Abstract

The quality of the relation between human's activity and God's activity has always been one of the most important problems of human thought, in general, and divine scientists, in particular. The most important ideas of Muslim philosophers in this regard are summarized in three theories of predestination, delegation, and the intermediate position. The theory of predestination is against each individual's independence, and the theory of delegation requires man's independent activity from God. The theory of the intermediate position, which was firstly suggested by the Infallible Imams, indicates the negation of predestination and delegation and demonstrates the existence of a reality between the two of them. Understanding the truth of the intermediate position based on the intellect and traditions is not an easy task. Accordingly, in order to interpret it, scholars have resorted to various approaches including theological, philosophical, and gnostic ones and have employed the related corresponding examples and analogies in order to portray each of these explanations and interpretations. A critique and study of all of them, the most important of which amount to six in number, reveals that most of them are incapable of depicting a clear and comprehensive picture of this theory. From among all of these approaches, one of them, that is, explaining the appearance of the divine activity in creation-related manifestations along with its corresponding example, that is, the allegory of the activity of the soul in its faculties, particularly based on 'Allamah Tabataba'i's allegorical interpretation, while considering man's activity in the systematic collection of creation, is preferred to other approaches and analogies.