ikhwan as safa - los hermanos de la pureza

8/18/2019 Ikhwan as Safa - Los Hermanos de La Pureza

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Brethren of Purity

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Arabic manuscript from the 12th century for Brethren of Purity (Arabic , Ikhwan a!"afaلصفخو

#he Brethren of Purity (Arabic لصفخو Ikhwan al-Safa$ aso transate% as Brethren of !incerity&were a mysterious'1 organi)ation'2 of Arab '* +usim phiosophers in Basra, Ira ! which was then theseat of the Abbasi% -aiphate ! sometime %uring the 1.th century -/0

#heir esoteric teachings an% phiosophy are epoun%e% in an epistoary stye in the Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity (Arabic: Rasa'il Ikhwan al-safa' &, a giant compen%ium of 2 epistes that wou%

greaty infuence ater encycope%ias0 A goo% %ea of +usim an% 3estern schoarship has been spenton 4ust pinning %own the i%entities of the Brethren an% the century in which they were active0

"ontent#

'hi%e• 1 5ame• 2 +eetings• * 6anks• 7 I%entities

o 701 Ismaiio 702 a!#awh8%8

• #he /pistes of the Brethren of Purity• 9 "ee aso• 5otes

o 01 6eferences

• ; /terna inks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#column-onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#searchInputhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_centuryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-brethren-25-seyyed-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Islamic_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esotericismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Namehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Meetingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Rankshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Identitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Ismailihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#al-Tawh.C4.ABd.C4.ABhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#The_Epistles_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irakischer_Maler_von_1287_001.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irakischer_Maler_von_1287_001.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#column-onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#searchInputhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_centuryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-brethren-25-seyyed-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Islamic_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esotericismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Namehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Meetingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Rankshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Identitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Ismailihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#al-Tawh.C4.ABd.C4.ABhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#The_Epistles_of_the_Brethren_of_Purityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brethren_of_Purity#External_links


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$edit% &ame

#he Arabic "Ikhwan al-Safa" (short for, among many possibe transcriptions, "Ikhwan al-Safa wa Khullan al-Wafa wa Ahl al-a!d wa ana al-#a$d" , or the rien%s, Peopeworthy of praise an% "ons of ?ory


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20 #he

70 #he honorific compare% them to historica uminaries such as Jesus, "ocrates, or +uhamma% whowere aso cassifie% as ings$ this rank was the


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Gsu wa@!Ahakam< by Abu +a@ai atim bin Imran bin Duhra (%0 7E;11.7&, uote% by Arif #amir in


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a certain a!ariri, another pupi of a!+antii, an% Abu "uaiman a!+a%isi about the respective roesof 6eveation an% Phiosophy0'12

>or many years, this was the ony account of the authors@ i%entities, /ut al+a-h.d.0# comment# -ere#econd+hand e1idence and #o un#ati#factory2 further, the account i# incomplete, as Abu ayyanmentions that there were others besi%es these 7 '1*0

#his situation aste% unti a!#awh8%8@s Kit& al-I!t&' wa'l-#u'&nasa was pubishe% in 1E720'12 #his pubication substantiay supporte% a!Fifti@s work, athough a!Fifti apparenty tone% %own the%escription an% prominence of a!#awh8%8@s charges that the Brethren were Batiniyya, an esotericIsmaii sect an% thus heretics, possiby so as to not tar his frien% Dai% with the same brush0

"tern %erives a further resut from the pubishe% tet of the Kit& al-I!t& 'wal-#uanasa, pointing outthat a story a!#awh8%8 ascribes to a persona meeting with FL%8 Abu@!asan @A8 b0 LrKn a)!Dan4Lni,the foun%er of the group, appears in amost i%entica form in one of the epistes0 '17 3hie neat, "tern@sview of things has been chaenge% by #ibawi, who points out some assumptions an% errors "tern hasma%e, such as the reationship between the story in a!#awh8%8@s work an% the /pistes$ #ibawi pointsout the possibiity that the story was instea% taken from a thir%, in%epen%ent an% prior source0 '1

a!#awh8%8@s testimony has aso been %escribe% as thus:

3#he Ikhwan a!"afa@ remain an anonymous group of schoars, but when Abu ayyan a!#awh8%8 was aske% about them, he i%entifie% some of them: Abu "uayman a!Busti(known as a!+ua%%asi&, @Ai b0 arun a!Dan4ani, +uhamma% a!5ahra4uri (or a!+ihra4ani&, a!@Awfi, an% Day% ibn 6ifa@i0'2 4

