Indeterminism in the Shiʹite Imami Kalam and Its Educational Role

Document Type : Scientific-research

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The problem of “predestination and freewill” is one of the problems which has occupied the minds of many thinkers for a long time. The Holy Qur’an in some verses refers to issues such as guidance (hidāyah) and misguidance (iḍlāl) and attributes them to God, and, at the same time, in some verses speaks of human freewill. This paper deals with the problem of “predestination and freewill” in Shii՝ite Imami Kalam, and tries to answer the questions that “is man a free being or a compelled being?” and “what educational effects does this have for him?”. Oue method in this paper is a descriptive-analytical method; i.e., we try to answer the above-mentioned questions by explaining some contradictions related to belief in indeterminism, such as freewill and the inherent wretchedness of infidels, freewill and the generality of creation, freewill and the order of causality, freewill and the Divine Providence, and freewill and fate (qaḍā’) and destiny (qadar). The results of this paper indicate that, according to Shi՝ism, neither Determinism is true position, nor Indeterminism, but the true position is a position between these two positions (Amrun Bayna al-Amrayn), so that in the causal order of the universe and in Divine fate (qaḍāʾ) and destiny (qadar), doing or not doing an action is possible, not necessary. Also, Divine Providence is a formative -legislative providence. This means that God with His formative providence, has willed that a human being be free. Hence, the final cause of human actions is human will, and the will has a central role in educating a human being. Therefore, the key to purification of the soul is to strengthen the will.

Keywords

References

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