Abstract The relationship between reason and religion is one of the issues that Islamic scholars have been focusing on for a long time. The present essay examines this issue from the perspective of Al-Ghazali and Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid as two major Islamic thinkers and theo More
Abstract The relationship between reason and religion is one of the issues that Islamic scholars have been focusing on for a long time. The present essay examines this issue from the perspective of Al-Ghazali and Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid as two major Islamic thinkers and theologians. The results obtained in Al-Ghazali's writings indicate that he has mentioned four meanings for reason, which are theoretical and practical reason and acquired and instinctive intellect. Al-Ghazali sees religious sciences precedent over intellectual sciences and prioritizes sharia over wisdom. And believes that reason is incapable of seeking divine knowledge. But Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid is a theologian with Intellectual foundation who explains theological and jurisprudential propositions through rational reasoning, and invites thinkers to argumentative faith. In his view, reason is considered as a source for defending the teachings of revelation. In addition to using wisdom in theological topics, he believes that in the narrative discussions, the conformity and opposition of the provisions of the hadith with reason is the criterion for the authenticity of the hadith. Since Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid finds the understanding of the hadith subject to careful and deep-seated rational attention, he has been opposed to “people of narrations” as a superficial intellectual current.
Manuscript profile
