Avicenna’s Philosophy in Confrontation with the Sharī‘ah

Document Type : Scholarly Article

Authors
hanieh koohihajiabadi 1
mohammad bonyani 2
1 Assistant Professor Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas.Iran
2 Department of Theology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bu-Ali Sina, Hamedan. Iran
10.30497/ap.2026.248667.1749
Abstract
The relationship between religion and philosophy in the thought of Muslim philosophers—particularly Avicenna—constitutes one of the fundamental issues in Islamic philosophy. Avicenna, drawing on Aristotelian rationalism, regards reason as the ultimate basis for the discovery of truth, and organizes the domains of being and knowledge accordingly. This study, employing a descriptive–analytical method and based on library sources, seeks to examine the epistemic status of religion within Avicenna’s intellectual system and to address the question of whether religion can be accorded an independent and distinct position apart from the rational structure of philosophy, or whether it is always defined and interpreted in relation to philosophical reason. An analysis of the duality between reason and faith in the issue of bodily resurrection, the symbolic reading of Qur’anic verses in Avicenna’s interpretation, and the unequal reconciliation of religion and philosophy shows that, in his view, religion is valid only insofar as it accords with philosophical reason. Although Avicenna endeavors to maintain harmony between reason and revelation, in practice religion is accepted only when it can be aligned with rational principles; otherwise, it is either subjected to allegorical interpretation or reduced to a symbolic level, thereby deprived of any independent epistemic standing. By distinguishing between the levels of human understanding, Avicenna conceives philosophy as an elite form of knowledge that apprehends truth in an abstract and universal manner, whereas religion addresses the masses through imagery, imagination, and allegory. Thus, in his intellectual framework, religion is largely subordinated to the rational and metaphysical structure of philosophy rather than occupying an independent and intrinsic place of its own.
Keywords
Avicenna
Philosophical Interpretation
Bodily Resurrection
Islamic Philosophy
Religious Epistemology
Subjects
 
 
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