🕌Islamic World Unit 6 – Islamic philosophy and theology

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Tawhid (oneness of God) fundamental principle in Islamic theology emphasizing God's unity and uniqueness
• Kalam (Islamic scholastic theology) rational discourse used to defend and clarify Islamic doctrine
  • Involves use of logic, dialectic, and argument to discuss issues such as God's attributes, free will, and the nature of the Quran
• Falsafa (Islamic philosophy) philosophical tradition in Islamic world influenced by Greek philosophy (Aristotle and Neoplatonism)
• Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) body of Islamic law derived from the Quran and the Sunnah through interpretation and reasoning
• Ijtihad (independent reasoning) process of deriving legal rulings from Islamic sources when no clear guidance exists
• Ash'arism theological school that emphasizes divine omnipotence and the Quran as uncreated
• Mu'tazilism theological school that stresses human free will and the created nature of the Quran
• Sufism (Islamic mysticism) spiritual dimension of Islam focused on inner purification and direct experience of God

Historical Context and Origins

• Islamic philosophy and theology emerged in the 8th century CE as Muslims sought to understand and interpret their faith
• Influenced by intellectual traditions of conquered regions (Greek philosophy, Persian culture, Christian theology)
• Early theological debates centered on political and religious issues (leadership succession, nature of faith, free will)
• Translation movement under Abbasid Caliphate (8th-10th centuries) made Greek philosophical texts available in Arabic
  • Facilitated synthesis of Islamic thought with Greek philosophy, leading to development of falsafa
• Mu'tazilite school emerged in 8th century, emphasizing reason and free will
  • Enjoyed official support under Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma'mun (813-833)
• Ash'arite school developed in 10th century as a response to Mu'tazilite ideas, stressing divine omnipotence and predestination
• Golden Age of Islamic philosophy (9th-12th centuries) saw flourishing of diverse philosophical and theological schools

Major Thinkers and Schools of Thought

• Al-Kindi (801-873) first major Islamic philosopher, worked to harmonize Greek philosophy with Islamic thought
• Al-Farabi (872-950) developed Neoplatonic emanation cosmology and theory of intellect
• Ibn Sina (Avicenna) (980-1037) influential philosopher and physician, known for his work on metaphysics, logic, and soul
• Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) prominent theologian and critic of falsafa, authored "The Incoherence of the Philosophers"
  • Argued for the primacy of revelation over reason and the necessity of faith
• Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (1126-1198) defended falsafa against Al-Ghazali's critiques, advocated for harmony between religion and philosophy
• Maturidi school (named after Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, d. 944) theological school that took an intermediate position between Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites
• Athari school (traditionalist theology) rejected use of kalam and relied solely on Quran, Sunnah, and consensus of early Muslims
• Sufi thinkers (Ibn Arabi, Al-Ghazali, Rumi) emphasized spiritual experience and mystical union with God

Core Philosophical and Theological Debates

• Nature of God's attributes (eternal vs. temporal, identical with vs. separate from God's essence)
• Createdness of the Quran (eternal and uncreated vs. created by God in time)
  • Mu'tazilites held Quran was created, while Ash'arites affirmed its eternal nature
• Divine omnipotence and human free will (predestination vs. human responsibility for actions)
• Relationship between reason and revelation (can reason independently arrive at truth or is revelation necessary?)
• Nature of causality (does God directly cause all events or do natural causes have efficacy?)
• Existence and nature of the soul (eternal and immaterial substance vs. emergent property of the body)
• Resurrection and afterlife (physical vs. spiritual resurrection, nature of heaven and hell)
• Problem of evil (how to reconcile God's omnipotence and omnibenevolence with existence of suffering)

