Presenting a practical model of methodological practice of ijtihād in inferring the mystical and ethical teachings out of ma’thūr (authentically transmitted) resources based on the rules of ‘ilm al-uṣūl (legal theory) is the first achievement of this study. Discovering methods peculiar to the author in evaluating these presumptive rules based on authentically transmitted indications, as well as bringing flexibility to the function of rules on the basis of denotation of texts is the second achievement of this study. It means that the author has returned the rules to the text of the Book and the Sunnah (i.e. the Qur’an and the Precedent) and this way has prevented the legal theory rules to influence on "meaning” for the authentically transmitted texts. Having made preparations, he benefited, instead, from establishment of "hadith family” and "examining the indications” and has applied the rules in their practical position, that is at the service of understanding the meaning and finding the denotation from the Qur’an and the hadith.

Keywords: akhlāq ma’thār (authentically transmitted ethics), ‘irfān ma’thār (authentically transmitted mysticism), legal theory principles, rules of mystical inference, rules of ethical inference.

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Interpretation of negative theology documentations in traditions quoted from Imam Ali (A.S)

Muhammad Ali Dowlat
Muhammad Dowlat

This article intends to examine the understandings of those who believe in negative theology when they encounter traditions quoted from Imam Ali (A.S) with regard to the Divine Attributes. Three viewpoints are observed in interpretation of these traditions; three groups have interpreted them with an ontological approach concerning the attributes: a group has considered these attributes as referring to those of the creatures; a second group has denied the existence of any attributes for God, Exalted is He; and a third group has divided the attributes to those of the essence and those beyond the essence, and has believed in the negation of the attributes beyond the essence. The origin of these approaches is lack of adequate reflection in the collection of the traditions and the cognitive and cultural fields of the era in which the traditions were issued. The correct viewpoint in interpreting the documentations of negative theology is to prove the attributes from the ontological dimension of the attributes and negation of anthropomorphism (tashbīh) in its semantic dimension. In this theory, one cannot present an affirmative description about the nature of the attributes; however, in addition to the denial of the flaws and defects, one can present a