Ma`rifat

Although the concept of the principle of "ahimsa", i.e. "to avoid harming living beings", is considered as an important moral principle in most religions and moral schools, but the position of this principle in the moral system and its theoretical and belief supports – which are sometimes effective in its formation - has undoubtedly created different approaches in each of these religions and schools. Using an analytical and descriptive method, and investigating the principle of ahimsa in the ethical system of Jainism - as the most extreme form of emphasis on this principle - and comparing it with the rights of living beings in Shi’a ethical system, this research tries to show that although both religions agree on avoiding to harm living beings, but each have their own different theoretical ideas in the field of theology, cosmology and anthropology; and their schools are based on two completely different worldviews such that this difference appears in religious thoughts and behavior of the two schools.