Influence on Islamic Law and Ethics

• Islamic theology provided foundation for development of Islamic law (Sharia) and legal theory (usul al-fiqh)
• Theological debates on nature of God, revelation, and human responsibility shaped legal discussions
  • Example: Mu'tazilite emphasis on justice and reason influenced legal theories stressing the role of human interpretation
• Ash'arite theology, with its emphasis on divine omnipotence, became dominant in Sunni legal schools
• Al-Ghazali's critique of philosophy led to a more circumscribed role for reason in Islamic law
  • Reason subordinated to revelation and used primarily for interpreting and applying revealed texts
• Sufi ethics, based on love and spiritual purification, offered an alternative to legalistic approaches to morality
• Philosophical ethics, drawing on Greek virtue ethics and Islamic values, developed by thinkers like Ibn Miskawayh and Al-Isfahani
• Theological discussions on free will, moral responsibility, and divine justice informed debates on criminal law and punishment

Intersection with Science and Rationalism

• Islamic theology and philosophy developed in close interaction with scientific and mathematical disciplines
• Mu'tazilite school, with its emphasis on reason, was open to scientific and philosophical inquiry
  • Many Mu'tazilite thinkers were also scientists, mathematicians, or physicians
• Falsafa tradition heavily engaged with natural sciences, mathematics, and logic
  • Ibn Sina made significant contributions to medicine, astronomy, and physics alongside his philosophical work
• Al-Biruni (973-1050) exemplified the integration of theology, philosophy, and science in his wide-ranging scholarship
• Ash'arite theology, while more circumspect about philosophical speculation, still valued scientific and mathematical knowledge
  • Al-Ghazali, despite his critique of philosophy, praised mathematics and encouraged empirical investigation
• Observatories, libraries, and institutions of learning (House of Wisdom in Baghdad) fostered dialogue between theology, philosophy, and science
• Islamic theology and philosophy grappled with issues raised by scientific discoveries (nature of the cosmos, eternity of the world, human physiology)

Legacy and Contemporary Relevance

• Islamic philosophy and theology shaped intellectual history of the Islamic world and beyond
  • Transmission of Greek philosophy to the West through Arabic translations and commentaries
  • Influence on medieval Jewish and Christian theology (Maimonides, Aquinas)
• Continuing relevance for contemporary Islamic thought and religious discourse
  • Revival of kalam and falsafa in 19th-20th centuries as part of Islamic modernist and reformist movements
  • Engagement with modern science, political philosophy, and human rights
• Ongoing debates on the role of reason and interpretation in Islamic law and ethics
  • calls for renewed ijtihad and reinterpretation of Islamic sources in light of contemporary contexts
• Influence on Islamist political thought and ideologies (Sayyid Qutb, Maududi)
• Dialogue with Western philosophy and theology in the context of globalization and inter-religious exchange
• Islamic philosophy and theology as resources for addressing contemporary ethical and existential questions
  • Environmental ethics, bioethics, social justice, pluralism

Key Texts and Further Reading

• "The Theology of Unity" (Al-Ash'ari) classic exposition of Ash'arite theology
• "The Incoherence of the Philosophers" (Al-Ghazali) influential critique of Neoplatonic and Aristotelian philosophy from an Ash'arite perspective
• "The Decisive Treatise" (Ibn Rushd) defense of philosophy and its compatibility with Islamic faith
• "The Metaphysics of the Healing" (Ibn Sina) comprehensive philosophical system covering ontology, cosmology, and psychology
• "The Revival of Religious Sciences" (Al-Ghazali) spiritual and ethical manual integrating Sufi and theological perspectives
• "The Bezels of Wisdom" (Ibn Arabi) mystical and philosophical treatise on the nature of reality and the spiritual path
• "The Muqaddimah" (Ibn Khaldun) pioneering work of social and political philosophy, reflecting on the rise and fall of civilizations
• "The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam" (Muhammad Iqbal) modern reinterpretation of Islamic philosophy and theology in light of contemporary challenges
• "Islamic Philosophy from its Origin to the Present" (Seyyed Hossein Nasr) comprehensive survey of the Islamic philosophical tradition
• "The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology" (edited by Tim Winter) collection of essays introducing key themes and thinkers in Islamic theology