The Human Soul in Isma'ili Thought: Presentation and Critique 10.35781/1637-000-128-002

Abstract

Objectives of the Study: - To collect the Isma'ili sect's conceptions of the human soul from their original sources. - To uncover the impact of these conceptions on other areas of Islamic creed. - To demonstrate the danger of esoteric (bāṭinī) interpretation in explaining religious texts, especially those related to the human soul. - To clarify the true nature and fate of the soul in light of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous predecessors). Methodology: Analytical and critical approach. Key Findings: - The Isma'ili sect is an esoteric group with philosophical roots. Its doctrine is based on symbolic interpretations and presents a spiritualized view of the soul and the afterlife, centering salvation and return to light on the infallible Imām. - The Isma'ilis rely on esoteric interpretation in understanding the soul and the hereafter, which led them to deny bodily resurrection, judgment, Paradise, and Hell, replacing them with symbolic and intellectual meanings that contradict revealed texts and the concept of the unseen.