The Curse of Philosophy 363
existential level.^160 In the way they deal with philosophical problems,
both thinkers appear to be “philosophically closer to Plato and Aristo-
tle, and religiously closer to Moses and Jesus” than earlier philosophers
and theologians of both Arabic Neoplatonism and Neohanifism.^161
As this overview makes clear, al-Marzūqī’s presentation of Ibn
Taymiyya’s philosophy is heavily loaded with conceptual and philo-
sophical-historical arguments. A full analysis of his model would go
beyond the scope of the present study.^162 Therefore, I will discuss, in
the following passages, only the main aspects of al-Marzūqī’s interpre-
tation of Ibn Taymiyya’s “nominalistic philosophy”, leaving aside his
discussion of Ibn Khaldūn.
In al-Marzūqī’s view, Ibn Taymiyya might be the most important
philosopher in the history of Islam; he
abolished the realism of the natural Universal through presenting its
positivistic character and let theoretical science become historical [...]
the act of philosophy (al-tafalsuf) became a historical science [...]. Ibn
Taymiyya’s work theorized, first, theory and, consequently, it also theo-
rized practice.^163Ibn Taymiyya’s nominalistic understanding of the definition leads,
furthermore, to the abolishment of the traditional difference between
the outward (al-ẓāhir) and inward (al-bāṭin) levels in both natural and
religious knowledge as well.^164 In opposition to that what was predom-
inant in philosophy before his time, Ibn Taymiyya’s approach led to
160 Ibid., p. 20 and n. 17. Al-Marzūqī discusses the concept of the Universal in
Arabic philosophy extensively in his abovementioned book Manzilat al-kullī
fī al-falsafa al-ʿarabiyya.
161 Ibid., p. 22.
162 According to al-Marzūqī, “Plotinus turned philosophy into religion, and
Muhammad turned religion into philosophy. The first made religion the ulti-
mate purpose of philosophy through sealing science and putting an end to it
(bi-khatm al-ʿilm wa-qatlih). The second made religion into philosophy by
sealing revelation and putting an end to it (bi-khatm al-waḥy wa-qatlih).”
While Plotinus, by sealing science, cast man out of history in regards to science
and practice, Muḥammad brought man back into history in regards to science
and practice, as it was necessary for revelation to be sealed: ibid., 37, n. 34. Ibn
Taymiyya put an end to Neoplatonism, and, presumably without being aware
it, also put an end to Neohanifism: ibid., p. 38. Such over-generalizations char-
acterize al-Marzūqī’s method in dealing with the history of philosophy and
religion.
163 Al-Marzūqī, Iṣlāḥ, p. 71.
164 Ibid., p. 78, with reference to Ibn Taymiyya, al-Radd, pp. 81–82/39–40.
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