Mohammad Hossein Mohammadpoor; Ramazanali Izanloo
Abstract
The position of reason in philosophy and theology is different, because these two sciences differ in subject, method, and goal. The goal of the theologian is to defend his religious ...
Read More
The position of reason in philosophy and theology is different, because these two sciences differ in subject, method, and goal. The goal of the theologian is to defend his religious teachings against the enemy, and to achieve this goal, he uses the tools of reason and revelation. Sayyid Murtaza Alam al-Huda (355-436 AH), a prominent Shiite theologian and jurist, has tried to establish a dialogue between reason and revelation in his theological epistemology, and influenced by the Mu'tazilites' theology, he favors the side of reason in many of his theological issues, but since he is an Imami school, he respects the opinion of narration and sacrifices reason in the face of revelation. In this article, we have approached the theological epistemology of Sayyid Murtaza with an analytical and critical perspective. By citing examples of his views on the application of reason and narration in theological issues, we first examined the similarities and perhaps their objectivity with the views of Qadi Abdul Jabbar the Mu'tazilite. Then, by searching for traces of reason and revelation in the text of his theological thoughts, we have answered these questions: Can, from Sayyid Murtaza's perspective, all theological issues be considered subject to the rule of reason or pure revelational evidence? In this case, what is the relationship between reason and narration?
