Anonymous user
Gowhar-i murad (book): Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
imported>Translator (Created page with "{{under construction}} '''Gowhar-i murād''' (Persian: گوهر مراد) is a book authored by ‘Abd al-Razzaq Lahiji concerning Islamic philosophy and kalam (Islamic th...") |
imported>Bahrami mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
==Purpose of Writing== | ==Purpose of Writing== | ||
Lahiji's purpose of writing Gowhar-i murad, as he says in the preface, was to make issues approachable and comprehendible for the novice, help clarify the confusions of the intermediary learners, and provide the scholars with some philosophical critiques. | Lahiji's purpose of writing Gowhar-i murad, as he says in the preface, was to make issues approachable and comprehendible for the novice, help clarify the confusions of the intermediary learners, and provide the scholars with some philosophical critiques. | ||
Lahiji's purpose was to write a reference book for the principles of the religion: | Lahiji's purpose was to write a reference book for the principles of the religion: | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
Gowhar-i murad includes a preface and three chapters regarding major philosophical issues, and an epilogue concerning ethics and mysticism. | Gowhar-i murad includes a preface and three chapters regarding major philosophical issues, and an epilogue concerning ethics and mysticism. | ||
* Preface: the position of human beings in the world and their exclusive privilege of divine integrity. There are three issues raised in this preface: | |||
# The place of human beings in the world and why they are exclusively addressed by divine commands, | |||
# Paths to God, | |||
# The definition of kalam and its purpose, the difference between kalam and judgment (hukm), and why diverse kalami sects and approaches have been formed in the Islamic world. | |||
* Part one: knowing oneself, including two sections: | |||
# The nature of bodies and their states, | |||
# The soul, in particular, the rational soul. | |||
* Part two: knowing God, including a discussion of monotheism (tawhid) and justice (ʾadl) in three sections: | |||
# The proof of the existence of the necessary being and its unity, | |||
# The attributes of the necessary being, | |||
# The acts of the necessary being. | |||
* Part three: knowing God's commands, which requires one to know the messengers and preservers of God's commands—that is, issues of prophecy (nubuwa) and Imamate. This part includes 4 sections: | |||
# Knowing God's commands—that is, the obligations, | |||
# Knowing the messengers of the commands—that is, the prophets, | |||
# Knowing the preservers of the commands—that is, Imams, | |||
4. Knowing the awards and punishments of obedience and disobedience—that is, the resurrection and afterlife. | 4. Knowing the awards and punishments of obedience and disobedience—that is, the resurrection and afterlife. | ||
* Epilogue: the method of refining one's moral character and mystical experiences. | |||
The organization is inspired by mystical thoughts in which a Sufi starts from knowing him or herself and ends in knowing God. | The organization is inspired by mystical thoughts in which a Sufi starts from knowing him or herself and ends in knowing God. | ||
| Line 76: | Line 76: | ||
===Innovative Theories and New Researches=== | ===Innovative Theories and New Researches=== | ||
In addition to providing a summary of early views in kalam, Gowhar-i murad contains some innovative theories in philosophy and kalam. | In addition to providing a summary of early views in kalam, Gowhar-i murad contains some innovative theories in philosophy and kalam. | ||
Lahiji has presented new ideas in issues such as "types of incidence (hudūth) and types of nonexistence", "the problem of divine will" and "the problem of essential priority". | Lahiji has presented new ideas in issues such as "types of incidence (hudūth) and types of nonexistence", "the problem of divine will" and "the problem of essential priority". | ||
'''Lahiji's paritucular view about miracles"' | '''Lahiji's paritucular view about miracles"' | ||
Lahiji has peculiar views in the book—for instance, about the doctrine of the miracle (muʾjiza). In his view, what is responsible for the occurrence of the miracles—which belong to the category of acts—such as healing the sick, is the perfection of the motive faculty in the soul of the prophet resulting in the realization of whatever the prophet imagines and wills to happen. However, he also takes into account the possibility that in miracles, such as hearing the sands praising God, happen not because the prophet interferes in the external world; rather because he manipulates the imaginative faculties of the individuals. | Lahiji has peculiar views in the book—for instance, about the doctrine of the miracle (muʾjiza). In his view, what is responsible for the occurrence of the miracles—which belong to the category of acts—such as healing the sick, is the perfection of the motive faculty in the soul of the prophet resulting in the realization of whatever the prophet imagines and wills to happen. However, he also takes into account the possibility that in miracles, such as hearing the sands praising God, happen not because the prophet interferes in the external world; rather because he manipulates the imaginative faculties of the individuals. | ||
