Islamic Theology

The rationality of religious belief systems indicates longitudinal relationships, so that each benefit from pertained rationality based on ontological place within the web of religious knowledge. Therefore, it can be possible to consider three layers of religious beliefs i.e. fundamental, middle, and marginal. Here fundamental beliefs are the most rational, followed by middle and finally marginal. Concerning Islamic and Christian traditions, there can be two beliefs, believing in one God and the hereafter, that are considered fundamental ones. There are also middle beliefs between the two mainstream religions that are about divine attributes, the relationship between God and human beings, and so on so forth. Finally, the level of marginal beliefs of two are about the sacredness of places, times, events, things, persons, situations etc. This research wants to show that although all religious beliefs have been expanded and changed under the influence of epistemic and non-epistemic factors, t fundamental beliefs have been more stable, immutable, universal, and compatible. Middle beliefs of Islam and Christianity, are generally based on believers’ plural understandings of religious texts and under aforementioned factors. Thus, in order to study the rationality of religions and their traditions, it is necessary to pay closer attention to how and under what conditions (epistemic and non-epistemic) their web of beliefs are formed and shaped.

The process of self-awareness and awareness of the surrounding world for Muslim scholars has been categorized into divisions such as experiential and acquired awareness. However, the ontology of awareness, meaning the discussion of whether awareness is immaterial or material, as well as the material or immaterial nature of the origin and end of awareness, has been a particularly challenging topic among Muslim theologians. Some Muslim scholars, denying the existence of a factor beyond the human body for his movement and life, considered both awareness and the process of awareness-formation in humans and the factor-shaping awareness in humans to be within the same body. They engaged in critiquing the perspectives and foundations of philosophers, especially Avicenna on this matter and, utilizing specific principles in their philosophical physicalist psychology, regarded awareness as a material entity. In this discussion, after examining the foundations of this group of Muslim theologians regarding the material nature of awareness and their criticisms of considering awareness as immaterial, wewill focus on the philosophical and epistemological consequences arising from the materialistic view of awareness in their thought.

The concept of the embodiment of deeds is discussed within the framework of Islamic eschatology, specifically concerning the afterlife, the recompense of actions, and divine justice. This study investigates the embodiment of deeds as reflected in Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and examines its alignment with Islamic eschatological principles. Drawing on Qur’anic verses, Hadiths, and the philosophical insights of Allameh Tabataba'i, the research emphasizes the intrinsic connection between actions, the soul, and their eternal forms. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, over one hundred NDE accounts from Iranian Shi'a Muslims were analyzed. The findings reveal various forms of embodiment, including the manifestation of significant physical actions, spiritual qualities, and the perception of life events and their consequences. The study concludes that the ontological nature of NDEs corresponds closely to the initial stages of the intermediary realm (Barzakh), based on Tabataba'i perspective. By bridging empirical observations with Islamic teachings on divine justice and the system of reward and punishment, the research offers new insights into the interconnectedness of human actions and their spiritual realities. This multidisciplinary approach enriches contemporary discourse on the afterlife, highlighting the transformative potential of NDEs in fostering moral and spiritual awareness. The research further demonstrates that the embodiment of deeds, as reported in NDEs, is substantiated by both reason and revelation, with Qur’anic-philosophical interpretations from Allameh Tabataba'i providing a robust explanatory framework.