The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis
This article examines the conceptions of divine revelation held by two prominent figures in Islamic thought, Ibn Sīnā and Al-Ghazālī, through a comparative lens within the context of metaphysical and epistemological processes. Ibn Sīnā views divine revelation as a metaphysical process occurring at t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1383 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850147245897285632 |
|---|---|
| author | İbrahim Halil Erdoğan Sema Eryücel |
| author_facet | İbrahim Halil Erdoğan Sema Eryücel |
| author_sort | İbrahim Halil Erdoğan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines the conceptions of divine revelation held by two prominent figures in Islamic thought, Ibn Sīnā and Al-Ghazālī, through a comparative lens within the context of metaphysical and epistemological processes. Ibn Sīnā views divine revelation as a metaphysical process occurring at the highest level of intellect. According to him, divine revelation is an abstract reflection of divine knowledge transmitted to the prophet’s imaginative faculty through the Active Intellect. This process, explained within a philosophical framework, is grounded in the development of human intellectual capacity. In contrast, Ghazālī defines divine revelation as a mystical experience and considers it a divine encounter beyond the limits of human reason. For Ghazālī, divine revelation manifests as an expression of God’s attribute of speech and occurs solely by divine will. Moreover, this experience cannot be fully comprehended by reason. Ghazālī’s approach, imbued with Sufi depth, regards divine revelation as an integral part of spiritual growth. This article explores the fundamental similarities and differences between these two thinkers’ understandings of divine revelation and metaphysics. By analyzing how Ibn Sīnā’s reason-based approach intersects and diverges from Ghazālī’s intuition and inspiration-based Sufi approach, this study provides an in-depth examination of how the concept of divine revelation has been shaped within Islamic theology and philosophy, highlighting the contributions of both thinkers to the discourse on divine revelation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4bbdc50c70e14096aa08e498fdd30de0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-4bbdc50c70e14096aa08e498fdd30de02025-08-20T02:27:38ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-11-011511138310.3390/rel15111383The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysisİbrahim Halil Erdoğan0Sema Eryücel1Department of Kalam, Faculty of Theology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, TurkeyDepartment of Religious Psychology, Faculty of Theology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, TurkeyThis article examines the conceptions of divine revelation held by two prominent figures in Islamic thought, Ibn Sīnā and Al-Ghazālī, through a comparative lens within the context of metaphysical and epistemological processes. Ibn Sīnā views divine revelation as a metaphysical process occurring at the highest level of intellect. According to him, divine revelation is an abstract reflection of divine knowledge transmitted to the prophet’s imaginative faculty through the Active Intellect. This process, explained within a philosophical framework, is grounded in the development of human intellectual capacity. In contrast, Ghazālī defines divine revelation as a mystical experience and considers it a divine encounter beyond the limits of human reason. For Ghazālī, divine revelation manifests as an expression of God’s attribute of speech and occurs solely by divine will. Moreover, this experience cannot be fully comprehended by reason. Ghazālī’s approach, imbued with Sufi depth, regards divine revelation as an integral part of spiritual growth. This article explores the fundamental similarities and differences between these two thinkers’ understandings of divine revelation and metaphysics. By analyzing how Ibn Sīnā’s reason-based approach intersects and diverges from Ghazālī’s intuition and inspiration-based Sufi approach, this study provides an in-depth examination of how the concept of divine revelation has been shaped within Islamic theology and philosophy, highlighting the contributions of both thinkers to the discourse on divine revelation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1383theologydivine revelationmetaphysicsIbn Sînâ (Avicenna)Al-Ghazâlî |
| spellingShingle | İbrahim Halil Erdoğan Sema Eryücel The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis Religions theology divine revelation metaphysics Ibn Sînâ (Avicenna) Al-Ghazâlî |
| title | The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis |
| title_full | The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis |
| title_fullStr | The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis |
| title_short | The Concept of Divine Revelation According to Ibn Sînâ and Al-Ghazālī: A Comparative Analysis |
| title_sort | concept of divine revelation according to ibn sina and al ghazali a comparative analysis |
| topic | theology divine revelation metaphysics Ibn Sînâ (Avicenna) Al-Ghazâlî |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1383 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ibrahimhalilerdogan theconceptofdivinerevelationaccordingtoibnsinaandalghazaliacomparativeanalysis AT semaeryucel theconceptofdivinerevelationaccordingtoibnsinaandalghazaliacomparativeanalysis AT ibrahimhalilerdogan conceptofdivinerevelationaccordingtoibnsinaandalghazaliacomparativeanalysis AT semaeryucel conceptofdivinerevelationaccordingtoibnsinaandalghazaliacomparativeanalysis |