- Author Name : Dr SM Zafar
- Subject : Islamic History
- Language : English
- Cover : Paper Back
- No of Pages : 278
Under the stars of Baghdad, Caliph al-Mamun tosses and turns most of the night and then fitfully dreams in those last short moments before dawn. He dreams that a figure of light and gold, dressed in the tunic of Greece, comes and stands before him
"Who are you?" the frightened Caliphasks. "I am Aristotle," the spirit says. Caliph asked him, " And how have you come to me?"
"I have come to answer your question," says Aristotle.
"And what is my question?" the Caliph asks, knowing in his heart but wanting to hear the spirit to say so.
"Your question is: 'What is better for the affairs of man and the affairs of society, reason or revelation? What is the rightous way, the best way between the two?"
And the Caliph nods, knowing this is the question that has been troubling him for years, growing larger day by day until it seems to be the paramount question of human existence in this new world.
"And what is your answer to this riddle?" asked the Caliph, "Which is more righteous?"
And Aristotle smiles and places his golden hand on the forearm of the Caliph.
"My son," he says, “they are not in opposition but to find true revelation, man must first choose reason, because reason is the doorway to revelation. Man must open his mind and use intellect to find higher truth. In this way, God shows himself to man through ideas."
"Are you certain?" The Caliph asks for there are many claiming to be holy and rightous who say true revelation comes not from the corrupted human mind but from pure divine heart.
Aristotle smiles and shakes his head.
"Such men have always been with us," the philosopher says, "Be gentle with them, try to reassure them. Try to not have them fear their minds and ideas which are sacred gifts of God and reflections of his divine mind. Turn all your resources to translating the great works of thought and knowledge. Knowledge has no border and wisdom has no race or nationality. To block out ideas is to blockout kingdom of God."
Caliph decides that Baghdad, which is the political capital of Islam, shall be made the centre of the world.
From the book