درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The history of waqf (endowment) in the Islamic world dates back to old times, and this noble tradition has had a significant impact on Islamic society from its inception. One of the most successful examples of the longevity and effectiveness of waqf institutions in both the Islamic world and globally is Astan-i Quds Razavi. This endowment institution, dedicated to Imam Reza (PBUH), boasts a long-standing historical presence in Iran and, throughout its flourishing existence, has exerted considerable political, social, and economic influence. This article begins with a brief definition of waqf and then examines the establishment of the waqf system within Astan-i Quds Razavi. It traces the institution’s expansion and development over various historical periods, highlighting significant events and milestones. Finally, the study addresses the major impacts this endowment institution has had throughout its history. The research findings reveal that cultural endowments in Astan-i Quds Razavi began with the donation of Qurʾanic manuscripts in the early centuries. From the tenth century onward, with the official establishment of Shiʿism in Iran and the growing significance of Mashhad as the spiritual capital of the Safavids, Astan-i Quds entered a phase of expansion and prosperity as an endowment institution. Its continued development was ensured by the direct administration of the highest ruling authorities throughout different historical periods, as well as the persistent devotion of Imam Reza’s (PBUH) followers across centuries.

This article provides a philosophical analysis of identity within the context of artificial intelligence, from the perspective of Transcendent Philosophy (especially the views of Mulla Sadra) and contemporary philosophy. With the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence as one of the most significant innovations in computer science, issues such as the reconstruction of human identity and its comparison with natural intelligence have come to the fore. The paper examines the philosophical capacities and limitations of this phenomenon, exploring the perspectives of Mulla Sadra and John Searle, and offers a comparative analysis of their views on identity and consciousness in machines and artificial intelligence. According to the views of these two thinkers, artificial intelligence, despite its advancements, cannot achieve human identity, as it lacks essential characteristics such as consciousness, intentionality, and abstraction. Searle argues that artificial systems will never be able to attain genuine consciousness because understanding meaning and consciousness are intrinsic to the human brain and mind, qualities that cannot be attributed to machines. He consistently supports this belief through the Chinese Room experiment and various critiques of artificial systems.

One of the internal divisions of the Qur’anic text is the rukūʿ , which, as a semantic unit, provides significant potential for rereading the text and uncovering new interpretive levels. Nevertheless, this division has been largely neglected in many contemporary Qur’anic codices and rarely addressed in Qur’anic studies. The present study aims to propose and apply an approach of Qur’anic interpretation based on rukūʿ analysis, focusing on the tenth rukūʿ of Surah al-Naḥl (Q. 16:71–76). Conducted through a descriptive-analytical approach, the research proceeds in three stages: first, elaborating the proposed approach of understanding the Qur’an through rukūʿ units; second, applying this approach to the tenth rukūʿ of Surah al-Naḥl as a paragraph-like semantic unit; and third, assessing the findings by comparing them with the exegetical categorizations of other commentators. The results indicate that verses 71–76 of Surah al-Naḥl form a structurally and thematically coherent passage that can be identified as an independent semantic unit. Within this framework, the topic sentence, supporting statements, transitional sentence, and concluding sentences were identified. Furthermore, a comparative critique of three exegetes’ approaches revealed that neglecting rukūʿ divisions in existing commentaries has often led to semantic discontinuity, disruption of textual coherence, deviation from the surah’s main objective, and reader confusion. Accordingly, it can be concluded that a rukūʿ -based reading of Qur’anic surahs not only highlights the thematic independence of each semantic unit but also ensures their internal coherence and contributes to identifying the overarching purpose of the surah. This approach may thus serve as an effective model for Qur’anic exegesis and a means of avoiding the interpretive challenges resulting from fragmented exegetical categorizations.