The Tree of Islamic Knowledge and Science
Are those who know and those who do not
know alike?
(The Quran, Zumar: 9)
The Legacy of Islam
F Rom 800 A.D. “The House of wisdom of
Dar-al-Hakma was a famous place in Baghdad for scientists, historians and
philosophers. Famous Islamic scholars were living in Persia, particularly in
the north east of Iran (Khorasan). It was a time when scientific, historical,
philosophical and Mystical ideas of the following were spreading:
- Al-Kindi, (the first Muslim philosopher, d. 873 A.D.);
- Al-Razi, Zakariya (a physician, Latin form Rhazeh, d. 925 A.D.);
- Al-Tabari, lbn-Jarir (an historian, d. 923);
- Al-Farabi (a philosopher and musician, known as second master, (d.950);
- Al-Masudi (an historian, d. 957);
- Ibn-al-Nadim (d. 988); Ibn-I-lazm (d. 1064);
- Ibn-Sina (a physician and philosopher, known to the West Avicena, d.1037);
- Ibn-Bajjah philosopher, (d. 1138);
- Khayam, al-Majusi, al-Kharazmi, and Zamakshaxi (mathematicians);
- Ibn-Miskawayh (an historian, d. 1030);
- lbn-Hytham (a physicist and mathematician, d. 1039);
- Al-Biruni (a geographer, d. 1050); al-Ghazali (d. 1111);
- Al-Shahrastani (an historian of religians, d. 1153);
- Ibn-Hiyan (a chemist), Tusi, Nasir-al-Din (a mathematician philosopher);
- Ibn-al-Muqafa (famous Persian writer), al-Ravandi (a critical writer);
- Ibn-Tufayh (a physician, d. 1185); _
- Ibn-Rushd (a philosopher, d. 1198); Fakhr-al-Din al Razi (d. 1220);
- Ibn-Maymun (a physician and philosopher, d. 1204);
- Ibn-al-Arabi (a famous Sufi leader, d. 1240);
- 20- Ibn-al-Farid (a mystical poet, d. 1232);
- Al-Rumi (a mystical poet, d. 1273) and Abul Ala-al-Moari (a poet);
- lbn-Qutayba (an historian); Ibn-Athir (an historian, d. 1377);
- lbn-Battuta (a famous Muslim traveller, d. 1377) and Ibn-Khaldun (an historian and sociologist, d. 1406).
Rationalism & Realism Idealism,
Realism & Mystism
Before Ibn-Khaldun, history was a branch
of literature and thus a good prose style was important. Those who are familiar
with the methods of Muslim historians in comparison easily recognize the
originality of Ibn-Khaldun in the way he organized his book. Here, it should be
said that Muslim historians used to write their history in the form of
chronological tables, and they followed three methods:
(l) The traditional school (Manqoliun)
which followed narrative and informative methods. According to this method, a
piece of information is true if on the basis of evidence it can be traced to a
reliable and authentic source which can only be the person of the Prophet
himself. The Ashari sectin this school believed that human reason is incapable
of disconnecting good and bad because of self-interest. Those who were learned
in the traditions, such as Tabari (d. 923) who was one of the interlocutors of
the Ashati sect, maintained that in his book there are incidents that do not
truly comply with reason, and must perforce be accepted out of necessary
obedience.
(2) The rational school (Maqoliun )or the
followers of reason, maintain that in regard to the authenticity of events one
must possess strong reasons. Free will and choice are essential ideas for the
followers of this school. The Mutazilite sect, which is the famous sect of this
school, believed that while God desires only the best for man, through free
will man is able to choose between good and evil.
The Mutazilites received great honours at
the court of al-Mamun. The two great Mutazilites, namely al-Allaf and
al-Nazzam, were al-Mamun's own teachers. With regard to al-Allaf, al-Mamun. used
to say: “He spreads over the art of dialectics as a cloud spreads over the
people." [1]
Al-Masudi (d. 957), himself a Mutazilite,
makes it clear in his book Murujal~Dhahab. [2]
Al-Nazzam, the teacher of al-Mamun,
emphasized that qualities are not in the essence of God but are His essence. He
is omniscinet by His omniscience and it is his essence and not in His essence.
He is omnipotent by His omnipotence, and it is His essence and not in his
essence.
Al-Mamun was very fond of listening to
the debates between people belonging to different religions, and he used to
allow them complete liberty ‘of thought and speech. In all such debates and
religious contests it was the
Mutazilites who would come out
victorious; they thus proved themselves to be the protectors of Islam.
The two Abbasids after al-Mamun, namely,
al-Mutasim and al-Wathiq, lent their wholehearted support to the Mutazilites. A great
personality, Qadi Ahmad ibn Dawud, who was an enthusiostic champion of the school of Mutazilism,
was all in the courts of al-Mutasim and al-Wathiq.
(3) Islamic mysticism is called Sufism.
The Sufism school held that man could not prove the existence of God by
philosophical, traditional, rational or even scientific reasons. Human beings
have extreme needs and necessities, which must be brought under control. The
unity of God and man is the principal teachings of this school. The famous
Muslim theologians who were followers of this school was Imam Muhammad
al-Ghazali (d. 1111), lbn-al-Arabi (d. 1240), and a Persian mystical poet, Rumi
(d. 1273). For example, al-Ghazali, rejected the Aristotelian notion of natural
causality. (They conceived of God as the first and only cause of all that is.)
Ibn-Khaldun, as a Muslim believer, agreed with their ontology but introduced
natural causality into history and sociology. Reason can grasp the limited
phenomenon, but revelation introduces the limitless.
Asharism is a protest against religious
rationalism who held that the mysteries of universe could be expressed and met
in terms of human reason. Abu al-Hasan al-Ashari (d. 945) was the leader of
this sect. Ashari’s sect flourished because it had amongst its adherents and
exponents such able thinkers as Baqilani, al»Ghazali, Fakhr al-Din Razi, etc,
etc.
The Abasid caliph Mutawakkil who was in
favour of orthodoxy; or who declared war an able esoteric sects. Ghazali
declared that:
We consider that the function of the caliphate is contractually
assumed by that person of the ‘Abbasid house who is charged with it, and that
the function of government in the various lands is carried out by means of sultans,
who are allegiance to the caliphate. Government these days is a consequence
solely of military power, and whosoever he may be to whom the passessor of
military power gives his allegiance, that person is the caliph.[3]
Imam Jafar al Sadaq(s), was once asked by lbn-abl-Ovja who wanted
to‘test his intelligence, “ls wisdom better than goodness or arts?" He
replied with a certain coolness:
1- Wisdom without goodness is
meaningless.
2- Arts without wisdom is no art at all.
According to the Islamic doctrine,
knowledge is a duty (Faridad) incumbent upon every Muslim. All-in—all, he who
knows, ought to teach, and he who does not know, ought to ask. ' Knowledge and
action are interrelated. Knowledge is food for the intellect, lamp for the
body, light for the heart and a pillar for the soul.
Compare yourself in wealth, position and
health, with those who have less ithan you, but compare yourself in view of
knowledge to those who have imore than you.
Early Muslim philosophers of the ninth
and tenth centuries, whose education was
laced generously with Greek thought, appear to have followed ithe Greek
precedent in the classification of the sciences. They placed a strong emphasis
on the philosophical sciences. This is evident in the iclassification of the
sciences made by the outstanding physician al-Razi (Rhazeh d. 925), and by the
philosopher al-Farabi (d. 950), who were followed by lbn-Sina in the eleventh
century.
Sociology Of Knowledge, Science and Art, Saleh
Faghirzadeh, MA,. PH.D
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