THE PHILOSOPHERS OF ISLAM (1)
Treading a fine line between theology, kalaam, with its emphasis on protecting the citadel of faith on one side, and seeking the inner meaning of revelation through ma’arifat in Sufism on the other side, Islamic philosophy followed its own path, constantly interacting with these two dominant forces.
Over the
centuries we see all the various combinations. Some philosophers were opposed
to kalaam and impervious to Sufism. Later, especially in the last seven
centuries, there was much of the overlap due to the teachings of Ibn Arabi, who
is the most influential intellectual figure in that time.
EARLY PERIPATETIC PHILOSOPHERS, MASHSHA’I
Kindi, Farabi and Sina
It is
synthesis of Islamic revelation, Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism.
Kindi. Baghdadi. 3rh Hijri. First devout
Muslim well versed in Greek philosophy. His main emphasis was on discovery of
Truth, wherever one can find it, even from older generations and foreign
people. “For him who seeks truth, there is nothing of higher value than
truth itself”. He was deeply interested in relationship between faith
and reason.
Farabi.4th Hijri. From Khurasan.
A musician, logician, metaphysist and political thinker, he formulated mashshai
in the form it was to take in later Islamic history. His music still
reverberates in Sufi music in India and Anatolia.
He sought to
harmonize the idea of philosopher-king of Plato with the idea of prophet in
monotheistic traditions. He is considered the prime authority on practical
philosophy and ethics in Islam. From spiritual aspect, his work is the
first important synthesis between speculative philosophy and gnosis, Ifran,
in Islam.
Bu Ali Sina born in late 4th hijri,
in Bukhara. He is the greatest and most influential Islamic philosopher.
His book on medicine is the most celebrated single work in the history of
medicine. He is basically philosopher of being. Towards the end, he
criticized some of his earlier work as common philosophy and put more
emphasis on hikmat al mashraqia, Oriental philosophy, for the
intellectual elite. It paves the way for the later Ishraqi school, (mentioned
later).
Sina’s
ontology:
To distinguish
Pure Being from Existence of the world he introduced the three
possibilities, of Necessity, Contingency and Impossibility. (wujub,
imkan, imtima) mentioned earlier . This key
distinction is one of the most fundamental in the history of philosophy. It
influenced deeply later Islamic philosophy, and traveled to West and became one
of the key concepts. This distinction is related to the basic concepts of
Existence and Quiddity (wujud and mahiyya) mentioned earlier.
Sina’s
cosmology:
Humans are
in the domain of the Tenth Intellect. The Necessary Being is in the center.
Its contemplation of itself generates the First Intellect. This First
Intellect is contingent upon the Necessary Being. This realization by
the First Intellect generates the Second Intellect, the Soul of First
Sphere and the First Sphere. This process continues in this manner until the
Tenth Intellect, and the Ninth Sphere and its Soul is generated. This Ninth
Sphere is the sphere of Moon in accordance of nine heavens of Ptolemaic
astronomy as modified by Muslim astronomers. The sublunar region is also
organized in a hierarchal manner consisting of three kingdoms crowned by man,
who represents the point of return to the Origin. By means of Knowledge,
he can ascend through the levels of cosmic manifestations to gain union with
the Active Intellect. Aql al fa’al.
Thus, the
universe is generated through contemplation and returns to its origin
through knowledge.
World is NOT
created in time, as the time is a condition of the world. It is not
eternal as eternity is an attribute to God. However, there is basic distinction
between world and God.
God is
the Necessary Being and is in need of nothing but Itself and all existents are contingent in
themselves, gain their existence from the Necessary Being and remain in utter
existential poverty in themselves.
Some Independent Philosophers:
Their fate
and the fate of their works tell us that anti-prophetic thought could not
flourish the climate where prophecy remained a central reality.
Al Warq 3rd hijra lived in
Baghdad. Originally a Mu’tazila, later left and was accused of heresy,
Manicheanism, dualism and even atheism. Some claimed he harbored Shiite
thought. None of his original works, more than eighty, exist anymore. He was
accused of rejecting religion based on Oneness of God.
