معرفت

Distinguishing True Mysticism from False Mysticisms

Ayatollah Allamah Mohammad Taqi Misbah

Abstract

This paper expounds the different between true mysticism and false types of mysticism. According to the Household of the Prophet (pbut), the God-knowing mystic is the one who achieves the highest status of man’s knowledge, the achievement of which is possible for him/her. Throughout history mysticism has been subject to distortion and it was considered identical to poetry because mystics and poets express spiritual and mystical concepts in an imaginative and poetic way. This is a common misconception. In the very Holy Qur’an, we sometimes find metaphoric, allegoric and imaginative expressions. Therefore, mysticism is can never mean having the skill of framing spiritual concepts in the form of poem or in a metaphoric, allegoric and imaginative way. God-knowing mystic is the one who, in addition to his sound knowledge of God, His names and His attributes, has a profound belief in God and His attributes. This type of mysticism is an accurate indication of the real man, true Shi’a and true spirit of Shi’ism, and it manifests itself when Divine Light shines in the believer’s heart.

Key words: mysticism, God-knowing mystic, mystic, poet, true type of mysticism, false type of mysticism.

The Indices of the Desirable Society in the Thought of Imam Sajjad (pbuh)

Sa’id Moghaddam

Abstract

Achieving a desirable and ideal society which leads to man’s prosperity has always caused thinkers to propose Utopias. Meanwhile, it is necessary to propose a desirable society which has a revealed origin and which is unimaginative and be can come true. This research uses a descriptive – documentary method, and a content analysis method is used for analyzing the data. One of the main effective methods for realizing the whole society is paying attention to its main institutes and the relations between them. Offering the indices of a desirable society in the context of social institutes according to the view of Imam Sajjad (pbuh) is among the aims of this research.

In the eyes of Imam Sajjad (pbuh), an ideal society is one in which the human relations in social institution are based on divine values, and the distinguished characteristic of this desirable society is pursuing the path of servitude to God.

Key words: indices, desirable society, institute, Imam Sajjad (pbuh).

The Methodological Necessities of Creating Indices in the Realm of Social Relations with Emphasis on the Developed Iranian-Islamic Pattern

Hassan Yusof Zadeh

Abstract

The subject of index and creating indices has special importance in the human sciences. On one hand, policy-making, planning and communities’ movement towards defined objective require some indices and on the other hand, the degree of the success of societies is measured by these very indices. But, can the indices provided by the United Nations and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meet all human needs of all communities? If the answer is negative, this question will arise: “what things are required for the creation of indices in Islamic communities in the realm of social relations and interactions?” Using an analytical-interpretative method, the present paper seeks to answer this basic question, and considering the distinction between the indices of Islamic society and that of other societies, and investigating the functions of the relations in Islamic society, this paper presents seven necessities for offering an index in the field of the social relations in Islamic society and refers to some epistemological principles of this kind of creation of indices.  The research result shows that the relations in Islamic society clearly differ from those of non-Islamic societies regarding the areas of relations and the aim and consistency of relations.

Key words: indicator, relation methodology, social relations, Iranian-Islamic pattern of progress.

The West’s Indebtedness to Islam in the Field of Astronomy

Mohammad Foladi/ Azar Anjom Shoa’

Abstract

Today, the West claims that it holds the first position in science and research. In fact, except for the four recent centuries, which witnessed scientific achievements in the West, the Islamic civilization had for about a thousand years been a leading cultural center and in that period most of the cities were scientific and educational bases of the world and in that period many Muslim elites and thinkers gained worldwide fame. This research seeks through a descriptive-explanatory analysis to investigate the role of Muslims in discovering the mysteries of creation in astronomy and show how astronomy reached Europe. The findings of research show that Muslim astronomers whose ideas are based on religious doctrines, built fully equipped observatories in Bagdad, Damascus, Maragheh, Samarkand and Istanbul during the 3^rd to-10^th centuries AH. Contrary to Ptolemaist’s astronomy, they developed new theories, and the things proposed in the 16^th and 17^th centuries by Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler, like the law of inertia, the ellipticity of orbits, universal gravitation had in fact been previously proposed by Muslim astronomers, and this westerners’ action is considered as a kind of plagiarism.

Key words: the West, indebtedness, astronomy, observatory, cosmology, astronomy.

Guidelines for Implementing Social Reform in the Eyes of Imam Khomeini

Hossein Zare’ Khormizi/ Seyyed Mahmod Mirkhalili

Abstract

Imam Khomeini (may Allah bless his soul) always sought through his hard revolutionary struggles to reform the society and root out the corruption among individuals and in the society.  According to Imam Khomeini, the most important grounds for reforming the society are: reform in religious realm, refusing reconciliation with tyrannies, emphasizing on people’s role, establishing Islamic government, adopting cultural reform, correct performance of media and press, and reforming the university system. Concerning social reform, he emphasizes on the following: first, giving attention to the cultural, political, economic and social issues with the aim of developing man’s thought and keeping him immune from corruption, and second, giving attention to the role of education within family and in school. He also attracts the attention of all people to the role of Islamic doctrines, and confirms that if these two institutions do their duties efficiently and by everyone, the society will be reformed and the ideal society be realized.

The aim of this research is to expound Imam Khomeini’s views about religious issues regarding social reform and describe special techniques for implementing social reform and responding to the existent challenges. The information of this research is drawn from written documents.

Key words: Imam Khomeini (may Allah bless his soul), strategy, reformation, society, Islamic society.

The Components of ‘’ Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil’’ with Emphasis on Assigning Its Practical Obligations and Pragmatics in the Educational Environment

Hassan Najafi/ Mahmood Omidi

Abstract

Nowadays, due to the destabilization of educational systems and dissolution of sacred principles, man’s moral life encounters different kinds of moral, spiritual, cultural and religious chaos. As part of the control policies of Islam for establishing public order in Islamic society, ‘’enjoining good and forbidding evil’’ plays an important role in increasing the degree of public commitment to observing generally accepted values and norms. Therefore, this research aims to expound the components of ‘’enjoining good and forbidding evil’’ with the aim of assigning practical obligations and using them in educational environment. A descriptive-analytical is used in this research. The findings of the research show that such concepts like: theocentrism, attention to human dignity, love and sincerity, tolerance, truthfulness, combating falsehood, justice-centeredness and guidance –seeking are regarded as the basic components of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

Key words: enjoining good and forbidding evil, indicator components, practical obligations, educational environments.

An Educational Perspective on Students, Information and Performance Concerning Life Skills, a Case Study: Public Universities of Qom

Yasin Saiedi/ Vahid Ismaeili/ Hadiseh Seifi

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the views of experts and professors of Hawzah and universities about students’ information and performance about life skills from an educational perspective. A qualitative approach is used in this research which is based on a content analysis method. The population sample comprises 10 experts and professors from Hawzah, 10 university experts and professors and 30 students from Qom public universities in three levels BA, MA and PhD in three fields of study including human sciences, basic and technical sciences. In order to know the most important skills which are closely related to students’ life, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews show that four skills including self-knowledge, decision-making, establishing effective relations and critical way of thinking are among the most important skills which are closely related to students’ life. The findings show that one of the main concerns of Hawzah and university is lack of information about life skills among the students. The Hawzah and university consider their role to be important and so they attempt to elaborate this on this subject on the radio and TV. 

Key words: the Hawzah and university, life skills, public universities in Qom, educational approach.