وجود نامحدود خدا از دیدگاه اهل بیت (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
درجه علمی: نشریه علمی (وزارت علوم)
آرشیو
چکیده
بیشتر اندیشمندان اسلامی خداوند را نامحدود می شمارند؛ اما در تفسیر نامحدودبودن او اختلاف دارند و هر یک دیدگاه خود را به دین اسلام نیز نسبت می دهند. عدم تناهی معناهایی گوناگون مانند عِدّی، مُدّی، شِدّی و سِعی دارد که هر یک از گروه های فکری برخی را می پذیرند و برخی را نفی می کنند. به راستی، دیدگاه اسلام در این باره چیست؟ پژوهش پیشرو با روش توصیفی تحلیلی می کوشد سخنان اهل بیت (ع) را درباره وجود نامحدود خدا بررسی کند و دیدگاه ایشان را، به عنوان برترین حکیمان روزگار، به دست آورد. مهم ترین دستاوردهای پژوهش از این قرار است: اهل بیت (ع) وجود نامحدود خدا را قریب به بدیهی می دانند و انکار آن را به معنای انکار خداوند می شناسند. ایشان محدودبودن را ملازم با مخلوق بودن می دانند و توحید ناب را بر عدم تناهی استوار می کنند. همچنین، برهانی بر وجود نامحدود خدا برپا کرده اند که همانندی در متون فلسفی ندارد. بیشتر این نکته ها در نگاه نهایی ملاصدرا نیز دیده می شود که این نکته هم خوانی کلان نگاه عرفانی صدرا با دیدگاه اهل بیت (ع) را نشان می دهد.Allah’s Infinite Existence from Ahl al-Bayt’s Perspective
Most Islamic thinkers consider Allah infinite. However, they differ in their interpretations of His infinitude, each attributing their perspective to Islam. Infinitude has various meanings, including numerical, extensive, intensive, and comprehensive infinity. Different schools of thought accept some of these meanings while rejecting others. But what is Islam’s perspective on this matter? The present study, employing a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to examine Ahl al-Bayt’s sayings regarding Allah’s infinite existence and to ascertain their perspective as the most eminent sages of their time. The key findings of this study are as follows: Ahl al-Bayt views Allah’s infinite existence as nearly self-evident and sees its denial as equivalent to denying Allah. They assert that finitude necessarily entails being created and that pure monotheism is founded upon divine infinitude. In addition, they have formulated a unique argument for Allah’s infinite existence, unparalleled in philosophical texts. Many of these points are also in Mulla Sadra’s ultimate philosophical outlook, highlighting the fundamental congruence between Sadrian mystical thought and Ahl al-Bayt’s perspective. Keywords: Allah’s Infinite Existence, Infinitude, the Negation of Limits, Indeterminacy, Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Introduction The Islamic tradition’s theologians, philosophers, and mystics consider divine existence infinite. Theologians regard only Allah’s actions as infinite, whereas philosophers extend this infinitude to His essence. Some philosophers, however, limit divine infinitude to the intensity (perfection) of His essence while confining His existential openness to a specific domain. Some others, following the mystics, consider His existential openness infinite; namely, His existence has no boundaries and encompasses all realms of being. Mulla Sadra, in particular, considers both His intensity and existential openness infinite and sees this as a foundation for the individual unity of existence.Each of these intellectual traditions attributes its interpretation to religious texts. But what do the leaders of Islam, namely Ahl al-Bayt (AS), say on this matter? Do they affirm Allah’s infinite existence? If so, do they extend this infinitude to His essence? And if they do, how do they conceptualize the infinity of the divine being? This study seeks to answer the above-mentioned questions.As far as the author knows, this study has no direct precedent. However, related studies include 1) comparisons between existential and quantitative infinitude, 2) investigations into the concept of infinity in Islamic theology and philosophy and its application to Allah, 3) discussions on Allah’s infinite existence based on the principle of basit al-haqiqa (Simple in Nature): its challenges and responses, and 4) misconceptions regarding infinity. The last of these studies presents a view contrary to the one proposed in this study, originating from the writings of theologians such as Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, ‘Aḍud al-Din al-Iji, and Sharif al-Jurjani.Allah’s infinite existence and the individual unity of existence are closely related. While the latter has received extensive scholarly attention, the former remains neglected. The scarcity of research on this topic underscores the need for further study. Moreover, none of the existing works examine divine infinitude from the perspective of Ahl al-Bayt, making the present study all the more necessary. The author has previously explored infinity based on mystics and transcendent philosophy. This study is dedicated exclusively to Ahl al-Bayt’s perspective. Given the complexity of this subject, a comprehensive examination of the philosophical, mystical, and theological dimensions of divine infinitude requires multiple studies rather than a single paper. Materials and Methods This study is foundational in its objective, aiming to uncover Islamic religious leaders’ views on Allah’s infinite existence. It adopts a problem-centered rather than text-centered approach, gathering data from religious texts and software and analyzing the information through a descriptive-analytical method. Among the hadith collections that record the sayings of the Ahl al-Bayt, two books—Tawhid al-Sadūq and the section on Tawhid in Usūl al-Kafi—stand out for their reliability in both content and chain of transmission, making them the primary focus of this study.The research proceeded in four stages: A line-by-line examination of Tawḥid al-Ṣadūq and the Tawḥid section of Uṣūl al-Kafi to collect relevant narrations, supplemented where necessary with hadiths from other sources; Categorization of the collected narrations into three groups: explanation, proof, and implications; Comparative analysis within each category, leading to a final synthesis of findings; A comparative evaluation of the Islamic doctrinal position with Mulla Sadra’s ultimate philosophical stance. Although this study primarily focuses on Ahl al-Bayt’s sayings, its approach is not narrative: their sayings are analyzed for their ontological significance rather than merely their religious sanctity. In other words, Ahl al-Bayt are regarded as the greatest sages of their time, and this study examines their philosophical perspective on Allah’s infinite existence. Research Findings In Ahl al-Bayt’s perspective, Allah’s infinitude is so self-evident that its denial amounts to His rejection, a misunderstanding of His nature, or an act of blasphemy. Several religious texts employ divine infinitude to negate deficiencies such as corporeality, spatial limitation, and being born. In logical reasoning, the middle term of a syllogism must be more evident and intelligible than the conclusion. Therefore, if Allah’s corporeality is untenable, His infinitude must be even more apparent.The clarity of Allah’s infinity is such that it sometimes forms the foundation of monotheism: reason testifies that every finite being is created. If Allah’s existence is infinite, there is no other being besides Him; if no other being exists, assuming a second god is impossible. This use of divine infinitude as proof of absolute monotheism represents a rigorous and refined theological argument. For Ahl al-Bayt, anything finite must be a creation, so Allah must be infinite. They affirm that divine infinitude is not exclusive to Islam; previous prophets also emphasized this point.One might ask: Given the abundance of textual evidence, why do some theologians continue to resist attributing infinitude to Allah’s existence? The answer lies in their attempt to avoid the requisite, i.e., individual unity of existence, by rejecting its prerequisite, Allah’s infinite existence. They argue that negating limits from Allah refers only to negating quantitative limitations. Since Allah is not corporeal, He has no quantity; thus, quantitative limitations do not apply to Him. This is akin to negating blindness from a wall, which does not imply that the wall can see. Being finite and infinite is treated as a privation (ʿadam) and acquisition (malakah), both of which can be negated in a subject that lacks the relevant attribute altogether. However, this response is flawed. Words are assigned to meanings in a conceptual sense, not to specific instances. The meaning of limit is finitude, but finitude takes on a meaning appropriate to each entity. Theologians have interpreted finite and infinite only in a quantitative sense and deemed their negation from an immaterial referent permissible. However, the term limit also has immaterial and existential meanings, which are contradictory and cannot be negated. Thus, Allah’s existence is either finite or infinite. Since finitude entails numerous invalid implications, Allah must be infinite. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsAhl al-Bayt (AS) regards the infinity of Allah’s existence as self-evident and considers its denial equivalent to denying Him. They also view infinite existence as the foundation of divine monotheism. The clarity of infinity has sometimes led to its use as a middle term to negate certain deficiencies attributed to Allah. They have also associated finitude with being created, excluding Him from finitude. Additionally, sayings emphasizing the indeterminacy, simplicity, and absolute purity of Allah’s existence, upon deeper reflection, also imply His infinity. The Ahl al-Bayt have proven Allah’s infinity through a unique argument not found in the works of other philosophers. They have also outlined its implications, such as the individual unity of existence, the negation of incarnation and interpenetration, the incomprehensibility of Allah’s essence, the reinterpretation of essential monotheism, and the transcendence of the divine essence over Allah’s name. Among the intellectual groups in the Islamic world, the mystical perspective of Mulla Sadra aligns most closely with Ahl al-Bayt’s views. Although this alignment is not absolute, minor inconsistencies do not detract from the overall harmony.
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