#he ast contemporary source comes from the surviving portions of the Kit& Siwan al-ik!a (c0 E.&

by Abu "uaiman a!+antii (a!#awh8%8@s teacher$ E12!E;

'19

&, which was a sort of compen%ium of biographies$ a!+antii is primariy intereste% in the Brethren@s iterary techniues of using parabesan% stories, an% so he says ony this itte before procee%ing to give some etracts of the Encyclopedia:

3AbK "uaimLn a!+a%is8: e is the author of the fifty!two /pistes inscribe% #he /pistesof the "incere Brethren$ a of them are fu with /thics an% the science of000 #hey arecurrent among peope, an% are wi%ey rea%0 I wish to uote here a few paragraphs in or%erto give an i%ea of the manner of their parabes, thus bringing my book to an en%0'1 4

a!+a%is8 was previousy iste% in the Basra group of a!#awh8%8$ here "tern an% am%ani %iffer, with

"tern uoting +antii as cre%iting +a%isi with 2 epistes, but am%ani says


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3AbK "oaymNn +ah0 b0 +osh@ir b0 5asby, who is known by the name of +oa%isy, an%AbM a!asan b0 DahrMn 6yhNny, an% AbM Ahma% 5ahra4Mry, an% a!@Aufy, an% Day% b06ofN@ah are the phiosophers who compie% the memoirs of the IkhwNn a!cafO, which have been recor%e% by +oa%%isy0'1E 4

am%ani %isputes the genera abovegoing i%entifications, pointing out that accounts %iffer in mutipe%etais, such as whether Day% was an author or not, whether there was a principa author, an% who wasin the group or not0 e ays particuar stress on uotes from the /ncycope%ia %ating between E7 an%E9. in the anonymous (Pseu%o!+a4riti& work h&yat al-ak)!$ a!+a%isi an% a!Dan4ani are knownto have been active in E;*, e fin%s it impausibe they wou% have written or e%ite%


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initiate% by an intro%uctory voume of stu%ies e%ite% by /!Bi)ri, which wi be pubishe% by for%Gniversity Press in Cecember 2..;0'

$edit% !ee al#o

• =ist of Arab scientists an% schoars0

$edit% &ote#

10 6


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190 6 *7E, am%ani10 6 pg0 , "tern 1E71;0 R a b *., am%ani1E0 6


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he philosophy of the /roup of Ara philosophers of the fourth or fifth century ah 3tenth or ele;enth

century ad 8 known as the Ikhwan al-Safa' 3Brethren of Purity8 is a curious ut fascinatin/ !i


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encounter when we rea% the rasa'il of the Ikhwan0 In the first pace, their terminoogy is infuse% withsuch terms as matter an% form, substance an% acci%ents, the four causes an% potentiaity an% actuaity0#heir usage of such terms, however, %oes not aways a%here to the cassica Aristoteian para%igm orusage0 #he %eveopment of terminoogy is often in a 5eopatonic %irection0 >or eampe, the Ikhwanhe% in one pace that substance was something which was sef!eistent an% capabe of receivingattributes0 3e recogni)e here a %escription akin to Aristote@s usage of the wor% @substance@ in the

#etaphysics0 But esewhere, confusingy, form is %ivi%e% into two kin%s, constituting an% competing$constituting forms are cae% substances an% competing forms are cae% acci%ents0 "imiary, theIkhwan a%opte% a fourfo% terminoogy of causes ! materia, forma, efficient an% fina ! but the sha%esof astroogy an% 5eopatonism hang heaviy over at east two of the eampes of these four causeswhich they provi%e0 #hey say that the materia cause of pants is the four eements of fire, air, water an%earth, an% that their fina cause is to provi%e foo% for animas: both of these i%eas are recogni)abyAristoteian in their orientation, but the Ikhwan then go on to suggest that the efficient cause of pantsis the power of the Gniversa "ou an% that their forma cause has compicate% astra eementsX

