Seyyed Mohammad Mortazavi
Volume 2, Issue 6 , September 2014, , Pages 8-33
Abstract
‘Reason’ is one the unique bounties of Allah (SWT) to the humankind. This bounty is of so high status among human beings that everybody claims that they use it in the best ...
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‘Reason’ is one the unique bounties of Allah (SWT) to the humankind. This bounty is of so high status among human beings that everybody claims that they use it in the best way and consider their own speech and behaviour as reasonable and rational. Nevertheless, humans’ speeches and behaviours are so different and contradictory that cannot be considered as rational at the same time. The main question of this article is whether there are criteria for social rationality in Imam Reza’s teachings based on which one can evaluate Muslims’ social behaviour. Research in semantics, religious resources, etc. on reason and rationality shows 10 criteria for rationality in Imam Reza’s teachings. The criteria, among others, include hoping one’s doing good, being safe from one’s evil, aggrandising other people’s good efforts, not aggrandising one’s own good efforts, not giving up efforts to solve other people’s problems and not giving up scientific efforts. This article concludes that reason and rationality are not only neglected, but also are of high status in Imam Reza’s teachings. Considering the purpose of creation and the necessity of human’s development which should be fulfilled in this world, rationality has a certain definition. According to this definition, there are criteria in an Islamic society that should be applied carefully and without going to any extremes.
