The Dialectic of Reconciliation Between the Body and Revelation in Islamic Thought

Abstract

The relationship between reason and revelation is one of the most important issues that has preoccupied human thought in general, and Islamic thought in particular. This is due to the numerous complexities it encompasses, especially concerning the foundations of epistemological deduction and the legal basis for overarching principles. These principles shape a person's doctrinal worldview, their civilizational reality, and the changes in their society. The relationship also involves determining the balance between reason and revelation, or assessing the extent to which reason can respond to and receive divine revelation, lest it fall into reprehensible interpretations. As a result of the development of philosophical and theological schools, culminating in modern thought, various theories emerged. Some of these theories elevate reason to the status of the arbiter of the text, making it the foundation for understanding, interpreting, and deducing its intended meaning. This has led to the emergence of doctrinal tendencies. Others restrict reason in its understanding, prioritizing the authority of the revealed text, fearing that reason might overstep its bounds in interpreting the text, leading to doctrinal and intellectual deviations. Islamic thought, however, is based on the innate source of creation, whether revealed or created reason, which cannot contradict itself in its essence. Through their integration, reason becomes a tool for understanding revelation and deriving its meanings, connecting it to the doctrinal system based on divine revelation