Please suggest websites for Islamic Philosophy – want proofs for God’s existence & perfection?

Question

Some of the questions here have inspired me to revisit what I learned in my college Islamic philosophy class, but I can’t find the specific material I want. I have Googled for Ibn Sina’s proof of the existence of God, but I cannot locate a website that simply spells out the proof; they’re all articles or papers that reference it.

Additionally, I cannot recall who is credited with the proof of the perfection of God, so when I Google it, I get better known western philosophers but I want the Islamic philosophy version.

Any suggestions of sources would be helpful!

I’m even willing to go look at a real live book if needed.

I’m not trying to convert to Islam. I have no plans to ever associate myself with a single dogma.

Answer 1

Due to time limitation, I can't help a lot, but you can have a look here:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/avicenna.htm
The argument runs as follows: There is existence, or rather our phenomenal experience of the world confirms that things exist, and that their existence is non-necessary because we notice that things come into existence and pass out of it. Contingent existence cannot arise unless it is made necessary by a cause. A causal chain in reality must culminate in one un-caused cause because one cannot posit an actual infinite regress of causes (a basic axiom of Aristotelian science). Therefore, the chain of contingent existents must culminate in and find its causal principle in a sole, self-subsistent existent that is Necessary. This, of course, is the same as the God of religion.
http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2007/classical-islamic-arguments-for-the-existence-of-god/
http://www.nmhschool.org/tthornton/mehistorydatabase/a_muslim_proof_for_the_existence.php

Peace/salaam.

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PS. Just a small comment on Simon's argument. With due respect if he doesn't know who is Ibn Sina then he doesn't know a lot about Islam. He is one of the greatest world thinkers and has influenced philosophy worldwide.
As for his opinion of the Quran, well, yes there ARE in the Quran arguments about God's existence and perfection. Did you really read the Quran Mr. Simon or just you CLAIM you did? It is not moral to lie in order to cheat people.

Answer 2

Proof is the kind of thing which applies to maths and logic. You can prove something like the existence of transfinite cardinals, but anything which depends on inductive reasoning or sense data is necessarily open to rational doubt. Nonetheless, it's almost universal that people assume others exist, that life is more than a dream and so forth. We all rely almost completely on unprovable beliefs to function healthily. The real question is, how do we choose between the infinite number of conceivable possibilities? One of these is that God exists. Another concerns a teapot and a third the FSM.

Answer 3

As sala'amu alei'kum, aziza.

It's a pity that people who seek to know the Truth are normally treated as suspect. Such was the way in the past and it shall continue into the future.

Mr. Simon seems to have "read" al Qua'aran, like most Westerners would, rapidly reading through the translated texts and deriving their opinions from them. I cannot find fault with that, because that's their culture; however, one point that he makes is rather valid.

It does not specifically say that "x" or "y" is the proof of Allah's Greatness. Why should it? It is assumed that all know that Allah is the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficient.

One does not state the obvious, isn't that true?

Also, his confusion with Avicenna is typical of the Westerners.

What we need to ask ourselves, however, aziza, is do we need to find proof of Allah's Greatness? Do we ask for proof of our parents to prove that they are, in fact, our parents?

No, because we are born with this knowledge.

Similarly, one doesn't need to seek the obvious.

Ma sala'amah.

Allah hafiz.

Answer 4

I sincerely don't know if you're on the right track in opting for Islam, if it's proof for God’s existence and perfection that you're looking for.

I've read the Koran and studied it with the references from contemporary authors and I've yet to find any "proof of God's Existence and Perfection" anywhere there.

The Koran just goes on saying things Like "And We[God speaking in the first person] gave you [the people] this or that, etc. And, of course, there are the Salutations - "In the name of Allah, ..."

So, you see, if you're looking for proof of God's Existence and Perfection in the Koran, that would be the wrong place to look, unfortunately.

By the way, I don't know of any bin Sina except for Dr. Ali Sina whose website is called faithfreedom.org, by the way.

Hope this helps.

Peace.

ST

PS,

You wouldn't be talking about Avicenna, the Hellenistic Muslim philosopher, would you?

He was a philosopher from southern Russia.

There should be more sites with Avicenna, as he was known to us Westerners, than you'd get as ibn Sina, I should think.

And as for the comment of my "lying", I don't think an opinion should be called a lie.

If the Muslims can claim that there are such verses, maybe they could help you and me enlighten ourselves by quoting the chapter and verse or Surah, at least.

It's a pity that Muslims just dismiss us as liars than try to hold an intelligent debate or even provide us with proofs, don't you think?

Answer 5

Look out the window at the world. There is all the proof you need that God exsists. We didn't create that world or ourselves. And if you honestly believe that some gas exploded in space and created the world and everything in it. And man came decended from monkeys than I suggest you consider where the gases came from. Get a copy of "the priviledged planet" on DVD. It will blow you away!!

Answer 6

I'm just here to say Congrats to Abu Ahmad for his answer..I'll keep an eye out for him..Respect

Tho I'm not Islam...just me

Answer 7

I'm sorry to say that Islamic concepts are even more erroneous and ridiculous than those of Christianity. Very disappointing.

Answer 8

Yeah there's a video of a lion saying ALLAH(Subhanna wa ta'ala).
Go to this website:
http://www.miraclesofthequran.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWcavno9u7I

Answer 9

watch tower.org

Answer 10

hey sweety i googled 2 and i found these sites ..hope they help!
http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/belief/Allah/article04.shtml

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1800