ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Discursive Theology Volume 1 Lesson 29: The Necessity for Grace One of the important principles and rules in the justice-oriented ( ‘adliyyah ) theology is that of luṭf (Divine grace) which is considered the most important theological rule ( qā’idah ) after that of the rational goodness and evil. The justice-oriented theologians have proved many of the religious doctrines and beliefs on this basis.

The incumbency of religious obligations, the necessity for the mission ( bi‘thah ) of the prophets, the incumbency of the infallibility of the prophets, the Divine promises and warnings, the goodness of primary suffering, and the incumbency of imāmah (post-prophetic Divine leadership) are among the issues which are founded on this rule. The overwhelming majority of the justice-oriented theologians have supported this rule of luṭf .

In this regard, none of the famous Imāmī theologians has been reported to have any opposite view. Among the Mu‘tazilī theologians, however, Bashar ibn Mu‘tamar (died 210 AH) and Ja‘far ibn Ḥarb have been reported to have opposed this rule of luṭf [^1] although it is said that the said two personalities have made a recantation or disavowal of their opposition to luṭf and accepted it later.

The Ash‘arī theologians who denied the principle of rational goodness and evil also considered unacceptable the rule of luṭf . It can be inferred from various proofs and pieces of evidence that this rule – like that of rational goodness and evil – is one of the earliest questions in theology which had caught the attention of the justice-oriented theologians. When dealing with the common Mu‘tazilī beliefs, Shahristānī has made mention of the rule of luṭf (grace) and aṣlaḥ (most expedient).

It is also said that they have a consensus of opinion that taklīf is a necessity of the Divine grace.[^2] In his book Al-Fihrist ,[^3] Shaykh al-Ṭūsī has mentioned the book Al-Alṭāf as one of the treatises of Hishām ibn al-Ḥakam (died 179 or 199 AH).