Greco-Islamic Philosophy and Islamic Jurisprudence in the Ottoman Empire (1300-1600): Aristotle’s Theory of Sciences in Works on Uŝūl al-Fiqh

Until the eleventh century, Islamic religious scholars had a cool attitude toward philosophy and Aristotelian logic. They considered the first as the reflection on issues related to religion on the basis of pure reason, and the second as its method. The point of departure for scholars was the scriptural texts, the Qur’an and ģadith (reports of the prophetic tradition). Thus, uŝūl al-fiqh (theo-retical jurisprudence) and other religious disciplines developed while having only a minimal relationship to the philosophical tradition and Aristotelian logic. However, after the eleventh century when philosophy and religious studies became mature, these two strands of knowledge interacted to such a degree that the distinction between them was gradually blurred. Those with a philosophica inclination adopted scholars’ major assumptions and produced works that could
be considered a contribution to a particular religious discipline. Meanwhile, religious scholars studied and cited the works of philosophers, especially Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037), and also adopted their discursive language, concepts, proofs, themes, and methods.

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