Ibn
Rawandi. A student
of Al Warq who later turned against him, was also initially a Mu’tazila. He
became destitute and lived in poverty, and lost faith in God’s justice and
religion. He rejected prophecy in his book Kitabe Zumurd.
Ibn
Zakaria Razi (Latin Razzes). Early 4th Hijra. One of the greatest names in Medicine,
both East and West. Because of his empiric views, he rejected tawil and
hermeneutic interpretations. Expanding on these thoughts, he basically
changed alchemy to chemistry, a science based on facts and reason and
not on prophecy.
He denied
the necessity of prophecy and believed God given guidance to everyone. He
wrote a work on the ‘tricks’ of the prophets. He considered himself independent
thinker. His views were drawn from Greek, Persian and Indian sources.
His five
pre-eternal principles are very similar to Nyaya Vaiseska school of Hindu
philosophy. They are God (basically
Demiurge), Soul, matter, space and time. This was against both traditional
Islamic theology and philosophy.
He believed
in atomism but different than atomism of Mu’tazila and Asharite. He believed
atoms had dimensions but were physically indivisible, and that God and Soul
are not atoms.
His views
were closer to certain Epicurean theses in contrast to nearly all other
Islamic philosophers.
Much of his
philosophical works did not survive.
Al Biruni.
He was an
independent philosopher but not independent of prophecy. He is perhaps
the greatest Muslim scientist cum scholar. He admired Razi but
refuted his anti-prophetic philosophy. He wrote of his work on Sina and had
written extensive book on Hinduism.
Ismaili Philosophers
Much before
Al Kindi the first philosophical tradition is seen in Shiite schools. It dealt
with relationship of prophecy and philosophy on different lines than
peripatetic philosophy. There was emphasis on the inner truth of
religion, haqiqat.
There is a
record of conversation between Imam Baqir 2nd Hijri and his three
disciples. There is esoteric science of letters. Ilm al jafr,
which expounds a cosmology based on number 5, reminiscent of Manichaean
cosmology
Later
Ismaili philosophers in the 4th hijri onwards developed their own
works and philosophical traditions in Fatimid time. Later it continued to
flourish in Persia and Yemen. Hasan al Sabbah declared Grand
Resurrection in the mountain fortress of Alamut in 6th Hijri. Later
Ismailism and Sufism came together. Two big names in Persian masnavi, Sanai
and Fariduddin Attar (Conference of Birds) are claimed by
Ismailis as their own.
In Yemen the
tradition continued and in 9th Hijri culminated in the works of Idris
Imamuddin. This tradition finally found its home in Indian Agha Khan
tradition.
Hermetic
Influence. Many Ismailis
and other Shiite, and some non-Shiite philosophers were inspired by Hermetic
influence. (As mentioned earlier, many identified Hermes with prophet Idrees).
They include Jabir Bin Hayyan, the father of Islamic Alchemy. Hermetic
themes are seen in works of Ibn Arabi also.
Neo-Pytharogan
influence. The
concern with symbolism of numbers is seen in early Shiite and Sufi circles. The
metaphysics is a bit different than that of Sina. It is not based on Being, but
on the Supreme Originator Al mubdi. Being is the first act of al Mubdi, kun
fa ya koon. The first Being is
the word of God. Kalaam Allah.
The
cosmology is a bit different from Sina. Humans are in the Tenth Intellect, but were originally
in the Third Intellect. So, they were thrown down seven (an important
number in Ismaili tradition) levels and now the man has to ascent these Seven
levels to reach its destiny.
Ismailis
also have a cyclic view of history dominated by number 7. There are
esoteric hermeneutics Taweel of everything. There is an external and
internal (Zahiri, batini) aspect of everything. In the domain of
religion, the external is the Prophet and internal is the Imam. The
journey is from external to internal. In this aspect philosophy becomes
synonymous with truth, haqiqat.
NEXT: ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY IN MAGHREB
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