanding certain things, on which the religion advises to submit to divine commands, even if they conflict with human understanding.

Keywords

References

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Shi`a Pajoohi
Volume 7, Issue 20 - Serial Number 20
September 2021
Pages 283-306

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