Ma`rifat

The Islamization of the humanities and the development of theories addressing issues in this field based on Islamic teachings require the acceptance of specific epistemological foundations. If knowledge acquisition is limited solely to sensory perception and experience, efforts to Islamize the humanities would be meaningless. Allameh Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi is among the scholars concerned with the Islamization of the humanities and emphasizes the necessity of clarifying the epistemological foundations of these disciplines. His views indicate that sensory experience alone is not the only means of acquiring knowledge; reason and revelation also serve, in many cases, as the most reliable or sole paths to understanding. In his intellectual framework, reason takes precedence in fundamental religious knowledge, and proper use of rational knowledge facilitates comprehension of divine revelation. Revelation, by addressing the human being’s existential and spiritual dimensions, provides a clear framework for Islamizing the humanities. Based on these epistemological principles, many Western humanities theories that neglect or deny rationality and revelation are incompatible with an Islamic approach. This study employs a logical and analytical method, examining Mesbah Yazdi’s written statements and works to articulate the epistemological foundations of Islamic humanities and guide their reconstruction.