Introduction
In the intellectual traditions that have explained the epistemological aspects of revelation, the truth of revelation has always been regarded as authentic theological reality; although methodological differences among different schools are inevitable. Comparative philosophy in understanding the essence and nature of revelation in Islam and Christianity is a worthy subject. Our goal is to address the similarities and differences between revelation as a source of religious knowledge in Islam and Aquinas's view of realist belief in God. In the history of religious thought, we witness philosophical debates regarding the concept of revelation and assessments of whether it is real or not. Can the truth of revelation be understood, and can a certain understanding of its reality be achieved through reason? Is revelation a subjective concept that reason is incapable of explaining and can only be perceived in the heart? In this discussion, we will compare divine revelation in Islam and Christianity, with an emphasis on the model of Thomas Aquinas.
 
Epistemological Method of Revelation in Islam
In Islam, the meaning of revelation is the word of God, which the angel of revelation gradually recited to the Prophet (PBUH) and the scribes of revelation wrote down, the final manifestation of which is the Quran. The Quran is the reference for religious knowledge, the establishment of laws, and the standard of morality. The Prophet (PBUH) brought forth a good character, and the divine prophetic tradition complemented the revelation in guiding the Islamic nation and other nations. In Islamic philosophical traditions and various readings of epistemological methods of revelation, the Quran is not limited to the Quran alone, and reason has been used as a synergistic force in explaining and understanding the Quran. In Islam, commentators have prevented the distortion of written revelation over time. In the science of hadith, hadith scholars have prevented the entry of fabricated hadiths into the field of Islamic sciences. The emergence of the views of Akhbarism and Usuli in Islam, with the superiority of the Usuli who placed the principle of rational ijtihad in accepting or rejecting revealed texts as the center of their reading, over the Akhbarians who gave more importance to the appearance of the revealed text, indicates that in the epistemological method of revelation, the interaction of reason and revelation has exemplary acceptance. The common thread between these two schools is the adaptation of revelation to external reality. In such a way that the truth of revelation is current in human life and does not have a purely mental aspect. The rulings constructed from the revealed texts and arising from the Prophetic tradition contain a map of the path of the followers and the manifestation of the divine will in the legislative guidance of man and guarantee his happiness. There is a kind of passionate belief in this approach: the belief that divine guidance in the form of revelation has a real basis in life and is rooted in the absolute wisdom and benevolence of God.
 
Theistic realism in Aquinas' model of faith
Aquinas elaborated a model of faith in which God, as the subject of faith and divine truth, is objectively knowable. He insisted on the non-contradiction of faith and reason. Aquinas believed that faith reveals truths that are beyond the full comprehension of reason but never contradict reason. Aquinas' definition of faith is: ''Faith is the theoretical certainty that God exists." He attributes to the believer a fundamental orientation toward the divine and considers faith, like knowledge, to be reassuring. In Aquinas' view, God is uncompounded and non-propositional. On the other hand, the reliance of propositional foundations of belief on revelation and the support of its divine evidence leads to their confirmation. John Locke also defined faith as the affirmation of any proposition that comes from God “in some extraordinary manner of communication”. These views are acceptable to Muslim scholars because revelation provides a solid foundation for both the theoretical and practical aspects of faith. Reason confirms revelation in both its content and appearance. Human knowledge considers the signs of God and the works of divine wisdom in the Quran as true statements. One aspect of the similarity between Aquinas' model and Islam is the belief in propositional truth claims based on authoritative divine evidence. For Aquinas, revelation is the source of knowledge of divine truths and lies beyond the reach of reason. However, reason has the ability to prove the existence of God and explain revealed truths by establishing philosophical arguments, though it is not capable of proving revealed truths. Aquinas divided truth into two types: "rational" and "faithful," both of which are compatible with reason. Aquinas' theistic realism holds that revealed truths are beyond the bounds of subjective beliefs and exist in the realm of objective realities. Divine law, which includes natural and revealed laws, is established based on divine will and has a real and objective basis in human life, and its ultimate goal is to guide humanity towards perfection, eternal happiness, and union with the divine essence. Aquinas had a presupposition of faith in mind, believing that divine grace has made universal grace flow through the affirmative beliefs of mankind, and that the basis of faith is "pre-accepted belief." But do all believers have access to evidence that proves the rationality of their faith? Do believers have the ability to assess the truth or falsehood of such evidence? Penelhum states: Although what one acknowledges in faith includes many things that are not about God himself, one acknowledges them because they are revealed by God. In this regard, Benacerraf considers Descartes' philosophy, which asserts that based on the teachings of the Bible, one must believe that God exists and, on the other hand, one must believe in the Bible because it was revealed by God, to be true. However, he questions how this argument can be presented to unbelievers, as they may accuse us of "circular reasoning" and "infinite regress". Plantinga presented the Aquinas-Calvin model, highlighting the commonalities between Calvin's model of special knowledge and Aquinas's model (faith as a truth revealed by God) as well as the differences between the two models (whether faith should be considered knowledge). Any attempt to understand an independent reality in human language is fallible, subject to revision in light of future experience, and carries a certain degree of uncertainty. In line with the school of dynamic theology, the concept of faith in God is constantly changing, evolving, and progressing. From a biological perspective, the reason for this can be seen in the evolution of the human brain and mind. The sharing of new ideas and theorizing raises more questions in theological philosophy, compelling philosophers to redefine new theoretical and practical foundations for truth-seeking minds.
 
Comparative Philosophy of the Reality of Revelation in Islam and the Viewpoint of Aquinas
Both traditions have a similar reading of the importance of revelation as the main source of religious knowledge and theistic realism, and they acknowledge the objective reality of God and divine truths in the form of revelation. While they consider reason to have a fundamental role in understanding revelation, they also consider its limitations and believe that pure divine revelation guides man to the truth. Conversely, Islam believes that the direct source of revelation is God, and the written text of revelation is the Quran, which, along with the prophetic tradition, guides humanity towards truth and happiness, but Aquinas reduced the level of guidance for humanity to the Bible and the tradition of the Church. He used Aristotelian philosophy to structure his theological realist faith. Islam encompasses the individual and social affairs of humans, but in Aquinas' model, divine law guarantees individual salvation and observance of moral principles by believers, and has a more limited scope. Aquinas believes in the independence of reason and considers divine faith to be the transcendent of reason, while in Islam, revelation and tradition are central, and reason is a tool for understanding and receiving the truths emanating from them and has a complementary role in this area.
 
Conclusion
A comparison of the epistemological method of revelation within the scope of Islamic law and Aquinas' model of faith shows that in both traditions, despite structural and methodological differences, theism and faith in the object of faith, which is God, are realist and have a real determination in the life, future, and happiness of mankind. Both views consider God as an objective and transcendent reality, and revelation is a means of divine knowledge and understanding. Both traditions of thought have been and continue to strive to guide humanity towards ultimate truth and happiness. The common goal of these two philosophical readings is to discover the mysteries of existence and the place of humanity in the sacred realms of divine knowledge. May philosophers of religion and theologians from both heavenly and non-heavenly traditions find common ground in their views in constructive religious discourses and, free from bias, provide their followers with a path that leads to the understanding and comprehension of sublime human concepts, including faith.