Ikhwan As-safa

By Author: Ibrahim Machiwala Lodhi
Total Articles: 463
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"The Abbasid caliph Mamun (d. 218/833) patronized philosophy and professed Mutazalism. It was an interesting trend among the educated elite to drift towards Greek philosophy and ultimately a bulk of the contradictions raised among the Muslims in interpreting Islamic practices. It must be known that the intellect is an indispensable faculty in man, but despite this, its power of penetration has a definite limit. It may enjoy apparent supremacy and mastery in certain fields, but there are many things, which are baffling and incomprehensible to it. The intellect cannot grasp a thing as a whole and its entirety. Its range of operation is limited, and therefore a true spiritual master is needed to guide a proper method.

When the independent philosophical trend was perceived a threat to the Islamic Shariah from liberal sciences, a knot of earnest thinkers began to flock in a house in Basra at a fixed season to reconcile the philosophy and religion. They were the Ikhwan (pl. of akhun) most probably an agency or organ of the Ismaili mission. They tried to evolve a new synthesis in order to save Islamic teachings from being swept ...
... away by the new flood of knowledge. Syed Amir Ali writes in The Spirit of Islam (London, 1955, p. 432) that, "It was at this epoch of travail and sorrow for all lovers of truth that a small body of thinkers formed themselves into a Brotherhood to keep alive the lamp of knowledge among the Muslims, to introduce a more healthy tone among the people, to arrest the downward course of the Muslims towards ignorance and fanaticism, in fact, to save the social fabric from utter ruin. They called themselves the Brothers of Purity, Ikhwan-as-Safa."

The Arabic phrase Ikhwan as-Safa has been variously translated as Brethren of Purity (R.A. Nicholson), The Pure Brethren (H.A.R. Gibb), Sincere Brethren (W. Montgomery Watt), Sincere Friends (G.E. Von Grunebaum), die lauteren Bruder (C. Brokelmann), die treuen Freunde (ibid), die aufrichtigen Bruder und treuen Freunde (G. Flugel), or les Freres de la Purete (A.Awa). The full name of the association was Ikhwan al-Safa wa Khullan al-Wafa wa Ahl al-adl wa abna al-Hamd (The Brethren of Purity, the Faithful Friends, the Men of Justice and the Sons deserving praiseworthy Conduct), a name which was suggested to them by the chapter of the Ring-Necked Dove in Kalimah wa Dimnah. Different explanations are advanced for the appellation, Ikhwan as-Safa. Nicholson and Levy write on the authority of Ibn Qifti (d. 646/1248) that its title is derived from their declaration that the Islamic Shariah in their time had become defiled with ignorance and adulterated with errors, and the only way to purify it was by means of philosophy. Tibawi rather than Goldziher was therefore closer to the truth when he observed that the name Ikhwan as-Safa was chosen as an imitation of the Sufi tendency to associate their name with safa (purity).

It is said that the members of the Ikhwan as-Safa formed a sort of Masonic Lodge, who lived in the Lower Mesopotamian river port of Basra; debating on literature, religion, philosophy and science. The association or club kept their proceedings concealed, and none were admitted. They were classed into four grades according to their moral and age, rather elevation of soul. The first grade consisted of young men between 15 and 30 years of age, who were initiated into complete obedience to their teachers. The second grade included men between 30 and 40 years, who were given secular education and awareness of philosophy as well. To the third grade belonged men between the ages of 40 and 50 who had a more adequate knowledge of divine law working in the universe. The fourth grade comprised men over 50 years, who were supposed to have an insight into the reality of things. Their philosophical meetings took place three evenings each month at the start, middle and sometimes between 25th and the end of the month. They also celebrated three major feasts in the year, and both the meetings and feasts were closely related and coincided with the entry of the sun into three Zodiacal Signs of the Ram (Aries), the Scorpion (Cancer) and the Balance (Libra). These feasts were also co-related with the Islamic feasts of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Ghadir. They also held special gathering (majalis), each one on every twelve days. This secret association has left behind a standing monument of its achievements in an encyclopaedia, known as Ikhwan as-Safa, comprising of 52 epistles (rasail) with the following topics:-

14 epistles on Mathematics.

17 epistles on Natural Sciences.

10 epistles on Psychological and Rational Sciences.

11 epistles on Theological Sciences.

It also classified the science in three major groups as under:-

a) Mathematics: includes theory of number, geometry, astronomy, geography, music, theoretical and practical arts, ethics and logic.

b) Physics: includes matter, form, motion, time, space, sky, generation, minerals, planets, animals, human body, senses of life and death, microcosm, pleasure, pain and language.

c) Metaphysics: divided into psycho-rationalism and theology.

i) psychics, rationalistic, being, macrocosm, mind, love, resurrection and causality.

ii) belief, faith, divine law, prophethood, etc.

The Epistles of the Ikhwan occupy a place in the first rank of Arabic literature. It is also the great treasure house of Sufic thought. For example, it says: "Know, O brother, that your soul is potentially an angel, and can become One in actuality if you follow the path of the prophets and the masters of the divine laws." (Rasail, 4:122), and also "All creation will ultimately return to Him since He is the source of their very existence, substance, immortality and perfection" (Rasail, 3:285). Idris Shah writes in The Sufis (London, 1971, p. 340) that, "Their individuals identity was never established as authors, but their association with the Sufis is undoubted. Their name