ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Our Belief Chapter 6: Other Subjects Besides what was said in the previous chapters about our ‘belief, there are other specialties in our ideas that will follow in this chapter. The Rationale Goodness and Badness We believe that human wisdom can appreciate many good things to distinguish from the bad ones, and right from wrong; by his blissful power of distinction which God has given him.

Even before coming of the prophets with the law, man could rationally distinguish many good and bad. For instance he could easily understand that justice is good and oppression is bad. Man could know that some ethics such as truthfulness, honesty, bravery and generosity are good deeds; and that, lying; betrayal and jealousy are bad morals.

But as the wisdom is not able to comprehend all that is good or bad, and his knowledge is limited, the prophets were sent with book for guidance and the law to improve man's faculty and morals, helping his wisdom. In that of course we deny not the value of the independent wisdom which comprehends the facts. If so, the monotheism, the prophetic missions, and the divine religion, will all be futile! For all these important tenets are basically proved by the reasoning of the wisdom.

It is evident that the law and the commandments are only acceptable when the principles which are monotheism and prophethood have been proved to us through wisdom, and by the religion itself. God's Justice We do believe in God's justice, and we say it is impossible for God to oppress any creature of His at the least amount, or to punish His servants without any reason or to forgive them without a reason. It is also impossible that God may leave His promises unfulfilled.

We also know it to be impossible that God may abandon His servants without giving them necessary guidance. Associating such indecent and foul labels with the Omnipotent God is clearly far from the truth and reality. Man's Freedom We believe that God has created Man free. He has given us free will and we have options to do what we may do. If not so, why should He punish a sinner who is supposed to be compelled to commit sins?

To make it short, rationally distinguishing good and bad as mentioned above, and independent wisdom are bases for the acceptance of divine religion, scriptures and the prophets, but not enough, because we have a limited wisdom, by which we cannot grasp all that we need.