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Aql (, meaning "intellect"), is an Arabic language term used in Islamic theology or philosophy to the intellect the rational faculty of the soul or mind. It is the normal translation of the Greek term nous. In jurisprudence, it is associated with using reason as a source for sharia "religious law" and has been translated as "dialectical reasoning".[1][2][3][4] While predominantly expounded by Sh thinkers, Sunni Muslims such as Barelvis and Sufis share similar beliefs.
Sh ah Legal Implementation In Sh ah jurisprudence, aql is the process of using intellect or logic to deduce law. Legal scholars in both Sunni and Sh ah Islamic traditions share Quranic interpretation, the Sunnah, and Ijma "consensus" as sources of Islamic law and judicial decisions ( ukm). However, Twelvers of the Ja far school of law utilize aql whereas Sunnis use qiyas "analogical reasoning" as the fourth source of law. Among Twelvers, Akhb r s (associated with exotericism and traditionalism and theological schools in Qom) and Usulis (associated with esotericism and rationalism and theological schools in Baghdad) were contending subschools: the former reject ijtih d outright; the latter advocate ijtihad and have been predominant for the last 300 years.[2][5] In Sh Islam, "the gates of ijtih d" were never closed and with the use of aql, Sh mujtahids "practitioner of ijtih d" and faq hs "legal specialists" are able to respond as issues arise that were not explicitly dealt with in the Qur'an or Sunnah. History In Islam, the term aql was heavily elucidated by early Sh ah thinkers; it came to replace and expand the pre-Islamic concept of ilm () "serene justice and self-control, dignity" in opposition to the negative notions of ignorance (jahl) and stupidity (safah).[2] The "possessor of aql", or al- q l (plural al- uqq l) realises a deep connection with God. Ja far a - diq (d. 765, notably an Im m) 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, Im m M s al-K im (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."[2] He further noted that where the A'immah (Im ms) are the ujjatu - hirah "External proof [of God]", aql is the ujjatu l-B inah "Secret proof".[2] While in early Islam, aql was opposed to jahl "ignorance", the expansion of the concept meant it was now opposed to safah "[deliberate] stupidity" and jun n "lack of sense, indulgence". Under the influence of Mu tazil thought, aql came to mean "dialectical reasoning".[2] Notes References External references
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