IQBAL -The Philosophical Test of the Revelations of Religious Experience

Family of the Heart - DIALOGUE & DISCUSSIONS 

 Dear Mr. Zafar Rehmani,
I hope all is well with you. I have no misderstanding about your post and the views of Dr. Iqbal as mentioned by you. In your earlier post on which I had commented, you had quoted Dr. Iqbal saying that the three arguments presented by scholastic philosophy namely cosmological, teleological and ontological show their inadequacy. Then while commenting on my post you have again quoted Dr.Iqbal on the subject as such:" But regarded as logical proofs, I am afraid, they are open to serious discussions and further betray a rather superficial interpretation of experience." The word "inadequacy means some thing lacking." According to Dr.Iqbal these arguments are not perfect and strong arguments and need something more. That something more is the prophetic and spiritual experience that the Quran betrays. Inadequate argument does not mean the rejection but improvement and that improvement is made by the rational and spiritual mode of the Quranic argument. So it can be said that these words of Dr.Iqbal do not reject the three arguments given by scholastic philosophy. Dr. Iqbal finds these arguments week on the bases of logic and experience when compared to the Quranic concepts of the cosmos and spiritual experience. In my opinion the three arguments propounded by the scholastic philosophy are not un-Quranic but they lack the force of intuitive and spiritual experience and logical arguments that the Quran presents on the question of the existence of God. This is the reason I discussed the Quranic view point on the existence of God referring Dr.Iqbal and the scholastic philosophy. For Dr. Iqbal, the Quranic method of argument about God is more reliable than the three arguments given by the scholastic philosophy and Dr. Iqbal showed his disinterest on the scholastic arguments. Thanks.
Sincerely yours,
Dr.Maqsood Jafri
New York
 

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