Journal of Razavi Culture

Abstract The first step to respond to doubts is to know the methods of doubting the opponents. One of the methods of skepticism of the opponents of Shia doctrines is to refer to Imami hadith sources. Dr. Nasser Ghafari, the author of the book Uṣūl Madhhab Shiʾa, Naghdun wa ʾArḍun (Religious Principles of the Shiite, Criticism and Commentary) has also benefited from this method. Using library sources and using the analytical descriptive method, this article seeks to find the methods of Ghafari's skepticism on those Shia doctrines that are documented in the book ʾUyun Akhbār al-Riḍā (as). For this purpose, all his references to this book have been checked from the methodology perspective. The result of the research is that his doubts has a methodological evaluation in three categories: the possibility of conflict between hadiths, the possibility of hadith conflict with Qurʿan and fallacy. Things like fragmenting the text, improper understanding of words, not paying attention to the hadith family, and exaggerating the problems of the hadith are included in the first category. Also, misunderstanding of Quranic concepts and fragmenting the texts of hadith has caused the possibility of conflict between hadiths and Qurʾan. In the field of fallacies, cases such as exclusivity, lexical fallacies, as well as the fallacy of extraneous reason, three frequent types are evaluated in Ghafari's method of skepticism.

Abstract "Jihad of explanation" has become one of the most frequent words in the works of analysts of the orders of the Supreme Leader, who in the Arbaʿīn of 1400, in a meeting with students, listed "jihad of explanation" as one of their duties. In this context, examining the religious foundations of this work is of great value; because it gives it a double religious effect. The Jihad of explanation is very important and necessary to remove objections and problems from the field of Islamic knowledge, especially Hadiths and to protect the religion from the enmity of opponents. With this approach, the present research seeks to answer the question of how Imam Riḍā (as) explained the "problem of hadith" of his ancestors and with the help of what approach and method? The following article, while expressing the religious basis of the keyword "Jihad of explanation", has examined the lifestyle of Imam Riḍā (as) within the scope of the book ʾUyun Akhbār al-Riḍā (as). According to the findings of the research, which is based on the documentary method; facing the problem of hadith, Imam Riḍā (as) tried to explain the hadith problem of his ancestors which had caused doubts and questions in the Islamic society with three approaches: "explanation", "denial" and "esoteric interpretation".  The main goal of this research is to show that the Jihad of explanation is a holy matter, that the main strivers of this Jihad are the purified infallible Imams (as); therefore, it is necessary for the Shia community, especially the educated scholars with following the example of the pure Imams (as), strive to explain Islamic teachings and truths, and even to explain the important social and political issues of the society.