God and Humans in Islamic Thought : Abd Al-Jabbar, Ibn Sina and Al-Ghazali

ISBN-13: 9780415400282 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 214 str.

Maha Elkaisy-Friemuth

Opis

The explanation of the relationship between God and humans, as portrayed in Islam, is often influenced by the images of God and of human beings which theologians, philosophers and mystics have in mind. The early period of Islam disclose a diversity of interpretations of this relationship. Thinkers from the tenth and eleventh century had the privilege of disclosing different facets of the relationship between humans and the divine. "God and Humans in Islamic Thought" discusses the view of three different scholars of the time: Abd al-Jabbar, Ibn Sina and Al-Ghazali. The relationships discussed in this work are: divine assistance, lu3f, according to 'Abd al-Jabbar; human love and attraction to the divine, 'ishq, according to Ibn Sina, and finally the mystical annihilation of the self in the divine unity, fana', of al-Ghazali. They introduce three approaches of looking at this relationship. In order to perceive these concepts, their perception of God and of the human nature will also be examined here. The starting-point of this research was the desire to set forth a variety of possible relationships which are all in accordance with Islamic belief, but nevertheless demonstrate diversity in understanding the relationship between the human and the divine which in turn suggests the concept of plurality within one religion. Examining these three concepts, which build firm connections between God and humans, reveals the importance of rational inquiry in medieval Islamic thought, not only because it was a source of logical arguments for Islam against its opponents but mainly because it built different bridges leading to God. God and Humans in Islamic Thought attempts to shed light on animportant side of medieval rational thought in demonstrating its significance in forming the basis of an understanding of the nature of God, the nature of human beings and the construction of different bridges between them.

Recenzje

'[T]his study of the philosophical analysis of the Islamic faith is accessible to all philosophers who are interested in the relationship between religious faith and reason, and the author is to be congratulated for providing an extremely insightful and meticulous account of the human and divine relationship in the works of these significant Islamic thinkers.'
– Patrick Quinn, All Hallows College, Dublin, in Philosophy East & West

Spis treści

Introduction  1. Historical and Cultural Context  2. Abd Al-Jabbar's View of the Relationship with God through Divine Assistance  3. Relationship with God through Knowledge and Love, Ishq in Ibn Sina's Philosophy  4. Relationship with God through Self Annihilation, Fana, According to Al-Ghazali  5. Comparison and Evaluation