Ayeen Alavi

Ayeen Alavi

Comparative Analysis of the Narrations on "Reason" in Nahj al-Balaghah and the Masnavi: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Status and Function of Hadith in Islamic Philosophy

Document Type : research article

Authors
1 Qur’anic and Hadith Sciences, Theology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2 Qur’anic and Hadith Sciences, Theology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
10.22034/aeena.2026.1731.1018
Abstract
The present study seeks, through an interdisciplinary approach, to draw on the capacities of mystical and philosophical-theological texts for a deeper understanding of hadith. The necessity of this research arises from the urgent need to reread the hadith legacy with modern tools and to move beyond one-dimensional approaches in hadith jurisprudence, which can significantly enrich contemporary hadith studies. The main aim of this article is a comparative and content-based analysis of narrations related to the concept of "reason" in Nahj al-Balaghah and Rumi’s Masnavi, in order to clarify how hadith themes are employed within two different intellectual contexts (Imami wisdom and theoretical-practical mysticism). Using qualitative and comparative content analysis, this research examines the semantic and functional dimensions of statements concerning reason in the aforementioned texts. The findings indicate that Nahj al-Balaghah presents reason as the inner proof and a religious measure, whose main functions lie in epistemology, moral guidance, and socio-political insight; whereas the Masnavi describes reason in two realms: the "partial reason" (instrumental and pragmatic) and the "universal reason" (connected to the Divine and intuitive), emphasizing the transcendence from the former to the latter through love. This study demonstrates that the Prophetic and Imamic hadiths have been not only
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  • Receive Date 24 September 2025
  • Revise Date 27 April 2026
  • Accept Date 27 April 2026