CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Twelfth century had witnessed the rise of a lodestar, who became an advisor of princes, lawyer, after that a jurist and a famous philosopher of his period whose expertise has been reckoned in philosophy, medicine and Islamic jurisprudence. His doctrines were a big challenge for the Islamic philosophers and theologians of that time though further it sponsored scores of sarcastic writings over them. His legal, jurisprudent and philosophical works embody a point of view in contrast to that of the peripatetic or Islamic philosophers and theologians of all the time. Moreover, his scientific works notably in two areas, astronomy and medicine also had sponsored too many controversies among the intellectuals of the whole world
This paper entitled as ‘a comparative analysis of the philosophical concepts of Ibn Rushd and Islamic theological principles’ is the explanation of the inconsistency in the whole philosophical concepts of Ibn Rushd as it is regarded to the indisputable consistence of Islamic principles. This study wasn’t made only in a certain context of the encounter of Islamic philosophers and theologians against his philosophical works but also, in the context of the scarcity of the references in this topic. Furthermore, it is a search for the right and wrong in his doctrines. There hasn’t enough academic and journalistic attention before towards the entire idea of Islamic philosophy and the counter attack of Ibn Rushd. In this backdrop, the present study aims to pay the attention of the researchers in this manner of the contradictory arguments in the philosophical concepts to that of the Islamic principles.
It is a reach out to the related researches made by some academic scholars on this topic or in its surroundings. In 2012, it was made a study on almost the same topic by Katharine Louise Wright on the title ‘the incoherence of the intellectuals: Ibn Rushd, al Ghazali, al Jabari and Tarabichi in eight centuries of dialogue without dialogue’ to the university of Texas at Austin.
And in the year 2010, a research entitled as ‘between philosophy and the law: Ibn Rushd, Leo Strauss
, and the demands of the city’ by Jessica l. Radin was submitted to Mcmaster university. It is the critical analogy of the philosophical works and pertaining law of Ibn Rushd and Leo Strauss.
In the year 1986, a well profound thesis entitled as ‘Ibn Rushd’s metaphysics’, the translation of the ‘metaphysics of Aristotle’ was submitted by Charles Genequand in the Leiden university. It carries out the important aims of metaphysics and the large explanation on Ibn Rushd’s doctrines over the spontaneous generation and form. It is not only a description over his concepts in astronomy but also the narrative of the Aristotelian concepts of human and divine intellect of which he inherited. And some other researches on the related topics have been made amply.
In this backdrop, it is the attempt to pen over the philosophical concepts of Ibn Rushd in comparison with the Islamic principles on certain controversial issues carrying out the theological significance which may result the coming theological concepts of some ethnic groups.
1.2 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
The study scrutinizes the philosophical strands came out of Rushdian mindset that overtake the basic tenets of Islam and the crude solutions to the cropped-up issues in the course of critical analogy between them. It has been conceptualized here a well-defined set up to order the contradictory arguments of Ibn Rushd along with the rectifying response of Islamic theologians like Saa’d dhin Thafthazani
and Imam al Ghazali.
The core information from wide ranging sources has been put forward with a special focus into the diverse issues in favour of Islamic theologians and vice versa.
The first step was taken to coordinate the controversial portions within his works and it has been presented in a well-defined order as far as possible. it might make everyone thinking of the certain circumstances Ibn Rushd overcame in the course of al moravid and al mohavid regimes in Spain. It can demonstrate the wide ambiguous ridicules all over his works which carry out the ideas to nullify Islamic authenticity and wide acceptance around the globe.
And the further steps were taken to order a brief sketch on every moment he lived. It can carry his thoughts and its evolution in the course of time and the whys and wherefores of his philosophical concepts to overtake the Islamic theological concepts. Through a characteristic study on his ethical, political, epistemological and metaphysical concepts this study defines the significance of Islamic principles through over the time. This study configures the paid attention of his works on the philosophical doctrines which eventually have to lead the loads of religious sects to deviate from the truth and even arrive at blasphemy. Attempts have been taken to ameliorate the study with a further overview over the researches made in various universities in the departments of Islamic philosophy and theology such as Leiden, Texas and Nigeria etc. it specifically examines the research methodology of those studies and imprints the reach outs they made. Moreover, it suggests the impudent and imprudent criticism of western academicians against the Islamic philosophical doctrines. Along with, this paper also finds out the manual of criticism they received against the theological concepts of Islam.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aims at the brief overview of the place of Islamic philosophy in Andalusia in the twelfth century and to introduce Ibn Rushd and the general aims and concerns of his works and writings in philosophy and Islamic jurisprudence. It highlights some of the most central ideas and arguments presented by Ibn Rushd in defense of the place of Islamic philosophy and its role within a monotheistic Islamic context.
