Jewish-Islamic Scholarly Interaction: The Influence of Abū Naṣr ‎al-Fārābī on Moses Maimonides Regarding Human ‎Characteristics, Faculties, Perfections, and Ranks

Jalali, Sayed Lotfollah

doi:10.22081/jti.2025.70778.1056

Jewish-Islamic Scholarly Interaction: The Influence of Abū Naṣr ‎al-Fārābī on Moses Maimonides Regarding Human ‎Characteristics, Faculties, Perfections, and Ranks

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Sayed Lotfollah Jalali

Assistant professor of Abrahamic Religions Department, Al-Mustafa International Research Center, Qom, Iran

10.22081/jti.2025.70778.1056

Abstract

Al-Fārābī is a renowned and influential Muslim philosopher who has impacted not only Muslim scholars but also scholars of other religions, among whom Moses Maimonides is one of the most significant. This study, employing an analytical and comparative approach and drawing upon the works of both al-Fārābī and Maimonides, seeks to answer the question of how much Maimonides was influenced by al-Fārābī in the domain of philosophical psychology, particularly regarding human characteristics, faculties, perfections, and ranks. The findings indicate that Maimonides was influenced by al-Fārābī in various areas, frequently citing him and his works as a primary source. However, in many instances, to avoid provoking sensitivity or opposition from his audience, he refrained from explicitly mentioning his source, though it is evident that al-Fārābī’s works were among his principal references. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that Maimonides was influenced by al-Fārābī not only in the structure of his works but also in his fundamental theories concerning human characteristics, faculties, perfections, and ranks. His conceptual framework and terminology also reflect al-Fārābī’s influence, to the extent that the title of one of his major works on faculties, perfections, and moral philosophy was derived from one of al-Fārābī’s works.

Keywords

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