نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
The principle of grace (al-Luṭf) is one of the most fundamental principles in the theology of divine justice (al-ʿAdl), playing a decisive role in explaining the relationship between divine wisdom and the system of religious obligation (al-taklīf). The central focus of this research is to analyze the demonstrative function of this principle within the theological framework of Shaykh al-Mufīd, the founder of the Baghdad School, wherein grace is elevated from a mere descriptive principle to a "rational demonstrative tool." Employing the method of inferential content analysis and drawing upon Shaykh al-Mufīd’s foundational works—such as Awāʾil al-Maqālāt wa al-Nukat al-Iʿtiqādiyyah—this study demonstrates how al-Mufīd utilized the principle of grace to resolve epistemological impasses in the treatises on prophethood (al-nubuwwah), imamate (al-imāmah), and divine retribution. The findings reveal that Shaykh al-Mufīd resolved the paradox between human free will and the purpose of creation by shifting the obligation of grace from "obligatory justice" to "the necessity of the Almighty’s existence and wisdom." Within his intellectual framework, prophethood is conceptualized as a "supplementary grace" addressing the inherent limitations of reason, while the Imamate functions as a "protective grace" ensuring the continuity and preservation of the Sacred Law (al-Sharīʿah). Furthermore, al-Mufīd’s innovative explanation of the Occultation (al-Ghaybah) of the Imam under this principle highlights the evidentiary dynamism of grace when confronted with historical challenges. Ultimately, the study concludes that the principle of grace in al-Mufīd’s theology serves as the "central signifier" animating the Imāmī system, bridging theological rationality with the necessities of guidance to construct a coherent foundation for subsequent Shiʿi theology.
کلیدواژهها English
