FARABI                

 

      A great thinker and famous music master. He was born in Farab town by Seyhun river in Turkistan in 870. His real name is Ebu Nasır Muhammed ibn Türkan el Farabi. He made his primary school education in Farab and his high education in Baghdad. He learnt Persian, Arabic, Latin, and Greek. He had great knowledge on logic, philosophy, mathematics, medicine and music. He gave more than 100 books on these issues. Now, only 39 of his books are left. At the same time, he interpreted the books of Aristo. He passed away in 950 in Damascus. He lies at Babüssagir graveyard.

His Sciences Encyclopedia (İhsâu'l-Ulûm) counts all information of his age on philology, logic, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics and politics and summarizes their nature. Farabi invented the saz named zither. He composed many melodies and wrote his valuable books on eastern music. et-Ta'limü's-Sanî and İhsâu'l-Ulûm are valuable books deemed the first encyclopedia of eastern world. The books of this genius were published in India and Egypt, and translated into Hebrew and western languages. Major philosophers like Avicenna and Averroës, two great scholars attended his courses and were illuminated by him. The greatest doctrinaire of Christendom, Thomas d'Aquinas, became an authority by repeating nearly the same ideas of him. The book by Farabi named el-Medinetü'l-Fâdıla, acted as a pioneer of the theories of Hobbes and Darwin to be put forth 5 centuries later, with the thesis that the whole universe and its existence survive in a constant struggle.

       Farabi, who was also a good mathematician, was very close to inventing logarithm. However, since his such investigation is not popular in Western world, it could effect only Islam world. Since the science language of his period was Arabic, he wrote his books in Arabic. He is considered to be the greatest thinker of eastern world and Turks. Taking into consideration the fact that all western scientists wrote their languages in Greek and Latin in the same period because their science language was that, it is not right to blame him for writing his books in Arabic despite his being a Turk.

 

       Farabi, who was gifted with superior intelligence and skills, had learnt Arabic, Persian, Greek and Latin like his native language during his high education in Baghdad, and put such language richness into use in many of his works in various branches. He investigated Greek philosophy at the same time. He interpreted the books of Aristotle, the great master of this issue, more clearly than their originals. Therefore, not only eastern world, but also western world accepted him as the latter instructor after Aristotle.

 

       Farabi attracted intention with his great skills in conveying old philosophy into the new one. Therefore, famous thinkers such as Montesqieu and Spinoza were influenced by him. Farabi, who went into philosophy by means of logic, dealt generally with metaphysics. He advocated while opposing people separating religion and philosophy that these two concepts formed an inseparable whole. He considered religion as the primary component of philosophy for all his life. At the same time, by inserting philosophy understanding into Islam, he revealed Islam philosophy.

 

       Farabi's single and absolute principle was "The first reason of Existence". For him, human could purify his spiritual world by ceasing his relations with the outer world absolutely. Love was, however, a supplementary factor in philosophy helping realization of such expression. Love was human egotism's being tied to God, the only the eternal reality, not a temporary action. The essence of existence came from God. He always said: "Anyone wanting to perceive the whole reality of the universe should first look at human. Because, whole existence concept was determined in the spirit. God is the greatest and final existence. All humanity is unified in his essence. His existence is so perfect that could not be compared to other existence. Wisdom comes from God's essence. Knowledge is the basis of Ethics..."      "Wisdom separates good, beautiful and bad from each other with the knowledge it gains. Since the greatest virtue for human is knowledge, wisdom from the highest is strong enough to make the necessary correct judgement in our attitudes."

 

       This great scholar examined sciences under two sections. The first one is the theoretical sciences, including metaphysics, logic and biology. The other is practical sciences including ethics, politics, music and mathematics. Farabi, excludes oration and poetry, described as science by Aristotle. Farabi who went to Halep in 941, met a Turkish bey named Seyfüddevle Ali from Hamdanoğulları there. The Turkish bey, having heard the reputation of his knowledge, was full with admiration for his deep personality. The bey, who did no fault in treating him with respect, made him settle down in Halep. But he could not make him accept the high salary he wanted to give. Farabi, having lived a very humble life, took only four drachmas daily.

 

       His achieving the great admiration of Halep Bey incited envy of the scholars in this great cultural center and its environs, and attempted for an exam with this great scholar. The hard exam carried out before the bey revealed the superiority of Farabi in all aspects. He made the people who demanded examination accept this fact too. So much that all of the people who came to the exam and who thought themselves as scholars, stayed with Farabi as his students after this exam.

 

       Farabi was a major of music at the same time. The musical instrument named zither is his invention. In addition, he is the one who had developed and turned into its today's form the instrument named rübap (Stringed violin). Farabi also developed a theory on accord and intervals. As he demonstrated in his book named Kitabü'l-Musikiyyu'l-Kebîr, that is, Great Music Book, he composed many melodies. Although he lived in Arabic countries, he never left Turkistan national clothes and his humble lifestyle. He appeared in these clothes always. Upon conquest of Damascus by Seyfüddevle Ali Bey, Farabi went to Damascus with him. He lived the last days of his life there.

 

       He passed away in 950 in Damascus when he was 80. He was buried in Babüssagir.