Evaluating Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari’s Denial of Veridicality of Resurrection-Related Propositions in the Noble Quran

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Author

Assistant professor, Department of the Quran, Texts, and History of Civilization, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Thought, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Thought, University of Tehran

Abstract

Veridicality consists in the representation of the objective existence of things as they are, independently of our perception. The veridicality of religious propositions in the Quran has become a contentious issue in recent decades, particularly regarding propositions related to resurrection, which some intellectuals have doubted or outright denied as being factual. Muslim philosophers assert that resurrection-related propositions are not only veridical but also true, even though they cannot be empirically verified. Instead, similar to philosophical propositions, they can be rationally analyzed and grounded in knowledge by presence (al-ʿilm al-ḥuḍūrī). However, empiricists have raised challenges regarding the verifiability and veridicality of religious propositions. Mojtahed Shabestari, despite his belief in God, has contested the veridicality of Quranic propositions concerning resurrection. Therefore, the primary focus of this study is to analyze Mojtahed Shabestari’s denial of the veridicality of such propositions. Through a descriptive-analytic approach, this research critiques Mojtahed Shabestari’s perspective and underscores the veridicality of resurrection-based propositions in the Quran. The findings indicate that since Quranic propositions regarding resurrection are not empirical and are articulated by a wise speaker, they should be evaluated on their own terms. Furthermore, Quranic verses explicitly affirm the veridicality of propositions related to resurrection.

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Main Subjects

References

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