Ibn al-Haytham (c. 975-1039) Al-Biruni (973-1048) ‘Umar Khayyam (c. 1048-1122)

Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037) Applied Aristotelianism to Neoplatonism Discussed necessary and possible being Asserted survival of personal soul after death

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111) Maqasid al-Falasifa (Intentions of the Philosophers) - summary of al-Farabi and Ibn Sina Tahafut al-Falasifa (Incoherence of the Philosophers) - challenges philosophers’: 1. Denial of resurrection of body 2. Claims that the world is eternal 3. Views on cause and effect

Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126-98) Retained Aristotelian idea of First Cause/ Unmoved Mover i.e. God All Intelligences emanating directly from God World eternal, but not necessarily by itself, implying creation possible

Ibn Rushd/Averroes (1126-98) Responded to al-Ghazali in Tahafut al-Tahafut (Incoherence of the Incoherence) Suggested that both revelation and philosophy sources of truth. Resolve conflicts by reading scripture allegorically Three types of learners: (1) philosophical reasoners, (2) theologians using dialectic and rhetoric, (3) the masses, who are persuaded by preaching etc.

First Cause/ One nous/Intellect Neoplatonic Worldview Soul

922 Execution of al-Hallaj 1095 Al-Ghazali becomes Sufi Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (Revivification of the Religious Sciences) ribat/khanaqa/zawiya/tekke = Sufi lodge

tariqa = Sufi “path” Suhrawardiyya, from Abu’l-Najib al-Suhrawardi (d. 1168) Qadiriyya, from ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani (d. 1165) Gnosticism Al-Tirmidhi (d. 932) - al-qutb (pole/axis) Shihab al-Din Yahya al-Suhrawardi (1153-91) - God as light and as sole being

Ibn al-‘Arabi/Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240) Left Spain betw. 1198 and 1201, travelled widely, then settled in Damascus in 1223 God’s only attribute is existence, but He wants to be known, so created world, which has His characteristics and mirrors His attributes God reveals His names so that we might know Him, but knowledge is only partial, so people and religions see Him differently

Jalal al-Din al-Rumi (1207-73) From Afghanistan, but lived in Konya Became obsessed with mystic Shams al-Din in 1244 Rumi’s followers killed Shams al-Din. Rumi was distraught and became a mystical poet Mathnawi/Masnavi

Mevlevi Order, a.k.a. Whirling Dervishes, founded by Sultan Walad ibn al-Rumi