Philosophers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophers - Research Paper Example According to Bennabi, religion is important if the equation Man + Soil + Time = Civilization(Benlahcene, 2013). He argued that Man was at the center of the process of civilization and that without him, the other elements would not hold. In line with verse 13:11 of the Quran, he also argued that to change the society, Muslims must first seek to change their spiritual condition. Bennabi’s philosophy was based on a deep understanding of Islam not just as a religion, but also as a civilization. He sought to philosophically explain the origins of the decline of Islam and propose solutions. His early life in a devout Islamic family had prepared him for such a mission. Ibn Khaldun is largely considered the most important philosopher and scholar in Muslim History(Rapoport, 2011). Ibn Khaldun was born to a wealthy family in 1332. He received a traditional education. His first teacher was his father, a scholar who avoided politics even though he came from a ruling family. Then, under different scholars, he memorized the Quran and learned Arabic grammar, Hadith, philology, rhetoric, jurisprudence and poetry. Ibn Khaldun pursued studies until the age of nineteen when a major plague struck the country. After the plague, Ibn Tafrakin, the ruler of Tunis, hired Khaldun as the seal bearer of the ruler’s captive, Sultan Abu lshaq. This appointment set the stage for Khaldun’s political career. In a work known as the Muqaddima, translated â€Å"The Introduction to History†, Khaldun offers a synthesis of the methodological and cultural knowledge that an effective historian must possess. In the book, he presents a cyclical model of how dynasties evolved in the ancient world (Rapoport, 2011). First, tribal ties were very strong and played an important role in the formation of new empires in the ancient Arab world. He posited that it was the