It is, however, the 5eopatonic eements which %ominate the articuation of a thought in the writingsof the Ikhwan a!"afa@ an% their metaphysics are no eception0 #he atter are imbue% in particuar withthe 5eopatonic concepts of emanation an% hierarchy0 By contrast with the simpe tria% of Potinus,which comprise% the three hypostases of #he ne or #he ?oo%, Inteect an% "ou, with the owereternay emanating from the higher entity, the Ikhwan eaborate% this into an emanationist hierarchy of nine @members@, hypostases or eves of being, as foows: the -reator, the Inteect, the "ou, Prime+atter, 5ature, the Absoute Bo%y, the "phere, the >our /ements an% the Beings of this wor% in thethree %ivisions of minera, pant an% anima0 In such a hierarchica profusion we can perhaps see theghosts of Iambichus an% Procus, who aso mutipie% the hypostases about which they wrote0 It isnoteworthy that for the Ikhwan, an% in contrast to the view of Potinus, matter becomes a fu part ofthe emanationist hierarchy an% is regar%e% in a positive ight0 >urthermore, an% this time in a very 5eopatonic way, ?o% in the Ikhwan@s scheme entrusts the movement of the wor% an% the spheres tothe Gniversa "ou, an% it is the atter which channes ?o%@s gifts finay into +atter itsef (see 5eopatonism&0

#he 5eopatonic %imensions of the thought of the Ikhwan have profoun% impications for their view of?o%0 #he picture which they present of the %eity in their epistes is a confuse% an% utimateycontra%ictory one0 5o attempt is ma%e to reconcie what is in fact irreconciabe0 n the one han%, theIkhwan present a ?o% at the top of a compe emanationist hierarchy who is unknowabe in the cassic 5eopatonic sense0 n the other han%, the Ikhwan present a Fur@anic ?o% who is a gui%e an% a hep,an% who is invoke% at the en% of many of the epistes as one who wi grant success in correct actionan% show his peope the path of righteousness0 #he ma4ority of epistes aso invoke ?o% with thetra%itiona Isamic as!ala, @In the name of ?o%, the +ercifu, the -ompassionate@0 owever, ?o%@s power, as note% above, seems to be @share%@ in some way when it is eercise% via the Gniversa "ou0 #owhat etent, one may reasonaby ask, %oes that compromise the tra%itiona Isamic view of ?o%Y>urthermore, to what etent %o the recogni)aby Isamic features in the Ikhwan@s portrait of ?o% prevent that %eity being consi%ere% as a tota mirror of Potinus@ neY

#he metaphysics of the Ikhwan a!"afa@ must therefore be regar%e% as sui /eneris0 #heir miing ofAristoteian an% 5eopatonic eements ha% profoun% impications both for their theoogy an% thecoherence of their phiosophy0 -ontra%ictions aboun%$ if reasons be sought for this, it is worthremembering one theory, promugate% by A0=0 #ibawi (1E&, that the epistes are akin to the minutestaken %uring the %eiberations of a earne% society, meeting on many occasions over a perio% of years0

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A062.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A096.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A073http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/h051.htm#H051BIBENT8http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A062.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A096.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/A073http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/h051.htm#H051BIBENT8


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#his wou% account for both contra%iction an% repetition0 3e know from the epistes themseves thatthe authors urge% their brothers to meet speciay at set times, in cose% sessions0


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was sti the han%mai%en of a precise theoogica goa: savation for the sou0 #heir ececticism an%toerance provi%e% them with a uniue metho%oogy for the achievement of that goa0 #hus theysearche% out the tets of other cree%s an% the phiosophies of non!+usim sages in search of materiaswhich might boster their own ethics of purity an% asceticism0 #heir inteectua heroes were "ocratesan% Jesus as we as +uhamma%0 Above a, knowe%ge an% phiosophy were aways soterioogicatoos an% never en%s in themseves0

See also9 Isamic theoogy$ +ystica phiosophy in Isam$ 5eopatonism in Isamic phiosophy

*>& )*"?>)@ &5A&

-opyright Z 1EE;, 6oute%ge0

)eference# and further readin(

Ciwa%, "0 (1E& Araische Philosophie und Wissenschaft in der En,yklop?die Kita Ihwan as-Safa' III9 %ie @ehre ;on Seele und Intellekt 3Ara Philosophy and Science in the Book of the Brethren of

Purity III9 eachin/s on the Soul and the Intellect8, 3iesba%en: arrassowit)0 (A ?erman transation of the thir% section of the Rasa'il with etensive notes0&

?oo%man, =0/0 (1E;& he 0ase of the Ani!als ;ersus #an Before the Kin/ of the 2inn, Boston, +A:#wayne Pubishers0 (An /ngish transation of a ma4or portion of the secon% section of the Rasa'il withetensive intro%uction an% notes0&

[ Ikhwan a!"afa@ (1E& Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa' 3Epistles of the Brethren of Purity8, Beirut: Car "a%ir,7 vos0 (#he compete tet of the fifty!two epistes in the origina Arabic0&

+aruet, H0 (1E& @a philosophie des Ihwan al-Safa' 3he Philosophy of the Brethren of Purity8,Agiers: "oci\t\ 5ationae %@]%ition et %e Ciffusion0 (A ma4or stu%y by >rance@s ea%ing epert in thefie%0&

5asr, "00 (1E;& An Introduction to Isla!ic 0os!olo/ical %octrines, revise% e%n, =on%on: #hames Qu%son0 (-ontains a ma4or section on the cosmoogy of the Ikhwan0&

5etton, I060 (1E;2& #usli! +eoplatonists9 An Introduction to the hou/ht of the Brethren of Purity3Ikhwan al-Safa'8, =on%on: Aen Q Gnwin$ paperback e%n, /%inburgh: /%inburgh Gniversity Press,1EE10 (A ma4or intro%uction in /ngish to the thought of the Ikhwan0&

5etton, I060 (1EE9& 'he Brethren of Purity' , in "00 5asr an% 0 =eaman (e%s& istory of Isla!ic Philosophy, =on%on: 6oute%ge, ch0 1, 222!*.0 (-oncise an% cear outine of their views0&

[ #ibawi, A0=0 (1E& 'Ikhwan as-Safa' and heir Rasa'il9 A 0ritical Re;iew of a 0entury and a alf of Research' , Isla!ic 1uarterly 2 (1&: 2;!790 (A very usefu an% neat survey of Ikhwan schoarship up to1E0&

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H009.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H009.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H004.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H002.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H009.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H004.htmhttp://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H002.htm


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*kh-n al+!af0

#he Ras&'il al-Ikhw&n al-saf&' (#reatises of the Brethren of Purity& is an Isamic /ncycope%iaconsisting of fifty!two treatises on %ifferent topics, with an a%%itiona comprehensive #reatise

( Ris&lat al-$&!ia&0 #he authors ive% in Basra in Ira an% were inke% to the eary IsmL88 dawa (mission&, which beongs to "h88 Isam0 #his artice provi%es an outine to hep rea%ers have a bir%@s eye!view of this /ncycope%ia compose% by briiant +usim schoars who mastere% a branches of knowe%ge in their manifo% eterna an% interna aspects0

#abe of -ontents (-icking on the inks beow wi take you to those parts of this artice&10 istorica Backgroun%20 "hort Cescription of the 3ork*0 Phiosophica "ciences70 #wofo% in the -reation

0 6eferences an% >urther 6ea%ing

9: ?i#torical Back(round

ne of the main obstaces preventing a proper un%erstan%ing of the Isma@ii movement is the paucity of historica materia eempifie% by the fact that ony "unni sources reating Ismaiihistory survive%0 #he eary part of Ismaii history has two important phases0 It is in this compe pre!>atimi% perio% that Jabir ibn ayyan (%0 -0/0 ;1& wrote many treatises on achemy an% on themystica science of treatises0 #he /ncycope%ia of the Ikhwan a!safa@ was compose% by authorswho ha% a vast knowe%ge of eenic iterature an% the various contemporary sciences0

Isma@iism %eveope% a compe an% rich theosophy which owe% a great %ea to 5eopatonism0 Inthe E# century, ?reek!to!Arabic transations proiferate%, first by the interme%iary of "yriac then%irecty0 #he version of Potinus@ Enneads possesse% by +usims was mo%ifie% with changes an% paraphrases$ it was wrongy attribute% to Aristote an% cae% heolo/ia of Aristotle, since Potinus(>utinus& remaine% mosty unknown to the +usims by name0 #his atter work paye% a significantroe in the %eveopment of Ismaiism

#he Ikhwan a!"afa@ remain an anonymous group of schoars, but when Abu ayyan a!#awhi%iwas aske% about them, he i%entifie% some of them: Abu "uayman a!Busti (known as a!+ua%%asi&, @Ai b0 arun a!Dan4ani, +uhamma% a!5ahra4uri (or a!+ihra4ani&, a!Awfi, an%

