Publication Date: 2022
Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies (17489423)15(3-4)pp. 41-62
After Naşir Al-Din Al-Tusi and Al-Hilli transformed the structure and method of Imami Kalam, Muhsin Fayd Kashani (1598-1679) provided the ground for integration of Mysticism and Philosophy with Kalam. He worked on a version of philosophical Kalam. Although Tusi introduced philosophical approaches and doctrines to Imami Kalam, Fayd brought about changes in Imami Kalam based on philosophical approaches and doctrines made by his master - Mulla Sadra. Thus, he recognised the necessity for more change in Imami Kalam and did so in his works including his book Ilm al-Yaqin (The Knowledge of Certainty). He presented a new structure in Imami Kalam and expanded its capacity in facing religious subjects and responsiveness to the questions of Muslims about Shi'i beliefs. Being inspired by Transcendental Wisdom, he believes that the arcs of descent and ascent (qawsayn al-nuzul wa al-suud) of existence are the most axial ontological basis for the Qur'an, Wisdom and mysticism and regulates Kalam problems accordingly. He considers the methods and doctrines of Transcendent Wisdom as a substructure for expanding and deepening Imami Kalam. Fayd considers some of the previous schools of Islamic Kalam method inefficient. He speaks of the need for philosophical proofs instead of dialectic debates. We will investigate core aspects of this transformation. © 2022 The Islamic College. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020
Open Theology (23006579)6(1)pp. 342-359
Some verses of the holy Qur'an speak of a preference of man over woman such as 2:228, 4:34 and 43:18. One can ask whether man and woman have the same essence or whether man has certain characteristics that make him own a different and superior essence. How have exegetes understood these verses through history? Research on more than 100 classical and contemporary Shia and Sunni exegeses demonstrates that understanding of these verses was constant for centuries but was subject to evolution in the twentieth century. In this evolution, the inferiority of women in earlier exegeses was largely replaced by exegeses that provide respect and reverence for women. This change in understanding of the verses has been undoubtedly influenced by improvement in the cultural, social and economic situation of women in the twentieth century. A finding of this research is that some Qur'anic verses have the potentiality for different, and sometimes contradictory, understandings. On the other hand, the cultural and historical frameworks of the exegetes have played a crucial role in their understanding of the Qur'an. Therefore, understanding and interpreting the Qur'an is a dynamic process that should be reviewed according to the needs of the time. © 2020 Janan Izadi, published by De Gruyter 2020.
