According to the Public Relations Office of the Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought, quoting IQNA, the conference on the “Islamic-Iranian Governance Model for Progress Using the Transformation of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts” was held, Monday, Azar 12th, at the Academy of Sciences.
Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Rashad, the president and founder of the institute, expressed condolences on the occasion of Fatimiyya days during the meeting and stated:
“This meeting is good to hold so that we can address the sidelines and proximities of this document. The topic of the discussion is ‘Humanities Based on Spirituality and Its Function in the Domain of Progress.’ When we say ‘meaning,’ it refers to the unseen world and the hidden aspects of the universe, the celestial aspect, and the unseen nature of the cosmos that is dominant and encompassing, governed under the system arising from divine will. I interpret it as the celestial aspect and the unseen dimension of the cosmos that is superior to the worldly and apparent testimony of existence, dominant over it, and managed under the system arising from divine will.”
He continued:
“Islamic-Iranian spirituality, which has today created a vast wave of spirituality in the world, has emerged with two orientations:
- Some seek a refuge in a dark and material world where they take shelter without turning to religion, either due to lack of awareness or deliberate avoidance. These individuals, though perhaps correctly identifying the goal, may err in their chosen path.
- Another current tries to interpret spirituality as a rival to religion, placing it parallel to religion. Some local intellectuals promote slogans that aim to replace religion with spirituality.”
The Nature of Islamic Spirituality
He explained:
“By spirituality, we mean Islamic spirituality, which refers to a monotheistic, religion-based confrontation with the unseen world and the hidden aspects of existence, as well as the conduct arising from this confrontation in the domain of the apparent existence. Humanities, in essence, are detailed studies of human nature—not merely in terms of knowledge but as a discourse in the realm of life that seeks to analyze and manage human existential expressions in various fields.”
Ayatollah Rashad added:
“The question is, if we want to make a science spiritual or Islamic, what should we do? The concept of ‘unity and distinction of science’ is discussed in the philosophy of science and some other sciences. It explains how an accumulation of propositions transforms into a science, differentiating it from others, while also achieving internal coherence. For instance, medicine was initially a single knowledge field but has now evolved into tens and hundreds of subfields. The same applies to humanities.”
He further stated:
“Various theories about science exist. For example, some say the criterion for the unity and distinction of science lies in its subject—each science differs from others in its subject. Others focus on its purpose, claiming that every science is distinct based on the objective it aims to achieve. Some discuss methodology, issues, perspectives, etc. However, all these theories have flaws, including instances of contradiction.”
The “Proportionality” Theory with Five Pillars
The president of the institute explained:
“We have proposed another theory called ‘proportionality.’ This theory suggests that every science has five pillars: foundation, subject, purpose, issues, and methodology. When these five components align and harmonize, a science emerges. According to this theory, for humanities to become Islamic, all five components must align with Islam.”
He emphasized:
“We do not have relative Islamic science. Thus, if humanities are to be Islamic, they must conform to Islamic criteria. The purposes must align with Islam, meaning they must pursue maqasid al-shari’a (objectives of Islamic law). These objectives should not only be pursued in jurisprudence but also in ethics, civilization, and lifestyle. Therefore, if any science is to become Islamic, its purposes must be Islamic as well.”
Harmony Between Jurisprudence, Ethics, and Humanities
Ayatollah Rashad stated:
“If spiritual presuppositions are the foundation and we acknowledge that all existence flows from divine channels and all affairs are under divine control, this can influence spirituality. The subject of humanities is the human being, which comprises three types of propositions:
- Philosophical propositions,
- Normative propositions, and
- Ideal propositions.
In the secular world, humanities rival jurisprudence and shari’a. We aim to Islamize humanities to harmonize jurisprudence, ethics, and humanities.”
This scholar added:
“The aim is not to discard humanities or refute all opinions; rather, we seek to create an Islamic discourse that aligns with our ethics and jurisprudence. In this scenario, humanities will ultimately serve jurisprudence and ethics. Jurisprudence cannot function without humanities. For example, if jurisprudence wishes to comment on economics, it needs economic knowledge. Many of our scholars complain about banks operating usuriously. While they may not do so in theory, in practice, they do.”
He continued:
“If we consider humans as beings created by God to be His vicegerents, rather than mere superior animals, then by being servants, they become vicegerents. If we perceive humans this way in humanities, then humanities become Islamic and spiritual.”
Neglect of the Quran, both in universities and in Howzah Seminaries
Ayatollah Rashad stressed:
“One neglect by both seminary and academic circles is the lack of reliance on the Quran. This neglect has ironically united seminaries and universities. Ayatollah Javadi Amoli noted that our jurisprudence has become single-sourced, and our knowledge has not become Islamic because we fail to draw from the Quran. When we derive from the Quran, it allocates roles for intellect, tradition, nature, and experience.”
One-Dimensional Nature as a Flaw of Humanities
He continued:
“A fundamental flaw of modern sciences is their reductive and fragmented approach. They are not coherent or holistic, and to compensate for this weakness, interdisciplinary studies are now being pursued. Methodologically, they also rely on experience, which is not a source but a method, and experience is always probabilistic. Thus, one flaw of current humanities is their one-dimensional nature, sidelining revelation, tradition, intellect, and nature as sources of knowledge. Humanities and Islamic sciences must rely on these sources, particularly revelation as the main source.”
The president of IICT concluded:
“Essentially, knowledge descends from the divine realm through various channels to the human domain. Knowledge is divine and a spiritual element. We have numerous verses and traditions, and we should refer to them as they provide principles. For example, they say if you want a sound economy, practice taqwa (piety). The economy of a pious society will be sound, but as long as corruption and sin prevail and spread, economic problems will persist.”
Piety and Solving Societal Issues
He emphasized:
“We do not expect all individuals in society to become pious, as humans are free and can choose disbelief. However, if leaders, elites, pioneers, and trailblazers become pious, all issues, including economic ones, will be resolved. The heavens will rain continuously, the gates of blessings will open, and prosperity will descend.”
He concluded:
“A single-dimensional and single-faceted logic cannot unravel the complexities of truths for ordinary humans. However, the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams (AS) can deduce all truths solely through revelation and intellect. We, on the other hand, must utilize all five sources.”