Day% ibn 6ifai0 #he compete name of the group is Ikhwan al-Safa. wa Khullan al-Wafa. wa Ahlal-a!d wa Ana. al-#a$d 0 #he ma4ority of schoars agree that the Ikhwan an% their rasa'il beongs to the Ismaii movement0 (cf0 5asr, 1E;, p0 2E$ +aruet, 1E1, p0 1.1$ Poonawaa, p0 E*&

Back to #abe of -ontents

;: !hort @e#cription of the Work

http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H1http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H2http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H3http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H4http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H5http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#tophttp://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H1http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H2http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H3http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H4http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#H5http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ikhwan.htm#top


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#he /ncycope%ia is %ivi%e% into fifty!two epistes (rasa'il & of varying engths, which make up four books0 /ach book %eveops %ifferent topics:

Book 1: the mathematica sciences (17 rasa'il & incu%e theory of number, geometry, astronomy,geography, music, theoretica an% practica arts, ethics an% ogic0

Book 2: the natura sciences (1 rasa'il & comprehen% matter, form, motion, time, space, sky an%universe, generation an% corruption, meteoroogy, mineras, pants, animas, human bo%y, perception, embryoogy, man as microcosm, %eveopment of sous in the bo%y, imit of knowe%ge,%eath, peasure, an% anguage0

Book *: the psychoogica an% rationa sciences (1. rasa'il & comprehen% inteectua principes(Pythagoras an% Ikhwan&, universe as macrocosm, inteigence an% inteigibe, perio%s an% era, passion, resurrection, species of movement, cause an% effect, %efinitions an% %escriptions0

Book 7: the theoogica sciences (11 rasa'il & incu%e %octrines an% reigions, way to ?o%, %octrineof Ikhwan, essence of faith, %ivine aw an% prophethoo%, appea to ?o%, hierarchy, spiritua beings, poitics, magic an% taisman0



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materia (i0e0 bron)e or siver&$ for the forma cause, they give the eampe of an appe pip which isepecte% to pro%uce an appe$ the efficient cause in%icates the origin, for eampe a father is theefficient cause of a chi%, an% the fina cause shows the purpose of something0


=: -ofold in the "reation

#he process of creation is %ivi%e% twofo%: first, ?o% creates e< nihilo the Inteect$ imme%iateyafter the Inteect@s emanation ( fayd &, it procee%s gra%uay, giving shape to the present universe0#he or%er an% character of emanation are %escribe% beow0 (rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa. , vo0 1 p0 7$ cf0rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa. , vo0 * pp0 1;7, 1E9!$ 2*&

(1& Al-Bari' (-reator, or ?o%& is the >irst an% ony /terna Being, no anthropomorphic attribute is to be ascribe% to im0 ny the wi to originate pertains to im0 #he Ikhwan present an Gnknowabe

?o% ( %eus Asconditus& at the top of the hierarchy whie the FurVanic ?o% ( %eus Re;elatus&,another facet of ?o%, gui%es peope on the right path0

(2& Al-'A(l ( Intellect or ?r0 +os& is the first being to originate from ?o%0 It is one in number as?o% imsef is ne0 ?o% create% a the forms of subseuent beings in the Inteect, from whichemanate% the Gniversa sou an% the first matter0 It is cear, in the opinion of the Ikhwan, that theInteect, a counterpart of ?o%, is the best representative of ?o%0

(*& Al-+afs al-Kulliyya (#he Gniversa "ou& is the "ou of the whoe universe, a simpe essencewhich emanates from the Inteect0 It receives its energy from the Inteect0 It manifests itsef in thesun through which is animate% the whoe subunary (materia& wor%0 3hat we ca creation, in our physica wor%, pertains to the Gniversa "ou0

(7& Al-ayula al-Cla (Prime +atter, arabici)e% from ?r0 hyle&, is a spiritua substance that is unabeto emanate by itsef0 It is cause% by the Inteect to procee% from the Gniversa "ou which heps itto emanate an% accept %ifferent forms0

(& Al-ai'at (5ature& is the energy %iffuse% throughout a organic an% inorganic bo%ies0 It is thecause of motion, ife, an% change0 #he infuence of inteect ceases at this stage of 5ature0 Asubseuent emanations ten% to be more an% more materia an% %efective0

(9& Al-2is! al-#utla( (#he Absoute Bo%y& comes about when >irst matter acuires physica properties, an% it is the physica substance of which our wor% is ma%e0

