Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

Primary SourcesThe following material selected from primary sources has beenchosen to provide insights into various aspects of the Islamand science relationship that existed in the Islamic intellectualtradi tion before the rise of modern science. Other works of importance,which could not be included here for reasons of space,are listed in the annotated bibliography.—1—Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, On First Philosophy (fi al-Falsafah al-Ula), Translated by Alfred L. Ivry, Albany:State University of New York Press, 1974, pp. 70–75.Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi was born in Kufa towardthe end of the eighth century or the beginning of the ninth to thegovernor of Kufa. His family was originally from the southern partof Arabia. His tribe, Kindah, was distinguished by the presence of aCompanion of the Prophet. By the time al-Kindi completed his earlystudies, Baghdad had become the intellectual capital of the world.Thus it was natural for him to go to Baghdad, where he enjoyedthe patronage of the caliphs al-Ma‘mun and al-Mu‘tasim, the latterappointed him his son’s tutor. Al-Kindi remained in high positionsthroughout his life except for the final years when court intrigues ledto misunderstanding between him and caliph Mutawakkil.