Islamic Philosophy in Maghreb.
Ibn
Masarrah of 4th
hijri, founder of school of Almeria, he was a mystic and a scholar. He was
influenced by Empedocles Anbaduqis, who was thought of as a prophet like
figure by many Islamic philosophers. Mararrah formulated a cosmology based
on his. Its effects can be seen later in Ibn Arabi.
His
pseudo-Empedocles cosmology is based on hierarchal emanations of five substances.
The first is Materia prima which is different from Aristotelian
concept. Here it means Intelligible Matter and is the first emanation of
Divine, while Divine Principle itself is above the schema much like Ismailis
Originator Al Mubdi. It is followed by Intellect, Soul, Matter and materia
secunda. He also interpreted Empedocles concept of Love and Fear
as Love and Qahr, (dominion or victory)
Ibn Hazm 5th Hijri, of Cordoba. He
was a Zahiri, a sharp critic of Asharite and wrote the first book on
comparative religion. (Al Biruni is another one in this category). In addition
to being a jurist, moralist, historian, theologian and philosopher, he was a
poet. He wrote a book on Platonic love, Tawq al Hamama (Ring of
the Dove). It makes him one of the erotic poets fedeli d’amore
like Sufis despite certain difference in perspective.
Abu Bakr
ibn Bajja (Latin Avempace) 6th hijri. Had influence on many including Ibn Rushd. Hailing from Northern Spain eventually moved
to Fez, became a vizier, imprisoned and died. He was a physician, scientist and
a philosopher. His works remain incomplete but by the level he was quoted by
later sources, it seems that he had a significant impact on development of
anti-Ptolemaic astronomy and cosmology and critique of Aristotelian theory of
projectile motion.
In
philosophy he was drawn on teachings of Al Farabi. His tadbir al mutawahhid,
Regimen of Solitary, is one of the most significant works of Islamic
philosophy in Maghreb. He speaks of a perfect state created not by
external circumstances but by inner transformation of whose who become
inwardly united with the Active Intellect, aqlal fa’al. He opposed Ghazali’s mysticism and proposed a detached and
intellectual form of mystical contemplation. It still remains within the family of Sufi gnostic.
Unfortunately, this work remained incomplete.
Abu Bakr
ibn Tufayl (Latin Abubacer) of Cadiz. Also, of 6th
Hijri. He was also a scientist, physician and a philosopher and attracted to
Ibn Sina. His major opus is Hayy ibn Yaqzan, (Living Son of the Awake)
which is considered as the source of inspiration for the Robinson Crusoe
story. This title is also borrowed from Sina. It is story of philosophical
romance. Here Hayy, the protagonist is the hero of the story and not the
Active Intellect. He mysteriously comes
to being from the matter and made spiritually active by the Active Intellect.
He is raised by a gazelle as a result of sympathy, goodness in all living
beings. Growing up he attains knowledge of physical, spiritual and material
world and finally the Divine Principle. At that time, he is joined by Absal
from neighboring Island, where he has been instructed in religion and theology.
Absal realizes, after learning Hays, language, that whatever he has learnt,
Hayy has known it in its purest form. Together they try to educate the people
of Absal’s island but few understand. This relationship between
philosophy as the inner dimension of truth expounded by the revealed religion
is the message of Abubacer, but many have claimed it is a treatise on
naturalism denying revelation.
Abul
Walid Ibn Rushd (Latin Averroes) of Cordoba. 6th Hijri. Most celebrated of Muslim
philosophers of Spain.
Although
hailed in the West as a free thinker and author of double truth theory (religion
and philosophy, as separate sources of knowledge may reach contradictory
truths, without detriment to each other), he was a pious person and a
religious functionary who tried to harmonize faith and reason. His influence
was greater in the West than the East, where later destiny of philosophy was
more associated with Sina than his.
He has
two distinct destinies. In the West he, as Dante said, was the Great Commentator. It was
through his eyes the West sees Aristotle. By mistake, as per Nasr, West know
him as the author of Double Truth Theory. He became an inspiration of
politicized Averrosim and a symbol of rationalism opposed to religious faith.
His work has not survived in Arabic, but in Hebrew and Latin.
In the
Muslim world, he has a different destiny. He is considered to have the main aim of harmonizing
religion and philosophy. His real thesis was not Double Theory but to explain
that there are Not two contradictory truths. But the single truth that is
presented by religion, through Tawail, results in philosophical
knowledge.
Religion
is for everyone but philosophy is only for those who possess necessary
intellectual facilities. Yet, one truth is not contradictory from the other.
His major
work is the refutation of Ghazali’s Incoherence of the Philosophers, tahafut
al faslifah. Ibn Rush wrote
Incoherence of the Incoherence. Tahafat ul tahafat. Rushd revived Aristotle and opposed many of
Sina’s theories. He was opposed to Sina’s theory fo emanation and
emphasis on the soul of the spheres.
He
banished angels from the cosmos thus helping the secularization of cosmos, preparing the ground for the rise of
pure secularized knowledge of the natural order, as we know now scientifically.
With Rushd’s
demise, his influence waned, and in the Islamic world, the influence of Sina
persisted and prevailed in the form of Ishraqi philosophy which was pointed by
Sina as the Orientation of Light.
Ibn Sabin
of Murcia.7th
Hiji. He later spent much of his life in Egypt and North Africa, and later
moved to Mecca and died there in mysterious circumstances. He wedded philosophy
with Sufism and was the first to use the term wahdat ul wajood,
Oneness of Being. He had extensive knowledge of other religions including
Hinduism. He had esoteric knowledge in the science of Numbers. With Kabbalistic
sentences. His most influential work in the West is the Yemeni Answers to
Sicilian Questions. Which he wrote down in response to Emperor Frederick II
questions.
Ibn
Khaldun of Tunis. 8th
Hijri. Considered as the founder of the Philosophy of History in East and in
the West. His kitab ul Ibar, The Book about Events which Constitute a
Lesson) and its Prolegomena, Muqadimmah laid the ground work for
this discipline. He introduced the term Mashiyyat Allah to explain the
Islamic understanding of the rhythms of sacred history and providence of god.
He
criticized Ghazali and Farabi.