(& he World of the Spheres (of the fie% stars, "aturn, Jupiter, +ars, the "un, enus, +ercury, an%the +oon& appears in the seventh stage of emanation0 A the heaveny bo%ies are ma%e up of a fiftheement (ether&, an% are not sub4ect to generation an% corruption0

(;& he Dour Ele!ents (fire, air, water, an% earth& come imme%iatey un%er the sphere of the moonwhere they are sub4ecte% to generation an% corruption0 #he Ikhwan a%opt the view of #haes (%0 c0B0-0/0 7& an% the Ionians that the four


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an% fire$ fire becomes air, water, earth, etc0

(E& he hree Kin/do!s are the ast stage of emanation0 #he three king%oms (minera, pant, an%anima& are ma%e of proportiona intermiture of the four eements0

#he Ikhwan a!"afa@ took over the theory of Cemocritus of Ab%era (%0 c0 B0-0/0 *.& whichconsi%ere% man as a re%uce% mo%e of the universe (microcosm&, an% the universe as an enarge%copy of man (macrocosm&0 #hey regar% the human being as a miniature wor%0 (5etton, pp0 17!1&#he in%ivi%ua sous (al-nafs al-$u,.iyya&, representing the infinite powers of the Gniversa "ou, began to form0 Curing a very ong time, these sous fie% the wor% of spheres an% constitute% theanges, who animate% heaveny bo%ies0 In the eary stage, the anges contempate% the Inteect an% performe% the worship %ue to ?o%0 After a apse of time, some of these in%ivi%ua sous began toforget much about their origin an% office0 #heir inattention cause% the fa of the sous into the physica earth0 #his epains the metaphysica origin of ife on earth0


C: )eference# and Further )eadin(

Ce -aataU, ?o%efroi%0 rench by =ia%ian "herra% an%Phiipp "herra%0 =on%on: egan Pau Internationa, 1EE*: 1**!1*90

>akhry, +a4i%0 A history of Isla!ic Philosophy0 "econ% /%ition0 5ew Hork: -oumbia GniversityPress, 1E;*0

>arrukh, mar A0


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Ciffusion, 1E0

+aruet, Hves0


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Rasa’il-e Ikhwan us Safa

Epistles of the Brethren of PurityPages of Medieval MideasternHistory

By Eloise Hart

Whatever happened to those pages in

ooks etween !n"ient and Modernti#es$ Why were we left at the

destru"tion of !le%andria&s faulouslirary -- heartsi"k to "onte#plate the

loss and to i#agine' half uried in ashesand rule' "harred pages of !es"hylus&

i##ortal dra#as' faded diagra#s ofEu"lidean #athe#ati"s' and s#oldering

undles of !ristotelian s"ientifi""lassifi"ations$

If indeed all was destroyed' how is it thatour law' our govern#ent' our s"ien"e and philosophy are ased on "on"epts of Helleni" "ulture$

(hose "hapters so often skipped' evidently' ear rereading) In the# we&ll dis"over that theknowledge that see#ed irretrievaly lost -- espe"ially those philosophi"al and s"ientifi" works

treasured in the lirary and #useu# of the !le%andrian royal pala"e' where s"holars had

a""u#ulated' translated' edited and "atalogued the est of every field of knowledge -- was not"o#pletely destroyed) So#e valuale re#nants were transported and enri"hed in a far land)

In those issing& pages we&ll learn how the #ali"ious efforts of Ro#an #er"enaries and *hristian

+ealots to oliterate all tra"e of pagan "ulture were thwarted y wary s"holars who saw in their"riti"al frowns' heard in their iased ,uestions' a spirit of igotry whi"h #ight well' and indeed

did' grow into a veritale holo"aust) (hese s"holars' fortunately for posterity' ,uietly pa"ked theirelongings' slipping in &a""identally& a few irrepla"eale #anus"ripts' and left the "ity) thers --

translators' "opywriters and resear"hers' e#ployed at the .irary-#useu# -- also e"a#eapprehensive) Whenever possile they too se"reted out fragile papyri and par"h#ents)

