Epistemological and non-epistemological factors of mercy process

ABSTRACT: The rule of mercy is one of the tenets of study of speech (Ilm al Kalam). Divine mercy leads the man toward obedience of God and avoidance of sins. Man’s will is one of the effective factors in the grant of mercy, which entails with recognition of benefits and suffers of obedience. Sheik Mofid argued that mercy is universal and granted by God to mankind. Individuals, depending the acquired merits, are blessed with the mercy. Sociological, pragmatism and psychological factors all are effective on capability of receiving mercy. Knowledge regarding benefits and goods leads man toward obedience. The grant of mercy develops knowledge regarding benefits and suffers raised from and a deed. Mercy of knowledge, by its nature, eventuates in moving toward God and worshiping. The motivation for accepting mercy, according to Islamic theology, is the knowledge of the benefits. Thus it is of epistemological nature and studies on the foundations of epistemological factors such as will lead us to deeper insight. The quality of being subject to God’s mercy, from Sheik Mofid’s viewpoint, lies with the individual’ capacity. On the other hand, from epistemologists’ point of view, non-epistemological factors are determinant on such knowledge. Therefore, in line with Sheik Mofid, there are epistemological and non-epistemological factors to deal with in the study of foundation of mercy.