Allameh Naraqi’s perspective on the correct method of acquiring knowledge is that one should not harbor fanaticism or blindly imitate any specific branch of science or individual. Instead, one should always choose the middle path, strive to be well-versed in a comprehensive range of sciences and virtues, refrain from dismissing other disciplines, and endeavor to master various fields of knowledge so as to become an independent thinker with well-founded opinions.
“Then, in your pursuit of knowledge, remain moderate between the esoteric intellectual sciences and the exoteric religious sciences. Do not be among those who restrict their vision to the apparent meanings of verses while failing to recognize the realities of clear proofs—those who condemn the scholars of spiritual truth (Haqiqah) and accuse them of heresy and atheism. Nor should you be among those who spend their lives delving into the redundant ideas of the ancients (the Greeks) while abandoning what was brought by the Bearer of Revelation and the Criterion (Furqan)—those who condemn the scholars of the Divine Law (Shariah) and impute to them a dullness of mind, claiming intelligence for themselves while attributing ignorance and idleness to the inheritors of the Prophets.
Furthermore, in intellectual matters, remain moderate among the paths of the wise without clinging blindly to any single one out of mere imitation or fanaticism. Therefore, maintain a balance between philosophy (Hikmah), scholastic theology (Kalam), illuminationism (Ishraq), and mysticism/gnosis (Irfan), and unite rational demonstration with the purification of the soul through worship and spiritual discipline. Do not become a mere scholastic theologian who knows nothing beyond argumentation, nor a pure Peripatetic who compromises and neglects religion, nor a Sufi who rests content with the mere claim of direct mystical vision without clear evidence and proof.” [1]
Thus, in the acquisition of knowledge, one should integrate both the esoteric intellectual sciences and the exoteric religious sciences. One must not belong to either extreme: neither those who exclusively know exoteric religious sciences and accuse the scholars of the inward path of infidelity and heresy, nor those who waste their lives studying Greek philosophy while abandoning divine revelation. Similarly, in rational sciences, one should choose the middle ground and avoid fanaticism toward any single method, successfully combining discursive reasoning, soul purification, and traditional (transmitted) sciences.
Just as Allameh Naraqi considers the middle path and justice among the three human faculties to be the pathway to salvation and perfection in ethical matters, he likewise regards the middle ground as the optimal choice in the acquisition of knowledge—namely, the synthesis of rational sciences, spiritual purification, and transmitted sciences. The path he outlines for the seeker of knowledge and perfection is, in truth, the most comprehensive and complete educational and intellectual program.
[1] Mulla Mahdi Naraqi, Jami’ al-Sa’adat (The Compendium of Happiness), vol. 1, p. 73.
