How can thinkers come the fact (conclution), that reason is not independen resource for Islamic thought and another thinkers think, that reason is independen ? the key word is, epistemological and ontological point of view?. The following article will try to elaborate on the issue.
The answer is becuse of the concequence wheter reason dependen or independen from Islamic thought. If the answer is dependen, it can justified between true and fals, but how to justified and interrelated each other. But if indepent, how can we make sure true or false, how disconec relation to be understand.
Nometter how, in Islamic school of thought, Mu’tazilah, Asyariayh and Syi’ah use and admit three epistemological instrumenT; sensory, intelect and revelation (wahyu). How relation between revelation and reason dependen on theology, ontology and epitemological background.
Ontologicaly, there are two aproach to understand this issues. Firts, theological (spiritual) and material realism.
Theological realism beleive that realities (wujud/aql quds), and (as whole; ruh and world) is independ from awarness and human knowledge. Material realism beleive that material realities (limited realities) independen from awarness and human knowledge. Material as matter has own law independen from awarnes and knowledge human being. Human being has to find natural law, to find the couse of natural phenomena. And the rest, Idealism which beleive that realities depend from intelect process and perceiving human being. Its call subjective knowledge or subjectivism.
Theology or Spiritual realism
Ontologicaly, althought realisme believe there is independen knowledge outside of awareness and knowledge of humanbeing, this knowledge (aql quds/firts intelect) is has connected with alq musthafafat (prophet aql). The prophet aql absolutley dependen from the aspect of content and will of “alq quds”. The statues of aql quds is the firts creation by God itself. From this aspect, independen, and no comparation, becouse if it can compare would be not primary and abolute independen. The prophet only receive this knowledge, its call revelation knowledge and tradition. The knowledge of revelation has to be explain in tradition by infabillity knowledge Imam. This knowlede use aql dependen to the knowledge of prophet. If there is someting that does’nt not exis in revelation, like badihiayat knowledge would be independen from revelation but also impossible contradict with revelation. Becouse the prophet is external hujjah and aql is internal hujjah
For the dependen statues ontologicaly “aql quds”, can atribute to human being using transendence philosophy with corespond to spiritul realism. Epistemologicaly dependen as far as the knower identify using the movement soul (haraqah jauhariyah) with the known (unified aql and ma’qul).
In Islamic dominations, Syi’’i beleive epistemologicaly aql has own independen like badihiyat aql and etic. For Mu’tazilah, aql absolute independen from God, and otherwise, Asyariah beleive aql has no capasity to understand true and false, good or bad. All come from God itselt. But for Syi’i tradiition, aql has capasity to understand true or false, with guidance of God (nas). Human being aql has freedom to determain true or false as inside prophet and justified with nas. Revelation has never contradict with aql, so revelation and aql justified each other.
Material Realism
As we said before, this school of thought beleive there is realities inside matter that has own independen realities. They limite only this realities, and the subject of methaphysic and religion according to them are non sense. The obligation of human being is to know the law of matter (natural law). This “aql statues” dependen to material law. This kind of beleive, influence in social science, all human knowledge and awarnes depent on accumualtion history and time.
Knower and Known (Epistemology)
Considering epistemological argument, between “known” and “knower”, if the relation is independen would be impossible, how we identified cognitifely (cognize) if independ. In broder context, so the relation between reason and Islamic thought is dependen in order to justified (false and true), but true itself “as it” is objectifely belong to God and revelation. If we use realism transendental argument, realities (wujud) is one but with gradation and manifestation (not reduction. “God’s knowledge” is manifest throught “aql mustafad” (prophet) and atribute intuitive reasoning (muslem philosophers) in order to undertsand Islamic thought. While Mu’tazilah only trust reason independenly in order to undertand Islamic thought (reason and revelation).
At least we can categories; God as it is which is has independent knowledge, untouchable from human reason but manifest to human knowledge. This knowledge would be identified as “reduction” if human being knowledge depend on time and human histories. So in order human knowledge connected to God’s knowledge, it must be independen in the level of knowledging and cognizing (relation known an knower) to justified the truth, but dependen on intelectual spiritual process using epistemology and ontological realism transendental, with instrument intuition, reason, sensor and revelation as intrumental justification.
We can resume with some points;
Why the reason is not independent resource for Islamic thought?
1. Reason is created by God (ontology)
2. Theological reasoning, becouse God is Great, his power is unlimited, everthing happen come from God
3. Reason is only an instrument to understand better about religion
4. Ontology, God and realies can’t be seperated, so everything come from God is creation of God, reason is dependen on God
5. Its domain and influence Asariyah thought, that everything good and bad come from God, reason can’t ditermain good and bad, so reasonn depent on God, throught syariah.
6. Ontology and epsitemology, Aysariah beleive reason is dependen of God
Why the reason is independent resource for Islamic thought?
1. Its infuence by Mu’tazilah, becouse mu’tazilah beleive that reason can determain between good an bad, so reason has capasity to know which one, good and bad
2. Everything come from Al-Quran must be intepret rationaly and any irrasional intepretation will be rejected
Why the reason is independent and dependen resource for Islamic thought?
1. Becouse based on realisme teological thought that realities is independen from human being awarness and knowledge. Realities exist independen from knowledge
2. “Aql quds” is one of realities created by God, its independen from awarnes and human knowledge
3. Based on ontological realism, realities (wujud) is one but manifest in gradation and hirarcies, human reason has law of “self eviden”, causality which come from fitrah (innate). This law not need argumentation to proof it (badihiat) use with intuition aql.
4. There are level reason, it call “aql mustafad” belong to Prophet, this reason is transenden and direct manifestation from God, this reason dependen to God.
5. Human aql dependen on revelation (external hujjah) and aql imam as (internal hujjah)
6. Human aql independen in proses (acquaring) known and knower, dependen intution aql in badihiyat (present), dependen in aql mustafaq and aql quds (presen)
7. This argument based on Syi’i tradition
There are many variant of aql
1. Aql quds (independent)-Islamic thought
2. Aql Mustafad (dependen to aql quds)-Islamic thought
3. Aql intuitive (badihiyat)-Islamic thought
4. Aql philosophers-Islamic thought
5. Alq methaphisic-Islamic thought
6. Aql Instrumental (belong to positivism and empirism-material realism)-western thought
7. Aql geographies and histories ( Husserl and Kant)-Western thought
8. Aql Positivism (material realism)-western thought
9. Aql Empirism (material realism)-western thought
According to Islamic thought, between reason, intuition, sensor, revelation and tradition use togheter. Its must be interconected with guidance by God and revelation. (By Muhammad Ma’ruf, Researcher of Western and Islamic Thought)
References:
Falsafatuna, Shadr, Bagir, Mizan 2014
Phiosophical Intruction, Yazdi, Misbah, Sadra Press, 2010