Faith and Reason: A Comparative Analysis of Abū al-Muʿīn al-Nasafī and Thomas Aquinas on Intellect, Assent, and Free Will

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the complex relationship between intellect, knowledge, and free will in the context of religious faith “fides” or “īmān”. The paper focuses on the perspectives of two prominent theologians, Thomas Aquinas and Abū al-Muʿīn Nasafī, from the Middle Ages. The study begins by examining the aforementioned theologians’ notions about the nature and fundamental aspects of religious faith. It then explores the specific roles assigned by Aquinas and Nasafī to intellect, knowledge, and free will in the act of faith. The final section of the article presents a comparative analysis of their perspectives, highlighting the similarities, differences, and potential tensions between their positions. The findings of this study suggest that Aquinas’ argument, which asserts that grounding faith in knowledge or evidence undermines human free will, may have certain problematic aspects. According to him, one necessarily assents to the proposition at hand if there is conclusive evidence. However, as for Nasafī, it appears that one can both rely on evidence and exercise their free will in the act of faith if religious assent “agnitio” or “taṣdīq” is understood in a dual sense.