Positive theology has a long lasting background. The first theologians would attribute a few certain epithets to God to obtain knowledge of Him. In later periods, the positive theology faced some challenges. Some would not accept attributing human epithets to God, and some other would absolutely reject attribution. They believed in negative theology instead. In the West, there are some traces of accepting the negative theology in the wordings of Plato and the neo-platonic thinkers. In Islam, both forms of theology have had their own proponents. Many have considered positive theology as the right form, and others have had the same opinion on negative theology. Ismaciliya is among the limited number of the religious sects expressly defending the negative theology and criticizing the positive theology.
ــــــــــــــ ، مجموعة رسائل الکرمانی، تحقیق مصطفی غالب، بیروت، الجامعیة للدراسات و النشر و التوزیع، 1407ق.
المحفوظی، علی بن حنظله، رسالة ضیاء الحلوم و مصباح العلوم، اربع کتب حقانیه، تحقیق مصطفی غالب، بیروت، مؤسسة الجامعیة للدراسات و النشر و التوزیع، 1407ق.
مسلم نیشابوری، صحیح مسلم، بیروت، دارالفکر، بیتا.
النر، استامپ؛ جستارهایی در فلسفة دین، ترجمة مرتضی فتحیزاده، قم، اشراق، 1380.
نووی، شرح مسلم، بیروت، دارالکتاب العربی، 1407ق.
نسفی، مدارک التنزیل و حقائق التأویل، بیجا، بینا، بیتا.