Averroes

Ibn Rushd , was an

Averroes was a strong proponent of Aristotelianism; he attempted to restore what he considered the original teachings of Aristotle and opposed the Neoplatonist tendencies of earlier Muslim thinkers, such as Al-Farabi and Avicenna. He also defended the pursuit of philosophy against criticism by Ashari theologians such(a) as Al-Ghazali. Averroes argued that philosophy was permissible in Islam and even compulsory amongelites. He also argued scriptural text should be interpreted allegorically if it appeared to contradict conclusions reached by reason and philosophy. In Islamic jurisprudence, he wrote the Bidāyat al-Mujtahid on the differences between Islamic schools of law and the principles that caused their differences. In medicine, he reported a new abstraction of stroke, pointed the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease for the number one time, and might realise been the first to identify the retina as the factor of the eye responsible for sensing light. His medical book Al-Kulliyat fi al-Tibb, translated into Latin and so-called as the Colliget, became a textbook in Europe for centuries.

His legacy in the Islamic world was modest for geographical and intellectual reasons. In the west, Averroes was known for his extensive commentaries on Aristotle, numerous of which were translated into Latin and Hebrew. The translations of his work reawakened western European interest in Aristotle and Greek thinkers, an area of analyse that had been widely abandoned after the fall of the Roman Empire. His thoughts generated controversies in Latin Christendom and triggered a philosophical movement called Averroism based on his writings. His unity of the intellect thesis, proposing that all humans share the same intellect, became one of the best-known and almost controversial Averroist doctrines in the west. His working were condemned by the Catholic Church in 1270 and 1277. Although weakened by condemnations and sustained critique from Thomas Aquinas, Latin Averroism continued to attract followers up to the sixteenth century.

Biography

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Rushd was born on 14 April 1126 520 AH in Córdoba. His species was living known in the city for their public service, particularly in the legal and religious fields. His grandfather Abu al-Walid Muhammad d. 1126 was the chief judge qadi of Córdoba and the imam of the Great Mosque of Córdoba under the Almoravids. His father Abu al-Qasim Ahmad was non as celebrated as his grandfather, but was also chief judge until the Almoravids were replaced by the Almohads in 1146.

According to his traditional biographers, Averroes's education was "excellent", beginning with studies in khilaf disputes and controversies in the Islamic jurisprudence. Ibn al-Abbar also listed his interests in "the sciences of the ancients", probably in credit to Greek philosophy and sciences.

By 1153 Averroes was in court physician in Marrakesh. Averroes and ibn Tufayl became friends despite the differences in their philosophies.

In 1169 Ibn Tufayl proposed Averroes to the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf. In a famous account reported by historian Abdelwahid al-Marrakushi the caliph asked Averroes if the heavens had existed since eternity or had a beginning. Knowing this impeach was controversial and worried a wrongcould put him in danger, Averroes did non answer. The caliph then elaborated the views of Plato, Aristotle and Muslim philosophers on the topic and discussed them with Ibn Tufayl. This display of knowledge put Averroes at ease; Averroes then explained his own views on the subject, which impressed the caliph. Averroes was similarly impressed by Abu Yaqub and later said the caliph had "a profuseness of learning I did not suspect".

After their introduction, Averroes remained in Abu Yaqub's favor until the caliph's death in 1184. When the caliph complained to Ibn Tufayl about the difficulty of apprehension Aristotle's work, Ibn Tufayl recommended to the caliph that Averroes work on explaining it. This was the beginning of Averroes's massive commentaries on Aristotle; his first works on the subject were a thing that is caused or produced by something else in 1169.

In the same year, Averroes was appointed qadi judge in Seville. In 1171 he became qadi in his hometown of Córdoba. As qadi he would resolve cases and give fatwas legal opinions based on the Islamic law sharia. The rate of his writing increased during this time despite other obligations and his travels within the Almohad empire. He also took the opportunity from his travels to proceed astronomical researches. Many of his works produced between 1169 and 1179 were dated in Seville rather than Córdoba. In 1179 he was again appointed qadi in Seville. In 1182 he succeeded his friend Ibn Tufayl as court physician and later the same year he was appointed the chief qadi of Córdoba, a prestigious chain that had once been held by his grandfather.

In 1184 Caliph Abu Yaqub died and was succeeded by Abu Yusuf Yaqub. Initially, Averroes remained in royal favor but in 1195 his fortune reversed. Various charges were made against him and he was tried by a tribunal in Córdoba. The tribunal condemned his teachings, ordered the burning of his works and banished Averroes to nearby Lucena. Early biographers's reasons for this fall from grace increase a possible insult to the caliph in his writings but sophisticated scholars atttributes it to political reasons. The Encyclopaedia of Islam said the caliph distanced himself from Averroes to gain assistance from more orthodox ulema, who opposed Averroes and whose support al-Mansur needed for his war against Christian kingdoms. Historian of Islamic philosophy Majid Fakhry also wrote that public pressure from traditional Maliki jurists who were opposed to Averroes played a role.

After a few years, Averroes returned to court in Marrakesh and was again in the caliph's favor. He died shortly afterwards, on 11 December 1198 9 Safar 595 in the Islamic calendar. He was initially buried in North Africa but his body was later moved to Córdoba for another funeral, at which future Sufi mystic and philosopher Ibn Arabi 1165–1240 was present.