Book

Revelation and Reason According to Ibn Rushd

Dr. Ayman Badr Kareem

Publication Date: July 12, 2026 23:19 KSA

In an era when believers are pushed into the confusing choice between 'religiosity' and 'thinking,' Ibn Rushd clearly saw that pure reason and authentic revelation are two paths leading to one truth, and that they do not confront each other in an arena that encourages conflict between doubt and faith. The relationship between reason and revelation in his view is one of complementarity between two sources of knowledge: revelation on one hand, and reason on the other. God, in His view, is the source of all truth, so what is established by 'sound' reason cannot contradict what is presented in 'sound' religious text. If an apparent contradiction arises, the problem is not with religion or reason, but with the human understanding of one of them—a human interpretation subject to error and correctness. Ibn Rushd holds that the use of reason is obligatory for those capable of reflection and contemplation, as religious texts themselves call for pondering and reflecting on the universe, humanity, life, and the Quran itself. On the other hand, authentic and established revelation remains necessary because it informs humans of what reason cannot reach on its own, such as matters of the unseen, the afterlife, and the ultimate meaning of existence. If there appears a formal contradiction between a religious text and a certain rational or scientific conclusion, he resorts to interpretation (ta'wil), i.e., understanding the text in a deeper or broader sense than its literal appearance, without denying it. In this sense, interpretation is not an escape from the text but an attempt to protect its true meaning from narrow and fanatical theological understanding. In conclusion, Ibn Rushd reassures the thinking believer: you do not have to choose between religiosity and rationality; you can combine both, believe in the text, and use your reason to understand it correctly. Faith that fears questioning is weak faith, and reason that ignores revelation is reason that has lost the compass of divine guidance. Notably, Ibn Rushd's project of reconciling reason and revelation transcended its Islamic context and reached European thought, where his books and commentaries on Aristotle contributed to the emergence of a philosophical current that granted reason authority parallel to theology and established a private sphere for philosophy free from church censorship. This later evolved into the path of European secularization, organizing public life on the basis of reason, science, experience, and social contracts, while religion retained its place in individual conscience, collective sentiment, and the cultural sphere.

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