Study Notes for ADF4063 Islamic Philosophy

Course Title: ADF4063 Islamic Philosophy
Instructor: Mohd Rushdan Mohd Jailani
Learning Outcomes and Assessments
- Total Score: 100%
- Mid Semester Test: 20%
- Final Exam: 50%
- Assignment: 20%
- Presentation: 10%
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO):
- CLO1: Describe the meaning and history of Islamic philosophy (Knowledge)
- CLO2: Analyze the differences and uniqueness among schools of Islamic philosophy (Critical thinking, problem solving)
- CLO3: Demonstrate the beautiful values of Islamic philosophy and wisdom (Values, attitudes, and professionalism)

Assessment Rubrics:
- General Information & Format: 4 Marks
- Introduction: 4 Marks
- Explanation of Literature/Book Information (Author, Title, Edition, Publisher, Year): 4 Marks
- Significant Contributions of the Author: 4 Marks
- Key Points or Aspects of Text: 4 Marks
- Conclusion: 4 Marks

Philosophy:
- Defined as the “love of wisdom.”
- Involves understanding existence and the universe, connecting rationality and spirituality.
- Lays the foundation for all sciences, promoting rational and objective living.
- Philosophical insight is considered necessary for understanding reality and truth.

A student learning philosophy develops a broader understanding of the universe and a deeper appreciation for the interplay of rational and spiritual knowledge.
Philosophy is an essential tool for knowledge acquisition, as encouraged in the Quran:
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:269): "He gives wisdom to whom He wills…."
- Surah Yunus (10:100): "And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah…."
Philosophy is a fardhu kifayah for Muslims, important to study alongside other disciplines.

Literally: "Philosophia" – love of wisdom (from Greek: Philo [love] + Sophia [wisdom]).
Technical Definitions: No universally accepted definition; philosophy encompasses a wide array of topics that have evolved historically.

Key Areas:
- Axiology, Aesthetics, Ethics, Religious Philosophy, Economy, Social and Political Science, Epistemology, Logic, Language Philosophy, Metaphysics, Ontology, and Cosmology.

Derived from the Greek concept; in Arabic, termed falsafah.
It refers to a form of rational knowledge embraced in Islam, distinguished from transmitted knowledge.

Defined as the knowledge of all existing things (i.e., ilm ashya’ al-mawjudah bi ma hiya mawjudah). It inquires about existence, categories of being, the essence, and the relationship between existence and essence.

Theoretical Philosophy (al-‘ilm al-nazari):
- Concerned with what exists (theology, metaphysics, mathematics, natural science).
Practical Philosophy (al-‘ilm al-‘amali):
- Addresses what actions ought to be (ethics, economic principles, politics).

Islamic philosophers such as Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Ibn Sina made considerable contributions by combining translations, commentaries, personal reflections, and practical examples of Greek texts, enriching Islamic thought.

Abu Ya'qub al-Kindi (801-873 CE):
- "Philosophy is the knowledge of the reality of things within people's possibility…"
Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi (870-950 CE):
- Advocated distinction between certain knowledge (al-yaqiniyyah) and opinion-based knowledge (al-maznunah).
Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abdullah ibn Ali Ibn Sina (980-1037 CE):
- "Al-Hikmah is the perfection of the human soul through conceptualization…"

View Islam as perfect; Greek science and philosophy are unnecessary and non-Muslim origins.

The intellectual history began with Islam, promoting a worldview that transcended narrow tribal consciousness and drew from the cultural treasures of various ancient civilizations.

Early scholars engaged in interpreting Quran and Hadith led to various legal and theological sciences, spawning grammatical, rhetorical, and literal analyses during the first centuries of Islamic history.

The compilation of the Quran in its official version under Caliph Uthman and the collection of Hadith by scholars, alongside significant commentaries, established the basis for Islamic philosophy development.

Divisions in theology arose due to philosophical debates, particularly concerning free will (al-Qadar) versus predestination (al-Jabariyyah) as early theological discourse.

The Abbasid period saw significant influence from Greek philosophy, with radical divisions between progressive and conservative elements concerning the interpretation and incorporation of philosophical thought into Islamic intellectual tradition, and emergence of Islamic mysticism (Sufism).
The relationship between Islamic philosophy and other traditions, such as mysticism, continued to evolve, intertwining elements of both thought systems throughout history.

Islamic philosophy is characterized by a blend of cultural influences and philosophical thought that arose from the Islamic civilization, representing a dynamic interplay of various traditions and schools of thought across time.
Contemporary discussions and reactions to modernity and postmodernism reflect the ongoing evolution and relevance of Islamic philosophy in addressing modern issues.