Al-Kindi is recognized as an Arab Muslim philosopher who was born and brought up in Iraq in 801 CE. He is also named “Father of Arab and Islamic philosophy”. He was greatly interested in the fields of mathematics, physics, metaphysics, music, ethics, logic, psychology, philosophy, medicine, pharmacology, chemistry, astronomy, astrology as well as optics.
Introduction
At that time, Iraq was the center of learning for the Arab world. This is the reason; Al Kindi got his education from there. His father and grandfather had a privilege to serve the governors of the city of Kufa . Thus he was also an inheritor of the Royal Kindah tribe and this leads him to get a title of “Al-Kindi”. Among different tribes, the Kindah tribe was a union of all other tribes and was very prominent in Arabia.
Al Kindi received his basic education in Kufa and then went to Baghdad to obtain further education. He possessed great knowledge and this made him win a good reputation in the eyes of Caliph al Ma’mun. This caliph was setting up “The House of Wisdom” or “Bayt Al-Hikma”. It was the hub of learning for the renowned scholars where they worked on their books and research. Caliph Al Ma’mun hired Al Kindi where he translated the Greek scientific manuscripts. After working there for quite a lot of time, he was impressed with the work of Greek scientist and the philosophers. Al-Kindi also invented “Cryptanalysis” and “Frequency analysis”.
His Work
Al Kindi gave an immense contribution to the field psychology and wrote the books “That there are incorporeal substances” and “Discourse on the soul”. Under these books, he discussed about the immaterial nature of the human soul taking concepts from the Aristotelian philosophy. He also wrote a book named “On the Intellect”. In these books, he talked about the nature of human power of learning as well as discovering.
As per the famous bibliographer, Ibn Al Nadim, Al Kindi wrote around 260 books, under which 32 books are on geometry, 22 books for medicine and philosophy whereas 9 books are on logic and 12 books on physics. He also showed his work through other prominent books on astronomy. His work highlighted the aspects of nature with the position of planets of solar system.
It is the dilemma that after his departure from the world, his work got negligence by other philosophers. However, his work and ideas will remain significant and he will always consider as a respected scholar.
His Words
Even he held higher status in the scientific field but Al Kindi was faithful and saw life in depth.
“Our residence in this phenomenal world is transitory; it is a journey towards the eternal one. The most miserable man, is he who prefers for himself the material above the spiritual, for the material, apart from its ephemeral nature, obstructs our passage to the spiritual world. Man should not `disregard any means to protect himself against all human vices, and he should seek to rise to the highest ends of human virtues. That is, to the knowledge by means of which we protect ourselves against spiritual and bodily disease. Acquire the human virtues in whose very essence goodness is grounded.”
That was the outlook of life of Al Kindi. His name is unforgettable in the scientific field. Do you have more information to add then share with us.
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