Ibn Rushd on truth between Religion and Philosophy

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Department, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Abstract

The research problem centers on the epistemological debate that emerged within Islamic thought concerning the nature of Truth and the methodologies for its attainment. A profound contention arose between theologians, who adhered to the primacy of the religious text, and philosophers, who championed reason and its demonstrative tools as the ultimate path to truth. This study aims to analyze Ibn Rushd’s methodology in resolving this intellectual deadlock, demonstrating the inherent harmony between Revelation and Reason to dissolve the conflict between Sharia and Philosophy. By employing comparative, contextual, and critical analytical methodology, the study explores how Ibn Rushd reformulated the relationship between the sacred text and philosophical inference, asserting that Truth does not contradict Truth. The findings indicate that the perceived tension between revelation and reason is not an ontological contradiction but rather a methodological divergence. This is resolvable through a dual strategy: the allegorical interpretation (ta’wil) of the religious text to unveil its inner meaning, and the application of logical demonstration (burhan). Ultimately, the research affirms the Unity of Truth and the complementarity of philosophical proof and scriptural interpretation, establishing a foundation for societal and existential harmony by bridging the gap between faith-based certainty and demonstrative scientific knowledge.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Al-Ghazālī, A. Ḥ. (1982). Tahāfut al-falāsifa [The incoherence of the philosophers] (M. Bouyges, Ed.). Dār al-Mashriq.
Al-Jabiri, M. A. (1981). The philosophical school in Morocco and Andalusia. In Symposium: Ibn Rushd and his school in the Islamic West. University Foundation for Studies.
Al-Jabiri, M. A. (2007). Ibn Rushd: Life and thought – A study and texts. Center for Arab Unity Studies.
Al-Kasm, B. (n.d.). Philosophical truth. Maaber. http://www.maaber.org/sixth_issue/perenial_ethics_2.html
Al-Kindī. (1950). The philosophical epistles of al-Kindi (M. A. Abu Rida, Ed.). Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi.
Al-Marrakeshi, A. (1998). The marvelous in summarizing the history of the Maghreb (K. I. al-Mansur, Ed.). Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya.
Al-Misbahi, M. (2007). With Ibn Rushd. Dar Toubkal for Publishing.
Dababseh, H. (2023). The eternity of the world in Ibn Rushd's philosophy: Existence, causality, possibility, and the nature of the relationship between God and the world. Al-Badeel Publishing and Distribution.
Fakhry, M. (1982). Ibn Rushd, philosopher of Cordoba. Dar al-Mashriq.
Fakhry, M. (2001). Averroes: His life, works and influence. Oneworld Publications.
Ibn Rushd, M. (1992a). The first book of analytics (The book of syllogisms) (G. Jehami, Ed.). Dar al-Fikr al-Lubnani.
Ibn Rushd, M. (1992b). The second book of analytics (The book of demonstration) (G. Jehami, Ed.). Dar al-Fikr al-Lubnani.
Ibn Rushd, M. (1994a). The essential in the principles of jurisprudence (Abridged al-Mustasfa) (J. al-Din al-Alawi, Ed.). Dar al-Gharb al-Islami.
Ibn Rushd, M. (1994b). Treatise on natural hearing (R. al-Ajam & G. Jehami, Eds.). Dar al-Fikr al-Lubnani.
Ibn Rushd, M. (1997). The decisive treatise on the connection between Sharia and philosophy (M. A. al-Jabiri, Ed.). Center for Arab Unity Studies.
Ibn Rushd, M. (2004). Interpretation of metaphysics (4th ed., Vols. 1–4; M. Bouygues, Ed.). Dar al-Mashriq.
Ibn Rushd, M. (2007). Unveiling the methods of proof in the doctrines of the faith (3rd ed.; M. A. al-Jabiri, Ed.). Center for Arab Unity Studies.
Ibn Rushd, M. (2008). The incoherence of the incoherence (3rd ed.; M. al-Haddad & A. Mahfouz, Eds.). Center for Arab Unity Studies.
Leaman, O. (1988). Averroes and his philosophy. Clarendon Press.
Taylor, R. C. (1998). Averroes and the unity of the intellect. Journal of the History of Philosophy, 36(3), 347–381. https://doi.org/10.1353/hph.2008.0210
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image
Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 20, Issue 56 - Serial Number 56
Articles
Issue 56, Autumn 2026
October 2026
Pages 723-740

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics