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Book Club: Professor Akbar Ahmed invites us to survey the ideas of some
of the great Muslim, Christian and Jewish philosophers from a remarkable
period of history.
In a recent article, noted Moroccan literary writer Abdelfattah Kilito asked rhetorically: "What is the point of reading the ancients?
Photo: Getty Images
They are not of our world. They are peacefully asleep and do not want us to wake them. Let the dead bury their dead. We may hesitate a moment in our judgement and suppose that there are, perhaps, benefits and advantages to be gained from their company."
Why indeed? Well, there are many incentives for modern people to engage with the writings of the great philosophers and thinkers of the past – not least for the perennial human search for truth and “love of wisdom” – the literal meaning of philosophy: a commodity in scarce supply in our challenging times.
It is within this context that the celebrated scholar, Ambassador of Islam Professor Akbar Ahmed invites us to survey the ideas of some of the great Muslim, Christian and Jewish philosophers from a remarkable period of history.
In his latest book, The Flying Man, Professor Ahmed, seeks to remind readers of the importance of seeking knowledge and wisdom and illustrates how Muslim philosophers from the “Golden Age of Islam,” embodied these virtues, influenced their Christian and Jewish contemporaries and demonstrates the relevance of their ideas during times of great crisis such as our COVID-19 infected world...
Ahmed notes that these polymath philosophers explored a multitude of theoretical and practical issues that ranged from the relationship between the soul and physical body, the role of reason in relation to revelation to the nature of existence...
...He reminds fellow believers that the virtues of compassion, balance, and
seeking all forms of knowledge are also forms of worship. It is a plea
for greater inter-faith understanding and fruitful co-existence –
something these great philosophers examined. In concluding it is clear,
reading about the wisdom of the ancients remains as relevant as ever.
...He reminds fellow believers that the virtues of compassion, balance, and seeking all forms of knowledge are also forms of worship. It is a plea for greater inter-faith understanding and fruitful co-existence – something these great philosophers examined. In concluding it is clear, reading about the wisdom of the ancients remains as relevant as ever.
Source: The New Arab