So#e were stored in underground "rypts' or hidden in Egyptian #u##y "ases/ others' wrappedin *hinese silk were s#uggled out on #er"hant "aravans winding their way along age-old trade

routes to "ities in the 0ear East like 1a#as"us' !ntio"h' Edessa' Harran and 2undishapur wherethe refining influen"es of 3reek "ulture had een felt sin"e the !le%andrian "oloni+ation so#e 455

years B*' and where now prosperous !raian #er"hants and knowledge-hungry students arteredto possess these pre"ious #anus"ripts) In so doing they gathered up those vital seeds of

"ivili+ation whi"h they and their "ountry#en would not only nurture during Europe&s long ages ofdarkness' ut would "ultivate into hardy' fruitful growth)

6ndenialy' the Isla#i" #ove#ent has had its "ruel and #ilitant "on,uests) Hardly had theProphet Moha##ed died' in 748 !1' than his +ealous Bedouin hosts' already at the frontiers of

the By+antine and Persian e#pires' swept on to "on,uer Syria' taking 2erusale# and Palestine'


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then (ripoli' Egypt' Mesopota#ia' !r#enia and 3eorgia) By 948 they had e%tended their e#pire to

the foothills of the Hi#alayas' to Persia' Spain and into :ran"e where *harles Martel' in a rilliantvi"tory at (ours' stopped their invasion of Europe) But religious +eal is resilient) :anati"al gha+is --

fighters for the faith -- have #ar"hed forth ti#e and again' seeking to destroy all who' in their

un"o#pro#ising views' were hereti"al)

However' Isla# also had its "orps of intelle"tuals who ,uietly' persistently' esieged the "itadels of

truth -- their anners' e#le#s of enevolen"e' their s"i#itar' the pen) ;(he ink of the s"holars is#ore pre"ious than the lood of #artyrs); But for their role in the re"overy of an"ient learning' in

its preservation and "ir"ulation throughout their e#pire and on to the S"hool#en of WesternEurope' our "ulture #ight well have la"ked its s"ientifi" renaissan"e' lost its philosophi"al heritage)

2ust here it is well to re#e#er that all !raians were not !ras) 1uring those "enturies when*hristian orthodo%y had e"o#e unearaly oppressive' whole "o##unities of Persians' (urks and

Barers' desperate to retain their intelle"tual freedo#' su#itted to the !ra "on,uerors and' asa #atter of self-preservation' "alled the#selves !raians) (hus the ter# in"luded those who

spoke !rai"' those of the Mosle# faith' and those under the prote"tion of !ra rule -- a rulewhi"h at that ti#e sought the "ooperation of its su45 !1 foundedthe fa#ous Bait al-Hikh#ah) In this &House of Wisdo#& the *aliph daringly separated s"ientifi"

studies fro# traditional theology' and not only "olle"ted rare and valuale #anus"ripts and agala%y of tea"hers skilled in the arts of &an"ient learning'& ut he hi#self regularly presided over

their dis"ussions) His dissertations' written down as treatises and aphoris#s' refle"t an open-#indedness and an intelle"tual "andor re#arkale even today)

!l-Maun did #u"h to uild Baghdad -- the an"ient Baylonian town whi"h Persian poets "alled

Bag-1a-1u' 3arden of 3od -- into a #a8@ and later translated into .atin' .ier

!lgoris#i de nu#ero Indoru#' that Indian nu#erals were adopted in Baghdad after "ertain of


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their astrono#i"al tales had een translated there) ther resear"h has un"overed our &!raian&

nu#ers in the an"ient Indian ins"riptions of !soka' 0ana 3hat and in the 0asik "aves)

3radually through the "enturies this &new #athe#ati"s& was adapted to other fields' and itsenefits spread throughout Europe) When the printing press was invented in the #id-A@th

"entury' thousands of "opies of their arith#eti" te%ts and nauti"al al#ana"s were produ"ed anddistriuted) In fa"t' the su""ess of *hristopher *olu#us is attriuted largely to his pilots&

knowledge of !raian #athe#ati"s and astrono#y) 6ntil the th "entury astrono#y had een a popular su


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(he tre#endous advan"e of knowledge #ade etween >55 and 55 !1 "aptured #an&s

i#agination) ! few sear"hed even deeper' seeking to understand their destiny and higherresponsiility to the "os#os) Insight of this kind had een held sa"red and entrusted only to the

worthy and dis"iplined' within the san"tuary of su"h Mystery "enters as those of Eleusis and

