Intellectual proofs in Shia jurisprudence
Among the Islamic schools of thought, intellect as a source for deriving jurisprudential rulings is usually mentioned by Shia Islam, the others like the Sunni school of thought suggest Comparison, Discretion, and other speculative arguments. Definition 'Aql literally is used in wisdom, maturity, knowledge, contemplation in opposition to asininity and idiotism. Technically, it is used for a faculty discovering good and evil and instigating good and avoiding evil. Man's sayings, behaviors, and judgments of things are through this reasoning that helps analyze the data received and choose the best one. Thus, the intellectual proof here is any certain intellectual ruling that leads to a Sharia ruling. Intellect can be classified according to its object into: First: theoretical intellect that is used when intellect cognizes what is subject to knowledge and is non-relevant to practice like the impossibility of the conjunction of the opposites or two plus two is four. Second is the practical intellect; that is when intellect cognizes what is relevant to practice like an evil being of injustice or goodness of hospitality. What we mean here, as the intellectual proof is the practical one. Literature review The first Usūlīs have not declared intellect as a source of Sharia; for example, Sheikh Mufīd (413 A.H) considers the Quran and Sunnah as Sharia sources and regarded the intellect as one of the ways to reach to the Quran and Sunnah. Sheikh Tūsī (460 A.H) only mentions that intellect finds out the obligation of appreciating the kindness of others and that justice is good, and injustice is evil, without counting intellect as a separate source of Sharia. Maybe Sayed Sharif Murtadhā (436 A.H) was the first one to name intellect as an independent source for Sharia rulings. According to him, when there is not a ruling for an issue in the three other sources (the book, Sunnah, and consensus), the jurist has to refer to intellect, and then, the ruling of intellect will be the ruling of Allah. Ibn Idrīs Hillī (598. A.H) declares this issue later without explaining it more. Later, Muhaqqiq Hillī (676 A.H) and Shahid Awwal (786 A.H)came to explain intellect as a source. Then, recent scholars like Mīrzāye Qummī and Sahib Al-Fusūl delivered more accurate and detailed discussions concerning intellect. On the contrary, Akhbārīs do not consider intellect as a source of Sharia. Types of intellectual rulings/proofs Intellect as an independent source for deducing Sharia rulings may be of two types: 1)Independent intellectual proofs It is when intellect deduces a Sharia ruling without appealing to any Sharia premise. In logic, any Syllogism is made of two premises (minor and major premises) and a conclusion. If both premises are intellectual then it is an independent intellectual proof. For example: - Justice is rationally good. - Whatever is good rationally is obligatory according to Sharia *Therefore, Justice is obligatory according to Sharia Another example: - Injustice is rationally evil. - Whatever is evil rationally is prohibited according to Sharia. *Therefore, Injustice is prohibited according to Sharia. Studying the views