‘Aql ( ar, عقل, meaning "intellect"), is an

Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

term used in

Islamic philosophy Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (literally: "philosophy"), which refers to philosophy as well as logic ...

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

for the

intellect In the study of the human mind, intellect refers to, describes, and identifies the ability of the human mind to reach correct conclusions about what is true and what is false in reality; and how to solve problems. Derived from the Ancient Gre ...

or the

rational Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reasons. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an abil ...

faculty of the soul or mind. It is the normal translation of the Greek term ''

nous ''Nous'', or Greek νοῦς (, ), sometimes equated to intellect or intelligence, is a concept from classical philosophy for the faculty of the human mind necessary for understanding what is true or real. Alternative English terms used i ...

''. In

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning ...

, it is associated with using reason as a source for '' sharia'' "religious law" and has been translated as "dialectical reasoning".

History

In Islam, the term ‘aql was heavily elucidated by early Shī‘ah thinkers; it came to replace and expand the pre-Islamic concept of ''ḥilm'' ( ar, حلم) "serene justice and self-control, dignity" in opposition to the negative notions of ignorance (''jahl'') and stupidity (''safah''). The "possessor of ‘aql", or ''al-‘āqīl'' (plural ''al-‘uqqāl'') realises a deep connection with God. Jaʿfar aṣ-Ṣādiq (d. 765, notably an Imām) described this connection as a realisation that God loves some, that God is truth and that only '' ‘ilm'' "sacred knowledge" and its development can help humanity fulfil its potential. His son, Imām Mūsà al-Kāżim (d. 799), expanded this exegesis by defining ‘aql as the "faculty for apprehending the divine, a faculty of metaphysical perception, a light in the heart, through which one can discern and recognize signs from God." He further noted that where the A'immah (Imāms) are the ''ḥujjatu ż-żāhira'' "External proof

f God F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. His ...

, ‘aql is the ''ḥujjatu l-Bāṭina'' "Secret proof". While in early Islam, ‘aql was opposed to ''jahl'' "ignorance", the expansion of the concept meant it was now opposed to ''safah'' " eliberatestupidity" and ''junūn'' "lack of sense, indulgence". Under the influence of Mu‘tazilī thought, ‘aql came to mean "dialectical reasoning".

Shī‘ī Legal Implementation

In Shī‘ī jurisprudence, ‘aql is the process of using intellect or logic to deduce law. Legal scholars in both Sunni and Shī‘ī Islamic traditions share Quranic interpretation, the ''

Sunnah In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and pass ...

'', and ''Ijma‘'' "consensus" as sources of Islamic law and judicial decisions (''ḥukm''). However,

Twelver Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

s of the Ja‘farī

school of law A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, l ...

utilize ‘aql whereas Sunnis use ''

qiyas In Islamic jurisprudence, qiyas ( ar, قياس , " analogy") is the process of deductive analogy in which the teachings of the hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Quran, in order to apply a known injunction ('' nass'') to a ...

'' "analogical reasoning" as the fourth source of law. Among Twelvers, Akhbārīs (associated with exotericism and traditionalism and theological schools in

Qom Qom (also spelled as "Ghom", "Ghum", or "Qum") ( fa, قم ) is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. Qom is the capital of Qom Province. It is located to the south of Tehran. At the 2016 census, its popul ...

) and

Usuli Usulis ( ar, اصولیون, fa, اصولیان) are the majority Twelver Shi'a Muslim group. They differ from their now much smaller rival Akhbari group in favoring the use of '' ijtihad'' (i.e., reasoning) in the creation of new rules of ...

s (associated with esotericism and rationalism and theological schools in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...

) were contending subschools: the former reject ''

ijtihād In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

'' outright; the latter advocate ''ijtihad'' and have been predominant for the last 300 years. In Shī‘ī Islam, "the gates of ''ijtihād''" were never closed and with the use of ‘aql, Shī‘ī ''mujtahid''s "practitioner of ''ijtihād''" and ''faqīh''s "legal specialists" are able to respond as issues arise that were not explicitly dealt with in the Qur'an or Sunnah.

Notes

References

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External links

A Philosophical Discourse by Dr Syedi Yusuf Najmuddin (Translation of Falsafato Faydhil Aql by Syedna Taher Saifuddin)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aql Islamic jurisprudence Early Islamic philosophy Islamic terminology