Sa#othra"e) But when the *hristian E#peror 2ustinian ordered the Mystery s"hools "losed in @8!1' their neophytes and hierophants' alar#ed y puli" ani#osity and fearing possile etrayal of

their o""ult s"ien"es' fled their ho#eland to "ontinue their studies privately in a safer "li#ate)

So#e were wel"o#ed in foreign "ourts' as in Persia y ?ing ?hosru 0ushirwan I) thers #ay have

estalished #inor s"hools or


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you Mosle#s$; he asked the#' ;*hristians$ Coroastrians$ 1o you have a holy ook or a prophet

re"ogni+ed y the ?oran$;

(hough well aware of their danger' these &infidels& replied with "hara"teristi" honesty' si#ply ;0o);

Su"h "ourage a#a+ed al-Maun) Surprisingly' he deferred their e%e"ution' ut &suggested& they

e"o#e Mosle#s -- or *hristians -- efore his return) Whether or not this en"ounter a"tually

o""urred is open to ,uestion' ut it does refle"t the at#osphere of the ti#e) 6nder threat' so#e of the Harranians did "onvert' outwardly) thers' still refusing to "o#pro#isetheir eliefs' fled to Baghdad where they had heard non-Mosle#s would e prote"ted as "lients of

the State on pay#ent of a personal safety ta%) Had not their Persian neighors fro# 2undishapurre"ently #igrated there' and already een e#ployed translating their an"ient knowledge of

#edi"ine and astrono#y into !rai"$

However' when the pagan Harranians arrived at Baghdad the ,uestion of their religion again arose

and they were saved only y heeding the advi"e of a "lever


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Su"h a""usations were no dout dire"ted against se"ts of +ealous !ssassins like the and Hasan

Ben Saah led in trea"herous atta"ks against oth Sel


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"ultures) Issuing this work in the last ,uarter of the A5th "entury' when other theologi"al se"ts

were pro"lai#ing their un,uestionale #onopoly of truth' was in itself #ira"ulous) With it theBrotherhood of Purity ridged the isolation of hu#an differen"es and de#onstrated that truth

"annot e frag#ented y a""idents of ra"e' epo"h or haitat -- that the #any for#s of religion are

ut various approa"hes to' or degrees of' spiritual enlighten#ent)

1is"arding the linders of ritual and dog#a their #e#ers dedi"ated the#selves to shun no

s"ien"e' s"orn any ook' or to "ling fanati"ally to no single "reed) :or JtheirK own "reeden"o#passes all the others and "o#prehends all the s"ien"es generally) (his "reed is the

"onsideration of all e%isting things' oth sensile and intelligile' fro# eginning to end' whetherhidden or overt' #anifest or os"ure ) ) ) in so far as they all derive fro# a single prin"iple' a

single "ause' a single world' and a single Soul) -- Ikhwan al-Safa' Rasa&il' I' @8 (o this end they laored' with painstaking "are' to #ake "o#pli"ated s"ientifi" tea"hings

understandale' and to preserve -- safeguarding without divulging -- the original san"tity of o""ultand #ysti"al knowledge that their own initiated #e#ers and those of other esoteri" fraternities

had attained through &visual per"eption of the truth& while as"ending into the &?ingdo# of Heaven&and re"eiving the instru"tion of angels)

(hus in their @8 Epistles one finds delineated or hinted at the sa#e road range of su97

and A>9/ Rasa&il of the Ikhwan al-Safa' translated and "ondensed y ?hayr al-1in' A8>/ andRasa&il' Beirut' A@9 Dwe are indeted to ! History of Isla#i" Philosophy y Ma


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whose "ul#ination is #an) (he #ost evolved #en "onta"t higher spheres and' standing etween

the angeli" and ani#al orders' serve on earth as vi"egerents of 3od)

(i#e and again the pages of these Epistles e"ho Stoi" and Her#eti" epigra#sF that #an is the#i"ro"os#' the epito#e' of the infinite universe/ "orresponden"es parallel his physi"al fa"ulties

and organs with those of the "elestial spheres/ analogies show one pattern throughout -- inearth&s "onfiguration' her #eteorologi"al pheno#ena and in #an&s physi"al ody) (hus' in the

growth of a "hild fro# e#ryo to #aturity' they saw #irrored the soul&s spiritual develop#entF itsirth a reali+ation and true eginning of its higher vo"ation/ its "hildhood' a"hieve#ent in self-

#astery) With #aturity "o#es "o#prehension of o

ikhwan as safa - los hermanos de la pureza

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