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Amongst the earliest of the so-<br />
called 'Muslim philosophers' was<br />
the Persian, al-Farabi (872CE/259AH -<br />
950 CE/339AH). He was a translator and<br />
author of many commentaries on Aristotle's<br />
(a Greek philosopher) works, for which he was<br />
called, 'the Second Teacher' (Aristotle being the first).<br />
He greatly influenced the philosophers who followed him,<br />
particularly Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes).<br />
Al-Farabi agreed with Aristotle's view that the philosopher is<br />
of a higher status than a Prophet because the philosopher<br />
understands issues by means of reason and contemplation while the<br />
Prophet - as the philosophers claim - understands things by means of<br />
imagination which in their view is inferior to logic. (*1)<br />
Philosophy is therefore one of the most dangerous falsehoods<br />
and most vicious in fighting faith in the name of logic and reason. The<br />
Salaf unanimously rejected philosophy whilst strongly condemning<br />
it.<br />
(*1) A Prophet's understanding is based on revelation and guidance from Allah and not<br />
imagination<br />
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