"Reason" and "Religion" in the Philosophy of Farabi

Abstract

The discussion on the relationship between reason and religion has long been a fundamental issue among theologians
and Muslim and non-Muslim philosophers. Among the Islamic scholars, Abu Nasr Farabi has had a crucial role in this
field, because after Muslims became acquainted with Greece rationalism and this argument began to pursue that
perhaps this phenomenon is an alien product, Farabi opened a new chapter on the Islamic philosophy by his belief that
there is harmony and coordination between reason and religion. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the present
article studies reason and religion and their relationship according to Farabi`s ideology. It addresses the meanings of
reason and religion, theoretical and practical reasons and the relationship between these two, the role of active reason,
connection with God and achieving bliss. Active reason had a special role in Farabi`s idea. According to him, it is the
grace of active reason that is regarded as the source of knowledge in reason and religion. Therefore, the author
concludes that religion and reason are the same in nature and that they are in perfect unity. Because of this Farabi
believes that divine and rational knowledge together are the way towards bliss and immortality.