Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theology, Shahed University of Tehran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran
Abstract
The scholars of Hadith believe that God changes with respect to the perception and belief of believers. Ibn Arabi accepted the idea of God's vision from the Ash'arite theologians and, in an innovative approach, added the theory of divine transformation in the form of beliefs and beliefs of believers. The basis of this theory is a hadith that has been narrated in the Sunni sources of narration and has generally become one of the beliefs of the scholars of Hadith. This article aims to criticize and examine this theory based on Shiite theological principles in order to accurately explain Shiite beliefs using a descriptive analytical method in a comparative approach. It analyzes and examines the theory of God's transformation in the thought of the scholars of Hadith and Ibn Arabi, and then criticizes it with the Imami theological principles. The findings of the research show that the hadith of transformation is not reliable because it is not narrated in Shiite sources and all its attributions end with Abu Hurairah and it contradicts rational arguments and Quranic principles. The results of the discussion are as follows: The theory of transformation is not compatible with the principle of God's being abstract and not corporeal. Also, Ibn Arabi and his commentators consider fixed objects to be necessary for God's transformation. However, the fixed objects, due to their stability and lack of change, correspond to the stability and uniformity of God's manifestations and do not change according to the beliefs of believers.
Introduction
The existence of a singular and unique God constitutes the foundation of religious belief systems; without such a conviction, the faith-based doctrines of monotheistic religions would be rendered meaningless. From an ontological perspective, God is the creator and sustainer of all beings, managing the affairs of existence. In various Islamic theological and philosophical schools, all beings are seen as ontologically dependent upon God—a notion strongly emphasized in religious teachings.
Literature Review
Great Muslim thinkers have generally examined the relationship between believers and the Creator from an ontological standpoint, and rarely have they addressed the relation between this existential need and the specific beliefs held by the faithful about God. This has left several questions open regarding the nature of the relationship between God and His creation. According to Ibn ʿArabī, the relation between the Creator and the created is not limited to ontology; rather, God manifests to each believer in accordance with their faith. On this basis, he formulated the doctrine of Divine transformation relative to the beliefs of the faithful.
Methodology
This article seeks to critique and evaluate this theory based on Shiʿi theological foundations. Through a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach, the study first examines the ḥadīth cited by Ibn ʿArabī in terms of its chain of transmission and textual content. It then proceeds to assess and critique his theory in light of Imāmī theological principles.
Conclusion
The theory of Divine transformation, according to the faith of believers, is one of Ibn ʿArabī’s innovative doctrines. He accepted the concept of Divine vision from the Ashʿarite theologians, but also introduced a new dimension—that God appears to individuals according to their beliefs. The basis of this idea lies in a ḥadīth found in Sunni collections and largely accepted by Ḥadīth-based scholars. However, all versions of this narration trace back to Abū Hurayrah, who claimed to have received it from the Prophet (PBUH); this chain renders the narration unreliable. Moreover, such narrations are absent from Shiʿi ḥadīth sources. The content of the ḥadīth also contains rational inconsistencies and contradicts the fundamental tenet of God’s immateriality and incorporeality, especially as the beginning of the narration implies a bodily vision of God in the hereafter.
Ibn ʿArabī and his commentators interpret the immutable archetypes (aʿyān thābita) as the basis for Divine transformation. However, due to their fixed and unchanging nature, these archetypes necessitate stable and consistent manifestations of the Divine, not variable ones based on individual beliefs. The Divine manifestation to any being occurs strictly in accordance with its own archetype, and no other form of theophany is possible for that being. Therefore, if God were to appear to a believer in a form that diverges from the requisites of their own archetype—as claimed by Ibn ʿArabī and his followers—this would entail that God manifests contrary to His own essential knowledge, and that His knowledge does not correspond to reality or actual being. Hence, accepting the theory of Divine transformation relative to the beliefs of the faithful leads to an internal contradiction within Ibn ʿArabī’s mystical system—one that remains unresolved.
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