Philosophy of Religion Research

A Sketch of Religious Philosophy in al-Farabi's Thought, Focusing on the Treatise Fī ʾAghrāḍ Mā Baʿd al-Ṭabīʿa

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Ph.D. Graduate in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Theology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Al-Farabi’s philosophy represents an intelligent synthesis of select Qur’anic verses and references, certain elements of Greek philosophical heritage, and his own creative contributions. This form of composition predates al-Farabi and is known as “religious philosophy”. In this tradition, the doctrinal principles of each Abrahamic faith are assumed as foundational for their respective adherents, and then among philosophical teachings, those that do not contradict these foundational principles are integrated into a coherent religious-philosophical system. We argue that an early approach to religious philosophy within the Islamic intellectual tradition can be observed in al-Farabi’s treatise Fī ʾAghrāḍ Mā Baʿd al-Ṭabīʿa (On the Aims of Metaphysics). In this work, he first identifies Allah as the absolute being (al-mawjūd al-muṭlaq) and regards that branch of metaphysics which investigates the origin of existence as deserving the title of divine science. He then designates the primary subject of metaphysics as absolute being itself. From these two premises, al-Farabi concludes that divine science, in a sense, is identical to metaphysics. This interpretation led to a transformation of metaphysics into theology within the Islamic intellectual tradition. However, this does not mean that Allah became the sole subject of Islamic philosophy; rather, Allah—as the origin of existence—became its central axis, thereby integrating key theological concepts such as prophethood and resurrection into Islamic philosophical discourse. The second part of this study examines the influence of al-Farabi’s idea of religious philosophy on his other works. It demonstrates that some of his most significant treatises, including Al-Madīna al-Fāḍila, Al-Siyāsa al-Madaniyya, and his treatises Al-Jam‘, Al-Milla, and Al- Ḥurūf, were composed with this philosophical-religious framework in mind.

Keywords

Main Subjects

The Holy Quran.
    
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Philosophy of Religion Research
Volume 23, Issue 1 - Serial Number 45
April 2025
Pages 47-64