Journal of Religion and the Contemporary World

Journal of Religion and the Contemporary World

Naming and Normativity: An Introduction to the Quranic and Mystical Theology

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Abolghasem Fanaei
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
10.22096/rc.2024.2042162.1220
Abstract
Understanding the divine names of things—names bestowed from a divine perspective—holds a lofty position in Quranic and mystical theology and is particularly important in spiritual and moral development. This article aims to demonstrate: (1) why this is crucial; (2) how divine names differ significantly from conventional names in their descriptive and normative content; and (3) that divine names are both enlightening and motivating, serving theoretical and practical functions in religious life as well as mystical and moral practice.

The paper's structure is as follows:

1. Analysis of naming and its types

2. Nature of religious and mystical knowledge

3. Differences between divine and human naming

4. Examination of religious lifestyle and its relation to the divine perspective and names

5. The necessity of religion, revelation, and prophethood

6. Case study: Selected divine names in the Quran, their mystical interpretations, and normative implications

7. Comparison of merciful and satanic names

8. Conclusion
Keywords
Naming and Normativity
Divine Naming
Religious Names
Theoretical and Practical Theology
Quranic Theology
Mystical Theology
God in the Quran
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