This study does focus mainly into three areas:
1. A peripheral sketch on the irregularities apparent across his philosophical works.
2. A possible explanation over the Islamic theological principles and its constant and consistent stand against the problematic approaches of Rushdian philosophy with the theoretical illustrations.
3. A characteristic study of the philosophical doctrines of Ibn Rushd and the comparative outlook to the Islamic theological principles.
1.4 THE ONSET OF PHILOSOPHY IN AL ANDALUS
While philosophy was in the eclipse in the eastern lands of Islam, it flourished in the west in general and in Islamic Spain in particular. In accordance with the interference of Muslim theologians in the east, philosophy was about to grow up in the western part of the world. The thing to be noted is that the conflicts between Abbasids of Iraq and Umayyads of Spain along with the cultural relation between east and west also went on. According to said Al Andalusi
, the famous historian of philosophy and medicine Al Andalus had started the study of medicine and ancient sciences early as the reign of Muhammed ibn abd al rahman rather received fresh impetus in the reign of al Mustansir. He ordered to import scientific and philosophical books from the east, so that on that time Cordova began to rival Bagdad, with its university and library. Matters took an adverse step during his reign that he ordered to burn the books on ancient science that his predecessors collected later, especially those on astronomy and logic. ‘However, it exceeded gradually their interest in science and philosophy by the middle of next century and a good deal of scholars like Abdulrahman known as Euclidean, one who wrote on geometry and logic, and Abu Uthman Ibn Fathun who concentrated on music and grammar were distinguished in their own fields’.
Maslamah ibn majriti
was another one who travelled from east to west and also credited as the author of ghayathe hakim (the aim of the sage). And Ibn Masarrah
who was also like Majriti travelled from east to west and his ideas are said to have influenced the great Sufi Ibn Arabi. According to the authentic sources, ‘Islamic philosophy in the western lands of Islam actually began with the Sufi philosopher Ibn Masarrah, who profoundly influenced later thinkers in the west.’
And other prominent scholars to be mentioned such as Abdul Hakam al Kirmani, who became expert in geometry and is, said to have authored some philosophical works too. Abdullah Ibn Nabbash and Uthman of Toledo were also counted by the historians as the Andalusian scholars of that time.
Andalusian philosophy witnessed another lodestar in philosophical teachings toward the end of eleventh century who was Abu Bakr Ibn al Sayigah known as in Arabic as Ibn Bajja and in the Latin sources as Avempace, born in Saragossa, moved to Seville and then to Granada and died in fez, morocco in 1138. The philosophical works came out from him includes a paraphrase of Aristotle’s physics, a large number of commentaries on al Farabi, a political treatise entitled as the conduct of the solitary and an epistle on conjunction. Most of his works earned him a profound acumen in philosophical and political fields as well.
The next renowned figure in Andalusian philosophy was Abu Bakr Ibn Thufyl who was born in Wadi ash, not so far from Granada and after educated in Seville and Cordova. He was also the teacher of Ibn Rushd in medicine. Hayy ibn yaqzan (living son of wakeful), a philosophical allegory and a lost treatise on the soul were the major writings. In his Hayy ibn yaqzan he tries to the unity of rational and mystical wisdom by the use of a fictional narrative.
Distinguished from other philosophers from Andalusia and other types of philosophical groups, Ibn Rushd had a position of lawyer, jurist and a renowned philosopher of his age. He was an advocate of Malikite
law. He is known in Europe as Averroes and in the perspective of European thought; he is a modern thinker, philosopher explored in western group of ideas, so that he found that a school of thought need not a religion helps make it clear. But according to Islamic thought, he is one who explored between spiritual ideas and philosophical thoughts so that revelation is compatible to our wisdom. ‘He followed the Muslim curriculum, learning hadith with his father, further, became esteemed in that area. He was not only a jurist but also a scholar and philosopher. He preferred the science of law (dirayath) to the science of traditions (rivayath) while he bore the position of a jurist’
.
The life of Islamic philosophy did not terminate with Ibn Rushd nearly eight hundred years ago, as thought by western scholarship for several centuries; rather, its activities continued strongly during later centuries, particularly in Persia and other eastern lands of Islam, including India and ottoman turkey, and it was revived in Egypt during the nineteenth century.
0%
Author: ABDUL HAFEES PK
