On an Ethical Enunciation of Islamic Philosophy of Education

Abstract

The question about what Islamic philosophy actually is, might best be answered by looking at the Qurān. In this text, one encounters terms like ‘ilm (knowledge), hikmah (wisdom), ‘aql (intellect) and tafakkur (contemplation), which are generally associated with actions of inquiry and hence attuned to philosophical inquiry. It is important to bear in mind that, although the Islamic faith came into contact with a number of other civilisations – such as Greek, Persian, Syrian, Egyptian and Indian cultures – thanks to the rapid expansion of the Muslim Arab civilisation, following the death of the Prophet Muhammad, these contacts should be not overestimated in relation to their philosophical influence. While the seminal thoughts of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato are widely evident in the works of Islamic philosophers such as al-Kindi, al-Fārābī, ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), ibn Rushd(Averroes), ibn Miskawayh, al-Ghazzālī’ and ibn ‘Arabi, philosophy in Islam is focused expansively on hermeneutical expositions of the Qurān and most commonly related to the notion of hikmah (wisdom).