A Look at Ancient Greek Philosophy from the Dahriyya Perspective of al-Imām al-Māturīdī

Abstract

Ancient Greek philosophy is a scientific and philosophical tradition that emerged more than two and a half thousand years ago and lasted for approximately thirteen centuries. Its distinctive characteristics make it a unique place in the history of civilization. It has exerted a significant influence on subsequent religious, philosophical, and scientific traditions. The profound influence of this tradition is particularly evident in the civilizations founded by members of the Abrahamic religions. Islamic civilization is also a civilization that developed by struggling with this tradition of thought. The theological relations of this tradition with Islamic civilization are generally evaluated through criticism, rejection and denial. It is known that earlier Mutakallimūn had some contact with this tradition. However, there is not enough information about the size and degree of impact of this relationship. It is understood that al-Imām al-Māturīdī, one of the leading figures of the theologians of the Mutaqaddimūn period, was also aware of Greek philosophy. There is a direct reference to Aristotle in his works and Aristotle's work called Logic is mentioned. al-Māturīdī must have been aware of the views of philosophers other than Aristotle, as his rebuttals to philosophers and Dahriyya contain references to some famous views in the history of philosophy. However, which philosophers and philosophical views al-Māturīdī criticized can only be partially clarified by examining the sources of the history of philosophy. In this study, the relationship between the Kalam tradition and the Ancient Greek Philosophy tradition is examined in the context of the concept of Dahriyya, which is used in different meanings by different schools of thought. Some theologians use this term as a synonym for a belief or philosophical view, while others consider it a philosophical school. Some even use Dahriyya as a collective name for multiple schools. At this point, the question arises as to what