Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Sciences (Part 21)
The Role of Muslims in Philosophy
One of the most important and beneficial sciences in which Muslims had a significant role and high standing was philosophy. Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs of the pre-Islamic era had little involvement in philosophy or other sciences. However, after the emergence of Islam and the conversion of the Arabs to this noble religion, they turned their attention to philosophical studies. The first stage of this engagement was the translation of these sciences from various other languages, particularly Greek.
Among Muslims, the Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma’mun paid special attention to the collection and advancement of philosophy. He spent a substantial amount of money on translators and researchers of the works of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus because he greatly valued their contributions to philosophy.
Several reasons contributed to Al-Ma’mun’s interest in philosophy. One of the most important was his belief that Allah Almighty had endowed humans with intelligence, understanding, and the ability to think—just as He had distinguished them with speech, enabling them to express their thoughts, address their peers, persuade others, and be persuaded by them. He believed that human thought is capable of renewal, growing infinitely, and that human experiences, through logical reasoning, are in constant development.
This special attention from Al-Ma’mun to philosophy led to the emergence of numerous Muslim philosophers who structured and advanced this field. Philosophers such as Al-Farabi, Al-Kindi, Ibn Tufail, Ibn Rushd, and others did not merely transmit ancient philosophical works but also explained, taught, solved complex issues, and introduced countless new ideas within the field.
The introduction of philosophy into the Islamic world followed the translation movement of Greek philosophical texts. However, this introduction was also accompanied by scholarly debates regarding its legitimacy. Some scholars entirely rejected philosophy, deeming it a gateway to deviation and corruption, while others adopted a moderate stance, believing that truths should be accepted while falsehoods should be rejected. Another group was entirely influenced by philosophy, dedicating themselves to its study and applying its methodologies to other sciences.
Different Branches of Philosophy
Philosophy encompassed various branches of knowledge, including:
1. Kalam (Islamic Theology): This discipline discusses established and undeniable beliefs of faith, refuting the views of deviants and innovators. It is unique to Muslims because it was developed to defend Islamic doctrines and combat atheists, deviants, and heretics. This discipline led to the emergence of major philosophical schools, encouraging Muslims to investigate cosmic and natural laws and explore concepts such as existence, motion, and causality—often arriving at conclusions that differed from Greek philosophical perspectives. The Muslim focus on this aspect of philosophy eventually compelled Western orientalists to take a special interest in Kalam, considering it a fundamental framework for innovation in Islamic philosophy.
2. Sufism: This discipline forms an important part of Islamic philosophy. Unlike purely theoretical philosophy, which focuses solely on intellectual and abstract discussions in pursuit of a comprehensive and contradiction-free metaphysical theory, Sufism integrates emotion with intellect and reason with the heart to attain a deeper understanding of the Divine. Consequently, various opinions and perspectives exist within this field, emerging as a result of the evolution of the three human faculties: intellect, emotion, and spiritual conduct.
3. General Philosophy: This category refers to the well-known Greek philosophy that entered the Islamic world and was later analyzed and explained by Islamic scholars and intellectuals.
Notable Muslim Philosophers
As mentioned earlier, Muslim interest in philosophy led to significant growth and widespread enthusiasm for this field, resulting in the emergence of many prominent philosophers. Among the most notable were:
1. Abu Yusuf Al-Kindi
Abu Yusuf Ya’qub ibn Ishaq Al-Kindi lived between 185–252 AH (801–866 CE) and was born in Kufa. He pursued his education in Basra under the most renowned scholars of his time, eventually gaining a distinguished reputation in philosophy. Due to his expertise, the Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma’mun commissioned him to translate and interpret the works of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers.
In addition to his interest in Greek philosophy, Al-Kindi also focused on Indian philosophy, interpreting and commenting on its theories. His academic style was highly influential, earning him special recognition among his contemporaries. He carefully selected valuable texts for translation and presented them in an accessible and appealing manner.
Al-Kindi is considered the first Islamic thinker to break away from the traditional framework of Greek thought and establish a new, independent approach. He classified sciences into two primary categories:
– Philosophical sciences, including mathematics, logic, natural sciences, physics, politics, and sociology.
– Religious sciences, covering theology, creed, monotheism, and refutations against deviants and heretics.
His philosophy blended Platonic and Aristotelian thought, and he considered mathematics a crucial foundation for studying philosophy. In his era, his approach was regarded as a new and innovative philosophy. Moreover, Al-Kindi devoted a portion of his time to geometry and translated works of Greek scholars in this field. He believed that knowledge of geometry was essential for becoming a philosopher.
He authored more than 265 works, with a strong emphasis on mathematical sciences in his writings.
Continues…
[1]. Al-Difaa, Ali, The Wonders of Arab and Islamic Civilization, p. 48, Dar Alam Al-Kutub for Publishing and Distribution, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
[2]. What Have Muslims Contributed to the World? pp. 349-350.
[3]. The Wonders of Arab and Islamic Civilization in Sciences, pp. 50-53.
