The Relation between Knowledge and Practice from Ibn Arabi and Imam Khomeini’s Viewpoints (with an Emphasis on the Differences of Acquisition Knowledge and Intuitive Knowledge)

Although the acquisition knowledge has preparing and introductory relation with regard to practice and is considered as its required condition, it lacks enough capability for definite guarantee of practice. Explicating the function of the acquisition knowledge achieved from different faculties of the soul and analyzing its position in principles and process of practice can to some extent explain why there is a gap between theory and practice. On the contrary, intuitive knowledge has a deeper effect than the acquisition one in respect to guaranteeing the practice, and the higher the degree of intuitive knowledge, the less the opposition of practice against this knowledge will be. After defining knowledge and practice and mentioning its types from Ibn Arabi and Imam Khomeini’s viewpoints, the paper deals with comparing the effect of acquisition and intuitive knowledge on practice.