Six scholars, eleven centuries: Six scholars, across eleven centuries, built the tradition you are about to enter. Al-Farabi (872–950 CE), called "the Second Teacher" after Aristotle, wrote the first full classification of the sciences and made logic safe for Islamic scholarship.
Ibn Sina and Al-Ghazali: Ibn Sina / Avicenna (980–1037 CE), the greatest Islamic logician, wrote Al-Shifa' and Al-Isharat, added modality theory, and created the famous "floating man" thought experiment. Al-Ghazali (1058–1111 CE) made logic acceptable for Sunni theologians through Miyar al-'Ilm.
Muzaffar and Mutahhari: Allama Muhammad Ridha Muzaffar (1904–1964 CE) wrote Al-Mantiq, the clear, organised hawza standard — the spine of this course. Shahid Murtadha Mutahhari (1919–1979 CE) explained classical logic in simple Persian for ordinary educated people.
Tabataba'i and the Quran: Allama Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (1903–1981 CE) used logic to write Tafsir al-Mizan, the great Quran commentary of the twentieth century.
Example
The chain continues with you: The chain is: Aristotle → Al-Farabi → Ibn Sina → Al-Ghazali → centuries of scholars → Muzaffar → Mutahhari → Tabataba'i. You are the next link in this chain.
Key Terms
- Muzaffar (المظفر) — author of Al-Mantiq
- Mutahhari (المطہري) — author of Ashl al-Mantiq
- Tabataba'i (الطباطبائي) — author of Tafsir al-Mizan
Quran or Hadith
None on this slide.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: A chain/flow diagram: Aristotle → Al-Farabi → Ibn Sina → Al-Ghazali → Muzaffar → Mutahhari → Tabataba'i. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
- Six scholars, across eleven centuries, built the tradition you are about to enter.
- The chain is: Aristotle → Al-Farabi → Ibn Sina → Al-Ghazali → centuries of scholars → Muzaffar → Mutahhari → Tabataba'i. You are the next link in this chain.