عقلانیت و علم معیار تمایز معنویت در اسلام از معنویت در سایر مکاتب

Abstract The dominant impression among humanistic schools of thought is that the basic belief in spirituality and following the due rites consist man’s requirement. This requirement is determined according to psychical conditions and demands of human being. Such a requirement couldn’t be basically denied or douted; therefore, authorities, particularly psychologists, have accentuated the necessity to accept spirituality as being an element of appeasement and pacification. But no importance has been rendered whether or not the believed spirituality is definitely sound; wether it is rightly based upon a rational, valid ground or not. In the holy law of Islam, in addition to strongly focusing on and emphasizing this basic requirement, it is mentioned explicitely that faith and belief in spirituality ought to be founded upon knowledge and rationality; and that evaluating man’s behaviour be based on the criteria of knowledge and reason. Moreover, faith and belief will end to salvation and bliss only when they are instituted in indisputabe rational and knowledge bases. The holy Quran and narrations of Ahlulbayt (p.b.u.t.) are the second to none of any other religion in repeating and giving emphasis to learning and reasoning. This invalidates the fallacious readings of the pellucid religion of Islam, in addition to distinguishing between the spirituality recommended by it and that of other schools of thought. While designating the distinctive border between, in one hand, the rational- and-knowledge-based spiritulity in Islam and, in the other, the illusory, imaginary ones, this article is to explain the rational and knowledge bases of spirituality in Islam as well as briefly expressing the philosophy of this foundation. The research follows a discriptive – analytical approach, analyzing the library data after collecting them