چکیده مبسوط

Extended Abstract

1) Introduction

The relationship between religion and philosophy has long been one of the most contested issues in the history of Islamic thought. At the center of this debate stands al-Fārābī—the founder of Islamic philosophy—whose system attempts to harmonize reason and revelation. Western historians of philosophy have offered conflicting readings regarding the role of religion in the formation of Islamic philosophy. Scholars such as Oliver Leaman, Dimitri Gutas, and Richard Walzer portray Islamic philosophy as a continuation of the Greek rationalist tradition, with little or no dependence on Islamic theology. In contrast, figures like Leo Strauss and Erwin Rosenthal argue that Islamic philosophers operated within a religious framework and sought to reconcile reason with revelation. 

This paper aims to revisit the epistemic position of religion in al-Fārābī’s thought and to assess whether religion functions as an autonomous source of knowledge or merely as a derivative expression of philosophical truth.

2) Methodology 

This study adopts a qualitative descriptive–analytical approach. It relies on textual interpretation of al-Fārābī’s major works such as al-Milla, Iḥṣāʾ al-ʿUlūm, Kitāb al-Ḥurūf, and al-Siyāsa al-Madaniyya. The analysis proceeds through four stages: 

(1) clarification of Fārābī’s conceptual definitions of philosophy and religion; 

(2) examination of the classification of sciences and the epistemic hierarchy among them; 

(3) analysis of his symbolic interpretation of religion and his theory of the precedence of philosophy over religion; 

(4) critical evaluation of the apparent tension between his philosophical rationalism and his reliance on prophetic revelation.

3) Discussion and Results 

Fārābī conceives of both philosophy and religion as parts of a single epistemological system, yet he assigns philosophy the higher rank. True knowledge (ʿilm yaqīnī) originates from demonstrative reasoning, whereas religion (milla) is the imaginative representation of the same truths in symbolic and persuasive forms for the public. In his view, religion comprises theoretical and practical opinions as well as ritual and social acts—mirroring philosophy but at a lower cognitive level.

Within his classification of sciences, philosophy encompasses physics, mathematics, politics, and metaphysics, while theology (ilm al-kalām) is a derivative discipline aimed at defending the doctrines of religion. This arrangement indicates that reason holds primacy: philosophy seeks truth for its own sake, whereas religion and theology serve pedagogical and social purposes. Thus, religion belongs primarily to the sphere of political science in Fārābī’s system, guiding the community toward collective happiness rather than metaphysical truth.

In his discussions of the relation between religion and philosophy, Fārābī asserts both temporal and conceptual precedence of philosophy. He writes that only when philosophy becomes demonstrative and certain can a sound and virtuous religion emerge as its reflection. A religion that stems from a dialectical or sophistical philosophy is inevitably imperfect. Accordingly, philosophy provides the rational foundation that religion translates into symbolic narratives suitable for ordinary minds. 

This symbolic mediation is a cornerstone of his thought. Since most people lack the intellectual capacity for pure intellection, religion performs the vital task of transforming abstract truths into sensory images and persuasive myths. The religious imagination, therefore, becomes an instrument for moral education and political order. Yet, this model also subordinates revelation to rational inquiry: religion is a mirror that reflects philosophical truth rather than an independent source of revelation. 

Furthermore, in al-Madina al-Fadila, Fārābī identifies the ruler of the virtuous city as both philosopher and prophet—a figure who unites intellectual and imaginative faculties. Nevertheless, philosophical intellect remains the standard; the prophet’s imaginative power is valuable only insofar as it conveys what the philosopher already knows rationally. This results in a subtle but essential hierarchy: philosophy is foundational, religion instrumental.

A critical reading reveals the tension inherent in such a structure. Fārābī’s system, while seeking concord between faith and reason, effectively reduces religion to a symbolic pedagogy of philosophy. Mystical and experiential dimensions of faith—irreducible to rational argument—are largely absent from his epistemology. Religion becomes ancillary (ancilla) to philosophy, serving its social and moral functions while lacking autonomous cognitive authority.

4) Conclusion 

Fārābī’s philosophy presents a sophisticated attempt to rationalize religious truth within an Aristotelian framework. He envisions religion and philosophy as concordant paths toward the same ultimate goal—human happiness—but not as equal in epistemic dignity. Philosophy is prior both historically and conceptually; it reveals reality through demonstration, while religion communicates that reality through imagination and persuasion. 

Although his system opens a bridge between intellectual and prophetic knowledge, it remains philosophically centered: revelation must align with reason or else risk incoherence. Consequently, Fārābī appears less a theologian than a “philosopher–theologian” (mutafalsif muta’allih) who endeavors to reconcile faith with rational inquiry. 

This reinterpretation of religion as symbolic philosophy marks a pivotal stage in the intellectual history of Islam, shaping subsequent debates on the relation between reason and revelation from Ibn Sīnā to Averroes. Nevertheless, it also leaves open the question of whether religious knowledge can maintain independent epistemic status—a problem that continues to challenge contemporary philosophy of religion.

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