By: Mohammed Sirajuddin, Hon. Fellow, Furqania Academy
Trans. by: Atya Tabassum, Fellow, FAW

The first Spanish philosopher, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Bajah, is commonly known as Ibn Bajah in Muslim world, and best known by his Latinised name in Europe Avempace and Avenpace. His ancestors were goldsmiths. That is why he is known as Ibn Bajah and Ibn Saigh, because the meanings of both these words are the same. Ibn Bajah was born in the famous Andalusian city of Sargossa, probably in 1080 AD. The year of birth is not certainly known.[1]

Maulana Abdul Salam Nadwi, the author of Hukama e Islam Hukama e Islam [The Wise men of Islam], states that Ibn Bajah wrote many praiseworthy poems in honor of Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim Sahrawi, the chief of Sargossa, and as a reward for this, the chief made him his minister, although due to his philosophical views, the people disliked his ministry. So, when Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim once sent him as his ambassador to the service of Emad-ud-Din ibn Hud, he imprisoned him and even tried to kill him. When Ibn Bajah came to know about this, he got away and saved his life. Meanwhile, Alfonso I invaded Sargossa, during which time Ibrahim Sahrawi died. When the Christians took over Sargossa, Ibn Bajah was forced to leave his homeland. He stayed in Balnia for few days and then went to Seville. During his stay there, he started writing books on logic. One of these books is still available in the library of Escorial.[2]

Later he went to Granada. After living there for some time, he moved to Morocco. He died in Persia in 1138 AD. He is said to have been poisoned by envious people.

Ibn Bajah was a writer, poet and also a memorizer of the Qur’an. But his fame is generally in the philosophical sciences. Every one of his biographers has recognized him as a genius of Philosophy. Ibn Bajah enjoyed the same status in the West which Abu Nasr al-Farabi and Ibn Sina enjoyed in the East. In Europe, St. Thomas Aquinas was greatly influenced by Ibn Bajah.

Maulana Abdul Salam Nadwi in Hukam-e-Islam and Prof. Saeed Sheikh, Director, Institute of Islamic Culture, Lahore, writes in ‘Studies in Muslim Philosophy’ that although Ibn Bajah excelled in all branches of philosophy, but in music he developed special skill and acquired reputation. Both of them have written quoting Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddama (Preface):

“Ibn Bajah once sang an ode composed by him in the court of his master Nemat Ibn Yatfalwit in such a pure melody that Ibn Yatfalwit came in ecstasy and tore his clothes and swore that he would spread gold on the way to Ibn Bajah’s house. Ibn Bajah was frightened when he heard this. He immediately turned around and said: “If my shoes are filled with gold, then the oath of Amir al-Mu’minin will be fulfilled.” Ibn Yathfalwit liked this and Ibn Bajah returned home happily.”

Ibn Bajah has written an excellent book on the art of music. This was acknowledged by the famous European journalist H.G. Farmer in his book ‘The Galaxy of Islam’: “His (Ibn Bajah’s) dissertation on music was as popular in the West as Al-Farabi’s dissertation in the East.”[3]

Ibn Bajah authored around 26 books and dissertations on various sciences such as music, astronomy, philosophy and mathematics, in which “Man’s Connection with Active Intellect “, “Farewell Letter” and “Tadbir al-Mutawahhid” are very popular. Sholomo Pines writes in his article that in addition to the above books, Ibn Bajah had written many dissertations on wide range of subjects such as physics, meteorology, zoology, plants and Aristotelian subjects. Dr. Ghulam Qadir Lone in his book “The Achievements of Muslims” writes that Ibn Bajah was the first Spanish physician to introduce philosophy. He has described different types of people in Tadbir al- Mutawahhid, who live their lives in different ways. According to Ibn Bajah, Mutawahhid occupies highest position among them. Moulana Abdul Salam Nadwi has given a summary of Ibn Bajah’s philosophy in Hukam-e-Islam. It is as follows:

“A material man can attain bliss only if he is a pure spiritual man. Hence a spiritual man should only do physical deeds when needed. They should not be intended in themself. However, spiritual actions have their own purpose. Man is only a human being on the basis of physical deeds, but through spiritual deeds he becomes a higher being. And because of his intellectual qualities, he becomes one of the highest divine beings. Now in this state he becomes detached from all kinds of physical and spiritual attributes and becomes characterized by the attributes of God. These are the characteristics of a mutawahhid who is the citizen of democracy.”[5]

Will Durant, in his book Age of Faith, summarizes the philosophy of Ibn Bajah in the following words: Human intellect is made up of two parts. The first is the mental intellectual which is attached to the body and perishes with the body, and the second is the active intellectual or universal intellect which is present in all human beings and it is immortal. The intellect is the highest object of man. Man can acquire true knowledge through intellect and not through mystic ecstasy. Through the active intellect, man can connect with Allah.

References:
1- Studies in Muslim Philosophy, by M. Sayeed Shaikh, Adam Publisher & Distributers, PP-152.
2- Rulings of Islam (Part II), Maulana Abdul Salam Nadwi, Dar Al-Musnafeen Shabfi Academy, pp. 5-6
3- Legacy of Islam, by Thomas Arnold, PP-366.
4- Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Vol. 1, PP. 408-409.
5- The age of Faith, by Will Durant, Chapter 14.