Examining the Challenges and Functions of Religious Science from the Perspective of Muḥammad Naqīb al-‘Aṭṭās

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran

2 Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran

10.22081/nir.2026.69574.1455

Abstract

The plurality and diversity of the versions presented of religious science show that different thinkers do not agree on its nature and that a kind of dispersion of views prevails in this field. What is meant by religious science in this article is the Islamic science, which has distinctive characteristics in the perception of Muslim scholars. Among contemporary scholars of the Islamic world who have written in this field, Muḥammad Naqīb al-‘Aṭṭās’ theory relies more than others on objective facts and practical approaches. The present study attempts to answer the question of what obstacles the realization of religious science in ‘Aṭṭās’ intellectual system faces and what consequences and functions it will bring in case of actualization? To find the answer, the authors have examined the challenges and functions of this theory using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on documentary studies. The resultant of the studies shows that obstacles such as: the non-Islamization of language, the fusion of Western science with its civilizational origins, epistemic dualism in popular sciences, the inherent skepticism and relativism of secular science, and the process of secularization are among the most important obstacles to the actualization of religious science. On the other hand, an in-depth look into ‘Aṭṭās’ views shows that the actualization of this theory leads to outstanding results, the most important of which are: the development of a perfect human being, the inclusiveness of epistemic resources, the removal of skepticism and relativism from the face of science, the integration of sciences, the coherent structuring of religious science, the convergence of the Islamic world, and an optimal version of religion.

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