Determinism and Determinists with an Interpretative-Narrative Analysis in Allameh Tabataba'i's Approach (Types, Implications, Reasons for Rejection)

Abstract

The issue of determinism alongside human will in the performance of actions stands as a historical dilemma within Islamic sciences. From the advent of Islam, due to its close connection with concepts such as the system of cause and effect, divine decree and predestination, human actions, and free will, Muslim scholars have approached this matter from various perspectives. Allameh Tabataba'i, a prominent Shiite scholar, addresses and examines the issue of determinism in his exegesis Al-Mizan. The findings of this study, conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach emphasizing Al-Mizan, indicate that Allameh classifies determinism into types such as religious determinism, philosophical determinism, and materialistic determinism. The consequences of these include the denial of the innate principle of cause and effect, the contradiction between divine decree and human actions, the inherent misery of disbelievers, belief in materialism, attributing disgraceful actions to God, and the futility of human deeds. Reasons such as divine commands and prohibitions, reference to divine attributes, repentance, and blame are tools that Allameh uses to refute the theory of determinism and its proponents. Overall, in Allameh’s view, determinism leads to the denial of the intellectual goodness and badness of actions and to legitimizing the imposition of unbearable duties.