Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the ...

The Poet-Scientist ‘Umar Khayyåm as Philosopher 169
ister, Khwåjah Niπåm al-Mulk, in his conditions for the endowment of
the Niπåmiyyah madrasah system, stipulates that philosophy should
not be taught therein. This was the period of such works as the Tahåfut
al-falåsifah of Ghazzål¥, the Mu„åri‘ah (Wrestling with the Philosopher)
of Ab¨˘l-Fa†h Shahrastån¥, and the Shar÷ al-ishåråt (Commentary upon
the Book of Directives [and Remarks]) of Fakhr al-D¥n Råz¥, all works
opposed to falsafah. It is usually said that between the middle of the
fifth/eleventh century and the beginning of the seventh/thirteenth
century, falsafah was eclipsed in the eastern lands of Islam and
flourished only in the Maghrib, where Ibn Rushd was to write his
response to Ghazzål¥ in his Tahåfut al-tahåfut. Furthermore, it is well
known that in the East at the end of this period of Ash‘arite domination,
that is, in the seventh/thirteenth century, Khwåjah Nå∑ir al-D¥n
al-apple¨s¥ answered both Shahrastån¥ and Råz¥ and resuscitated Ibn S¥nå’s
philosophy. In general one points to Suhraward¥ as the only major
philosopher in this period of the eclipse of philosophy in the East
whose influence, however, really began in the decades that coincides
with T¨s¥’s revival of Ibn S¥nå.
These statements are generally correct but should not be taken to
mean that there was no philosophical activity in Persia and lands
nearby during this period of domination of kalåm. The most important
proof of the continuation of the school of Ibn S¥nå in the fifth/eleventh
and sixth/twelfth centuries is, in fact, ‘Umar Khayyåm himself. He lived
in the middle of this period of eclipse of Avicennan philosophy, between
Ibn S¥nå’s students and apple¨s¥ and must be considered an eminent
philosophical figure during this period of suppression of philosophical
thought in Persia and other eastern lands of Islam. His very existence
is proof of the fact that philosophy had not disappeared totally from the
scene in this area even during this period of eclipse. Nevertheless, the
era during which he lived is also one of the reasons why in general
histories of Islamic philosophy there is usually no mention of him as a
philosopher belonging to the school of Ibn S¥nå. Had he lived earlier or
later he probably would have been studied more extensively as a
mashshå˘¥ philosopher like many others of the fourth/tenth or seventh/
thirteenth century. But he was destined to remain a solitary figure between
Ibn S¥nå’s students Bahmanyår ibn Marzbån and Ab¨˘l-‘Abbås
L¨kar¥, on the one hand, and Na∑¥r al-D¥n al-apple¨s¥ and other philosophers
of the seventh/thirteenth century, on the other. Yet, although a
lonely figure who preferred solitude and did not like to accept students,
he was highly revered as both philosopher and mathematician by scholars
of his own generation, as well as those who came thereafter.