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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A History of Muslim Philosophy Volume 1, Book 3 Chapter 35: Al-Farabi A. Society And Its Goal An account of the life and philosophical thought of Abu Nasr Mohammad ibn Tarkhan al-Farabi (d. 339/950) has already been given in a previous chapter.

The reader must have noted that, while recasting the philosophical views of Plato, Aristotle, and other Greek thinkers, al-Farabi always keeps in view the Islamic tenets which have formed the inner links of his writings. In his political philosophy, he has followed the same line. Under the influence of Plato and Aristotle he evolves his own system which markedly differs from the system of the Greeks, the Iranians, as well as the Indians.

This will be shown in these pages which have been prepared in the light of 1) Kitab Ara’ Ahal al-Madinat al-Fadilah (Book on the Views of the People of the Excellent State), 2) Kitab al-Siyasat al-Madaniyyah (Book on Caution on the Path of Administration), 3) Kitab Tahsil al-Sa‘adah (Book on the Achievement of Happiness, 4) Kitab al-Tanbih ‘ala Sabil al-Sa‘addah (Book on Caution on the path of Happiness), and 5) the Bodleian manuscript of his Fusul al-Madini (Chapters on the Civilian).

The City State According to al-Farabi, the City State (Madinah) and the Family State are places that contain inhabitants, no matter whether their dwellings are constructed of wood, mud, wool or hair.[^1] The house or family is limited to only four relationships: husband and wife, master and slave, father and son, and property and proprietor. He who makes them unite in co-operation and aims at providing for them an abode with the best facilities and maintenance, is called the master of the family.

He is in the house what the administrator of the city is in the city.[^2] Necessity of Society Men are naturally so constituted that they need many things for their best achievements. Hence, they need mutual help and co-operation – everyone doing his best for obtaining a particular kind of object. Thus, by uniting their individual efforts for different objects they organize different societies.[^3] The greater the society, the better are the facilities it achieves for its individuals.

The grouping of men is not confined to a house. It extends to lanes, localities, villages, towns, and cities. Men work for the welfare of society and in the long run serve the State. The people living in a state are called a nation (Ummah) .