As to miracles such as asserting hidden facts and verbal miracles, Lahiji holds that they result from the perfection of the rational and imaginative faculty of the prophet. By his connection to immaterial reasons and celestial souls (al-nufus al-falakiyya), the prophet knows about all things, in particular hidden facts and future events. This is Lahiji's innovative analysis of miracles. | As to miracles such as asserting hidden facts and verbal miracles, Lahiji holds that they result from the perfection of the rational and imaginative faculty of the prophet. By his connection to immaterial reasons and celestial souls (al-nufus al-falakiyya), the prophet knows about all things, in particular hidden facts and future events. This is Lahiji's innovative analysis of miracles. | ||
| Line 93: | Line 93: | ||
===Discussing New Problems and Ignoring Unimportant Ones=== | ===Discussing New Problems and Ignoring Unimportant Ones=== | ||
In Gowhar-i murad, Lahiji did not deal with some issues and problems that were discussed in early works in kalam, such as [[Tajrid al-ʾitiqad]]. For instance, he does not discuss issues such as the punishment of children in the afterlife, livelihoods (ʾarzāq), prices (ʾasʾār) (the issue of whether prices of the goods are determined by God or by people and whether people or the governments have the right to determine prices), and the times of deaths (ājāl). | In Gowhar-i murad, Lahiji did not deal with some issues and problems that were discussed in early works in kalam, such as [[Tajrid al-ʾitiqad]]. For instance, he does not discuss issues such as the punishment of children in the afterlife, livelihoods (ʾarzāq), prices (ʾasʾār) (the issue of whether prices of the goods are determined by God or by people and whether people or the governments have the right to determine prices), and the times of deaths (ājāl). | ||
On the other hand, Lahiji discusses issues that were scarcely considered in early works in kalam, such as the grounds of divine response to people's prayers, the benefits of visiting the believers' tombs, and the prediction of hidden and future facts. | On the other hand, Lahiji discusses issues that were scarcely considered in early works in kalam, such as the grounds of divine response to people's prayers, the benefits of visiting the believers' tombs, and the prediction of hidden and future facts. | ||
| Line 105: | Line 105: | ||
“When this book was finished and this desired jewel [gowhar-i murad] came out from the sea of potentiality to the coast of actuality, it looked very precious to me—regardless of the fact that I am the author of this book, I can say that this is a unique book. For this book includes main problems and major issues that are precious to scholars, and it is a sum of the thoughts of early and late thinkers. It is formulated so as to provide the novice with comprehendible contents, it contains researches helping the intermediary learners to rescue from perplex, and it contains criticisms that provides high-ranking scholars with a stock of critiques and philosophical thoughts unaffected by imaginations and confusions.” | “When this book was finished and this desired jewel [gowhar-i murad] came out from the sea of potentiality to the coast of actuality, it looked very precious to me—regardless of the fact that I am the author of this book, I can say that this is a unique book. For this book includes main problems and major issues that are precious to scholars, and it is a sum of the thoughts of early and late thinkers. It is formulated so as to provide the novice with comprehendible contents, it contains researches helping the intermediary learners to rescue from perplex, and it contains criticisms that provides high-ranking scholars with a stock of critiques and philosophical thoughts unaffected by imaginations and confusions.” | ||
[[Sayyid Abu | [[Sayyid Abu l-Hasan Rafi'i Qazwini]] writes the following about the book: | ||
“The precious book, Gowhar-i murad, written by the late philosopher ʾAbd al-Razaq Lahiji—may God bless his soul—is a desirable exquisite book, and is unique as a book on religious problems and divine wisdom.” | “The precious book, Gowhar-i murad, written by the late philosopher ʾAbd al-Razaq Lahiji—may God bless his soul—is a desirable exquisite book, and is unique as a book on religious problems and divine wisdom.” | ||