‘Allāmah al-Ḥillī (died 726 AH) says...

‘Allāmah al-Ḥillī (died 726 AH) says, “The Imāmiyyah and Mu‘tazilah are of the opinion that the goodness and wickedness of some actions can be clearly and axiomatically discerned by the intellect.”[^2] Aḥmad Amīn al-Miṣrī writes, “Since the Mu‘tazilah have regarded God as just and wise, they have put forth the issue of the goodness and evil of actions.”[^3] Apart from the Imāmiyyah and Mu‘tazilah, the Māturdiyyah have also acknowledged [rational] goodness or evil [of actions].

For instance, Taftazānī (died 793 AH) has said: “Some Sunnīs, that is, the Ḥanafīs, are of the opinion that the goodness and evil of some actions can be perceived by the intellect; for example, the obligatoriness of the first obligation, the mandatoriness of affirming the Prophet ( ṣ ) and the unlawfulness of rejecting him.”[^4] The Ashā‘irah are among the main rejectors of the principle of rational goodness and evil.

In principle, all those who do not accept and give importance to reason and rational knowledge also do not believe in rational goodness and evil. On this basis, the Ahl al-Ḥadīth from among the Sunnīs and the Akhbārīs from among the Shī‘ah also reject rational goodness and evil.

Of course, some Akhbārīs have acknowledged decrees of the intellect in self-evident premises ( badīhiyāt ), and in other than the self-evident premises, they have recognized the sacred law ( sharḥ ) as the way of perceiving the truths (both theoretical and practical).[^5] Appreciation and Condemnation, Reward and Punishment The concepts of appreciation and condemnation, reward and punishment are among the concepts discussed in the issue of rational goodness or evil.

In this regard, the Ash‘arīs have said: “What we reject in this issue is for us to regard as good action the action which deserves appreciation in this world and reward in the Hereafter and for us to consider evil action the action which deserves condemnation in this world and punishment in the Hereafter. However, we do not deny the fact that on account of being a quality of perfection or defect, an action is rational, appreciated, or condemned.

We are also of the opinion that knowledge is a perfection of the self and a knowledgeable person is worthy of praise while ignorance is a defect and an ignorant person is blameworthy.