A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

In the 9th century, an intellectual renaissance flourished within the Islamic world, similar to Europe’s later Renaissance and Enlightenment. This awakening was largely catalyzed by the Arabs’ exposure to Greek science and philosophy. Nestorian Christians, serving as translators, played a pivotal role in translating Greek works into Arabic, bringing numerous scientific and intellectual advancements to the Abbasid empire.

A significant outcome of this era was the emergence of the Faylasufs, Muslims deeply inspired by Greek metaphysics. Unlike their Greek Christian counterparts who hesitated to integrate Hellenistic logic into theological matters, the Faylasufs ardently championed reason, arguing it embodied a heightened form of religiosity. They endeavored to align Greek philosophical principles with Islamic teachings, contending that the God spoken of by Greek philosophers was equivalent to al-Lah in Islamic thought. Their efforts aimed to distill the universal truth present across all religious traditions.

Among these thinkers, Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi stood out, marrying philosophical concepts with Islamic beliefs. On the other end of the spectrum, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakaria ar-Razi adopted a more radical stance, dismissing both Aristotelian logic and certain Koranic perspectives. The Faylasufs, despite their groundbreaking contributions, encountered limitations in gaining widespread acceptance due to their elitist approach.