The Role of Educational Theology in Reconciling Faith with Reason in Islam: Reflections on the Case of Ikwan alSafa´1 (original) (raw)

2012, The Muslim World Book Review

The apex of medieval Islamic civilisation in the Eastern Muslim hinterland is usually associated with the establishment of the 'House of Wisdom' during the early Abbasid rule (750-1258 CE). This major Islamic educational centre, originally conceived as a library and translation centre, founded by Caliph Harun alRashid (786-809 CE) in 9th century Baghdad and later flourished under the reign of his son, alMa´mun (813-833 CE). One of the main aims of this intellectual centre was to translate into Arabic the major works produced by previous civilisations, such as ancient Greek, Persian, Indian and Chinese that constituted the cultural heritage of diverse groups of people who become part of the expanding Islamic empire. The early rapid Islamic conquest created a historic encounter between Muslims and the societies originated in diverse linguistic, ethnic, religious and philosophical communities in the Near East during the late antiquity. It is true that Muslim military conquest was made easier due to the centuries old warfare between the Byzantine and Sassanid empires, the two dominant political powers in the region. However, one of the significant dynamics behind this early Muslim success was to gain the support of many indigenous people, who were already discontented with their ruling elites and sectarian violence. This was achieved through the presence of a tolerant open Islamic attitude towards ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. Such a faith-based openness to the 'other' was in many ways a unique development within the historical conditions of late antiquity, where religion was commonly associated with exclusion and othering.