Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Tarkhan ibn Awzalagh al-Farabi is one of the greatest Islamic philosophers of all time who was born in 870. He was having command over philosophy, logic, and music. His contributions in the field of Metaphysics are incomparable. He was known as Neo-Platonism because of his book al-Madina al-fadila (The Virtuous City). He had written various books like Kitab al-musiqa al-kabir (The Great Book of Music), Risala fi’l-aql (Epistle on the intellect), Kitab al-huruf (The book of Letters), and Kitab ihsa’ al-ulum (The Book of the Enumeration of the Sciences).
He was Neo-Platonist and also Aristotelian as well. Al-Farabi concept is not other than Aristotle’s and Plato’s on matters as the creation of the world, the survival of the soul, and rewards and punishment in the afterlife. However, Al-Farabi was more inclined toward Neoplatonic element. In Islamic philosophical tradition, he was known as “the second teacher” following Aristotle who was called “the First teacher”. The multi-talented Al-Farabi contributed to the field of logic, music, philosophy, physics, and psychology.
A great name in the philosophical world passed away in 950 but his name and works are still alive. The shining stars of the Islamic world have always contributed at the highest level without any religious discrimination. Today their works are acknowledged and used by the western world and Muslims just admire them. They have given philosophy in each of their words. They are the scientific philanthropists.
He said that “An art, which has an aim to achieve the beauty, is called a philosophy or in the absolute sense it is named wisdom”.
