Islamic philosophy

DR. AJI HOESODO

Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between philosophy (reason) and the religious teachings of Islam (faith).

           

The attempt to fuse religion and philosophy is difficult because there are no clear preconditions. Philosophers typically hold that one must accept the possibility of truth from any source and follow the argument wherever it leads. On the other hand, classical religious believers have a set of religious principles that they hold to be unchallengeable fact. Given these divergent goals and views, some hold that one cannot simultaneously be a philosopher and a true adherent of Islam, which is believed to be a revealed religion by its adherents. In this view, all attempts at synthesis ultimately fail.

           

However, others believe that a synthesis between Islam and philosophy is possible. One way to find a synthesis is to use philosophical arguments to prove that one’s preset religious principles are true. This is a common technique found in the writings of many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but this is not generally accepted as true philosophy by philosophers. Another way to find a synthesis is to abstain from holding as true any religious principles of one’s faith at all, unless one independently comes to those conclusions from a philosophical analysis. However, this is not generally accepted as being faithful to one’s religion by adherents of that religion. A third, rarer and more difficult path is to apply analytical philosophy to one’s own religion. In this case a religious person would also be a philosopher, by asking questions such as:

• What must one actually believe to be considered a true adherent of our religion?
• How can one reconcile the findings of science with religion?
• How can one reconcile the findings of math with religion?

Introduction

Islamic philosophy may be defined in a number of different ways, but the perspective taken here is that it represents the style of philosophy produced within the framework of Islamic culture. This description does not suggest that it is necessarily concerned with religious issues, nor even that it is exclusively produced by Muslims.

Formative influences

Islamic philosophy as the name implies refers to philosophical activity within the Islamic milieu.

Prophethood

DR. AJI HOESODO           

Prophethood is not unknown to heavenly revealed religions, such as Judaism and Christianity.  In Islam, however, it has a special status and significance.

According to Islam, God created man for a noble purpose: to worship Him and lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance.  How would man know his role and the purpose of his existence unless he received clear and practical instructions of what God wants him to do?  Here comes the need for prophethood.  Thus God has chosen from every nation at least one prophet to convey His Message to people.

One might ask, how were the prophets chosen and who were entitled to this great honor?  Prophethood is God’s blessing and favor that He may bestow on whom He wills.  However, from surveying the various messengers throughout history, three features of a prophet may be recognized:

1. He is the best in his community morally and intellectually.  This is necessary because a prophet’s life serves as a role model for his followers.  His personality should attract people to accept his message rather than drive them away by his imperfect character.  After receiving the message, he is infallible.  That is, he would not commit any sin.  He might make some minor mistakes, which are usually corrected by revelation.
2. He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an imposter.  Those miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and are usually in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as superior.  We might illustrate this by quoting the major miracles of the three prophets of the major world religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  Moses’ contemporaries were excellent in magic, so his major miracle was to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his day.  Jesus’ contemporaries were recognized as skilled physicians, therefore, his miracles were to raise the dead and cure incurable diseases.  The Arabs, the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, were known for their eloquence and magnificent poetry.  So Prophet Muhammad’s major miracle was the Quran, the equivalent of which the whole legion of Arab poets and orators could not produce, despite the repeated challenge from the Quran itself.  Again, Muhammad’s miracle has something special about it.  All previous miracles were limited to its time and place; that is, they were shown to specific people at a specific time.  Not so with the miracle of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, the Quran.  It is a universal and everlasting miracle.  Previous generations witnessed it and future generations will witness its miraculous nature in terms of its style, content and spiritual uplifting.  These can still be tested and will thereby prove the divine origin of the Quran.
3. Every prophet states clearly that what he receives is not of his own making, but from God, for the well-being of mankind.  He also confirms what was revealed before him and what may be revealed after him.  A prophet does this to show that he is simply conveying the message that is entrusted to him by the One True God of all people in all ages.  So the message is one in essence and for the same purpose.  Therefore, it should not deviate from what was revealed before him or what might come after him.

 

Prophets are necessary for conveying God’s instructions and guidance to mankind.  We have no way of knowing why we were created.  What will happen to us after death?  Is there any life after death?  Are we accountable for our actions?  These and so many other questions about God, angels, paradise, hell, and more, cannot be answered without direct revelation from the Creator and Knower of the unseen.  Those answers must be authentic and must be brought by individuals whom we trust and respect.