Thoughts of Greek Philosophers in the Light of Islamic Sharīa᾽

Abstract

Greek philosophers have achieved numerous successes in the field of mathematics, physics, politics and ethics. This is a fact which cannot be denied. However, they made many mistakes in their ideas about metaphysical thoughts. It is because they tried to prove those creeds with the help of reason, while reason can be used only for those things which can be seen, felt and proved with experiments. It is because reason is subordinated to senses and thus metaphysical creeds cannot be proved with reason. To understand these dogmatic beliefs we need revelation (waḥi), while Greek philosophers consider revelation against their established rules. The main mistake of the Greek philosophers is that they run rational horse even in the field of theology and did not think that there are many things around us that are before us every time. The real condition of those things no philosopher has been able to tell so far. For example: about the air, fire, water and soil, someone says that these are simple elements, while someone tells that these are compounds. About the reason and human soul what one philosopher says the other rejects it. Although the intellect and soul are present with us at all times. The universe and its bodies, about the reality of which these philosophers are differing, used every time. So how can these philosophers have access to the mysteries of theology and metaphysics, when they are in a state of ignorance about these worldly things?