Page 6 - Issue-24

Vol.1 Issue 24, October 2020
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Nassar to Soffar : " The Core of Ibn Khaldun's

Thought is not religious as much as it is Social,

Political and Historical"
Prof. Nassar:
Prof. Nassar:
In the introductory section of my study in Ibn-Khal dun ’s
My study in the thought of Ibn-Khaldun has numerous goals.
realistic thought, I recollect using the “phenomenological
Most importantly, on the long run, is the march tow ards
approach ” rather than the “phenomenological methodology . ”
preparing the arena and formulating a plan to resum e the
It was certainly inspired by Hegel. This goes back to the
authentic philosophical thought in the Arab culture for its
subject of the study which was the study of Ibn-Kha ldun ’s life
continuation in this twenty-first* century and beyo nd. I
–as the author of “Kitab al-'Ibar ”-through the book of “Alt'arif
referred to this in its final pages , as such, “the Road to
2018-2020
2018-2020
bi ibnKhaldun ”; i.e. by returning to the dialectic of objective Philosophical Independence ” exemplifies a systematic feat
biography and autobiography, reaching the mind that
crystallized with utter theoretical preciseness in the framework
marvelously created the “muqaddimah ”.
of this encompassing plan.
Prof.Soffar:
Prof.Soffar:
There is an important point for me to grasp the pat h of your
I would like to know your opinion about what was me ntioned
intellectual evolution and development. How does yo ur book
by the great philosopher Mohammed Iqbal in his book “The
about Ibn-Khaldun relate to your book “The Road to
reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam ” about Ibn-
Philosophical Independence ” [triq al istiqlalalflsfi]? Of course
Khaldun. He sees in the Introduction a continuation of the
I am aware that your book about Ibn-Khaldun was wri tten in a
current that antagonises the presence of the Greek spirit within
time prior to that of The Road to Philosophical Ind ependence,
the Islamic civilisation. To support his view, he r efers to an
however, Ibn-Khaldun –as you know- declares the annulment
argument that asserts the contradiction between the Greek
of philosophy and the depravity of its adherers , w hich is also
view of the universe as a static and unchangeable e ntity, such
the title of one of the chapters in the Introductio n. Thus, how it
as Plato ’s world of ideal forms, as opposed to the Islamic
is possible to seek the path of philosophical indep endence
ontological view of the universe and cosmos as dyna mic and
through Ibn-Khaldun? Or, are those two books comple tely
continuously growing and changing . He then cites n umerous
separate with each of them belonging to a different phase in
quranic verses about the variationof the day and ni ght; “Every
your intellectual development? In this context, ano ther
day He manifests Himself in yet another [wondrous] way ”.
statement mentioned in the introduction of your boo k about
Hence, he sees that Ibn-Khaldun was aware of this o ntological
Ibn-Khaldun came to my attention; namely, that you attempt to
contradiction between the two civilizations, conseq uently, that
negate Ibn-Khaldun ’s negation of philosophy.
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Vol.1 Issue 24, October 2020