al-Kindi, Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq (d. c.866–73)

Practically unknown in the Western world, al-Kindi has an
honoured place in the Islamic world as the ‘philosopher of the
Arabs’. Today he might be viewed as a bridge between Greek
philosophers and Islamic philosophy. Part of the brilliant ninth-
century ‘Abbasid court at Baghdad, composed of literati of all
types, he served as tutor for the caliph’s son. He gained insights
into the thought of Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle,
through the translation movement; although he did not make
translations himself, he corrected them and used them
advantageously in his own thought.

Al-Kindi is notable for his work on philosophical terminology and
for developing a vocabulary for philosophical thought in Arabic,
although his ideas were superseded by Ibn Sina in the eleventh
century. The debate about the allowability of philosophy in terms
of orthodox Islam also began with al-Kindi, a battle that is usually
considered to have been won for religion by al-Ghazali. Like other
innovators, his ideas may no longer appear revolutionary, but in
his own day, to push for the supremacy of reason and for the
importance of a ‘foreign science’ – philosophy – as opposed to
an ‘Arab science’ – grammar, Qur’anic studies – was quite
astonishing. When the Khalif al-Mutawwakil came to power and
sought to restore traditionalism, al-Kindi suffered a reversal of
fortunes.

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In his philosophical writings, al-Kindi does not so much direct
arguments to the concerns of religion as avoid them altogether,
instead describing a parallel universe of philosophy. He
consistently tries to show that the pursuit of philosophy is
compatible with orthodox Islam. The mutakallimun had previously
speculated on questions about matter, atoms and substance,
which he also considers. Another reason for the claim that he
was a Mu‘tazili was his persecution by the Khalif al-Mutawwakil,
who instigated a reactionary policy against the Mu‘tazili and a
return to traditionalism (see Ash‘ariyya and Mu‘tazila). Al-Kindi
was caught in the general net of the Khalif’s anti-intellectualism;
the Kindian emphasis is always on rationalism, an attitude which
the orthodox establishment of a revealed religion is bound to find
inimical.

Source:
Islamic Philosophy Online (http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/)