Critical Evaluation of Pluralism of Truth by Emphasizing on the Mystical Views of ibnʿArabī and Mawlana Rumī

Abstract

The theory of religious pluralism is a new approach in religious studies and wasn’t prevalent in the period of ibnʿArabī and Mawlana Rumī. It is, nevertheless, possible to understand their views on the truth of religions by focusing on their works. In this paper, by appeal to the works of ibnʿArabī and Mawlana Rumī in a descriptive-analytical way, we attempt to evaluate their views on the truth of religions and compare them with the theory of religious pluralism. It appears that their views have some pluralistic contents, although they have significant difference with it. Despite their belief that some truth can be found in all religions and can’t be treated as wholly false, but on the other hand they maintain that Islam includes the most complete truth. In fact according to pantheism, they consider truth as comprising various degrees which the highest degree of it can be found in Islam