When this book first appeared in 1970, it was recognized as the first comprehensive survey of Islamic philosophy from the seventh century to the present in any language. Today, it continues to wield considerable influence in the field and has been translated into several languages, including French, Persian, Turkish, Indonesian, and Chinese.
The Quran is the pivot around which Islamic life and thought turn, and thus the first generation of Islamic scholars were concerned with commentaries on it. As the Islamic world began to confront paganism and Christianity, scholastic theology, known in Arabic as "Kalam," arose as a direct byproduct of interaction with Greek philosophy and Christian theology. This gave rise in time to the great traditions of legalism, rationalism, and mysticism. Fakhry discusses Islamic thought and its effect on the cultural aspects of Muslim life. In the final chapters, he examines the rise of pan-Islamism and the many currents it has generated in the last two centuries, including secularism and fundamentalism, which are still pitted against each other throughout the Muslim world. He shows how Islamic philosophy has followed from the earliest times a distinctive line of development, which gives it the unity and continuity that are the marks of the great intellectual movements of history.
Many of the discussed texts have not been translated into English; the book includes Majid Fakhrys masterful translations of these excerpts as well as updates throughout in light of current events and recent Islamic scholarship.
"A balanced and stimulating account." -"New York Review of Books"
"Scholars and teachers of Islamic philosophy, students in this field, andgeneral readers owe Fakhry a great measure of appreciation." -"The Muslim World"

A History of Islamic Philosophy by Majid Fakhry is the first comprehensive survey of Islamic philosophy from the seventh century to the present. It traces the development of Islamic philosophy and its impact on various aspects of Muslim cultural life. The book shows how, as the Islamic world began to confront foreign cultures, scholastic theology, known in Arabic as Kalam, arose as a direct byproduct of interaction with Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Mysticism (Arabic Sufism), in both its extravagant form, as conditioned by Hindu thought, or its indigenous moderate form, is discussed at length.

The book examines the rise of pan-Islamism in modern times and the many currents it has generated, including secularism and fundamentalism, which are still pitted against each other throughout the Muslim world. It also considers the way in which Islamic philosophy assimilated and expanded the Greek philosophical legacy, which eventually found its way to Western Europe after centuries of near-total oblivion.

This third revised edition, which includes masterful translations of texts never before available in English, has been updated and expanded to reflect current events and recent Islamic scholarship.

The first comprehensive survey of Islamic philosophy from the seventh century to the present, this classic discusses Islamic thought and its effect on the cultural aspects of Muslim life. Fakhry shows how Islamic philosophy has followed from the earliest times a distinctive line of development, which gives it the unity and continuity that are the marks of the great intellectual movements of history.