'Abd al-Jawad Falaturi
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | 'Abd al-Jawad Falaturi |
| Birth | Dey 19, 1304 Sh/Jan. 9, 1926 |
| Place of Birth | Isfahan |
| Studied in | Isfahan, Tehran, Mashhad, Iran and Cologne, Germany. |
| Death | Dey 9, 1375 Sh/ Dec. 29, 1996 |
| Burial Place | Takht-i Fulad Cemetery |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Professors | Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani, Muhammad Taqi Amuli etc. |
| Permission for Hadith Transmission From | Muhammad Rida Kalbasi |
| Permission for Ijtihad From | Muhammad Rida Kalbasi |
| Scholarly Activities | He founded a center for Shiite Studies at Cologne University |
ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī (Persian: عبدالجواد فلاطوری) (b. 1344/1926 - d. 1375/1996) was an Iranian philosopher, scholar of fiqh, and a Shiite intellectual who lived in Germany. After studying in the Islamic seminaries of Isfahan, Mashhad, and Tehran, and receiving his bachelor degree of philosophy from the University of Tehran, he went to Germany. He became a professor at Cologne university. He was the founder of the Shiite Library in this university as well as the Academy of Islamic Sciences in Germany. By correcting the Islamic contents of textbooks of German schools and some other European countries, he tried to change the contemporary European view on Islam. He believed that religion should be separated from philosophy. He was a critic of the philosophy of Mulla Sadra. Falaturi has over 150 books, articles, and interviews.
Birth and Demise
'Abd al-Jawad Falaturi, a grandson of Mulla Isma'il Isfahani, was born on Dey 19, 1304 SH. (January 9, 1926) in Isfahan.[1] His father was Husayn Falaturi and his mother was Ruqayya Khudabakhshiyan.[2]
He died at the age of 71 on Sunday, Dey 9, 1375 SH. (December 29, 1996) in Germany. His corpse was buried in Isfahan near the mausoleum of Hajj Aqa Rahim Arbab (Tekyeh Fadil Hindi) on Dey 21 (January 10, 1997).[3]
Academic Biography
Iran
According to Falaturi’s autobiography, he studied in the elementary school from 1931 to 1937 and received his vocational diploma from an Iranian-German high school in Iran in 1943-4.
He started his studies in the Islamic seminary in 1941. He studied Islamic disciplines (including the Arabic language and literature, Islamic law, Islamic history, logic, and philosophy) in Isfahan for two years, and then in Tehran (for two years), Mashhad (six years), and again in Tehran (for three years). Since 1943, he started teaching in the Islamic seminary as well. In 1951, he received a permission for teaching Islamic philosophy from Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani.[4]
In 1328-1329 Sh/1949-50-1950-51, he had one-to-one debates with Shaykh Muhammad Rida Kalbasi, and without his own request, Kalbasi gave him a permission of transmission of hadiths as well as a Permission of Ijtihad.[5]
From 1951 through 1954, he studied philosophy in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Tehran. He received a bachelor degree in 1954 with a translation of Mulla Sadra’s al-Masha'ir. His dissertation was selected as the best dissertation of the year.[6]
Germany
In October 1954, Falaturi went to Germany and studied philosophy there. In August 1960, he received a degree after taking a Latin exam.[7]
In 1962, Falaturi wrote a dissertation of philosophy under "An interpretation of Kant's ethics in light of respect" annexed with a preface containing a general lexicology of Kant, and received his PhD. In 1974, he became a professor.[8]
Religious and Cultural Activities
- Foundation of the Shiite Library in Köln University: in 1968, Falaturi founded a library for Shiite scholarship (in Köln University) which was one of its kind in Europe and is internationally recognized.[9] He collected about 4000 volumes of books from Mashhad, Isfahan, and Tehran, and moved them to Germany.[10]
- The Academy of Islamic Sciences: in 1978, Falaturi founded the Academy of Islamic Sciences in Germany. His goal was to establish mutual dialogues regarding religion and humanities between the Christian West and the Muslim East.[11]
- Correction of the Islamic Contents of Textbooks in Europe: in his Academy of Islamic Sciences, Falaturi executed the project of correcting textbooks in Europe. In this project, mistakes in European textbooks about Islam were notified and their correct forms in the Islamic point of view were provided. Under this project, Falaturi could correct textbooks of 17 European countries until 1994.[12]
- College of Islamic Teachings: another project with which Falaturi was concerned since 1991 was the foundation of the College of Islamic Teachings in Europe—a center which was supposed to take care of correct academic teaching of Islam to Muslims in Europe and other parts of the world. However, he did not live long enough to accomplish the project.[13]
Some Viewpoints
- Falaturi believed that the confusion between religion and philosophy was neither in favor of the philosophy, nor in favor of the religion. It only rubs religion of its religious character, and rubs philosophy of its dynamics. According to him, the best source for knowing God is the Quran itself.[14]
- According to Falaturi, Mulla Sadra’s philosophy is in the decline, although its account of the cosmos or the being is interesting. He emphasized that Mulla Sadra’s philosophy should not be confused with the reality of Islam.[15]
- He criticized the worldview dominant in Iran, maintaining that religious aspects of this worldview prevail individual freedom.
Work
Falaturi has over 150 books, articles, and interviews. The below are some of his main works:
- Islam in the textbooks of the Federal Republic of Germany. 7 volumes. Sub-topics of the book: Analysis of historical books about Islam, analysis of religious and Protestant books about Islam, analysis of geographical books about Islam, analysis of Catholic books about Islam, analysis of educational policy and curriculum of German provinces in the field of Islam, list and sources and outline, appendices. This book is written in German language. (1986-1988).
- Islam in European textbooks. (Book in English, 1990)[16]
- Islam: Cultural atmosphere, history, religion. (Book in German, 1990)[17]
- Research in Shiite belief and sciences. (Article in Persian)[18]
- The position of women in Islam. (Article in German)
- The authority of reason in deriving the religious rules in the Shiite religion. (1959, Article in German).
- God and man from the perspective of Islam. (Article in German, 1983).
- About economy in Islam. (Article in German, 1980).[19]
- The Qur'an's answers (Article in German, 1991).[20]
- The Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (s) as the basis of jurisprudence (Islamic Law). (Article in German, 1983).[21]
- The Qur'an; proof of Muhammad's prophet-hood (Article in German, 1981).[22]
- Facilities and limits of intercultural dialogue (Book in English, 1990).[23]
- Islam in dialogue in 3 volumes. (Books in German, 1985-1996).[24]
- Islam and secular thought (Article in German, 1995).[25]
Commemoration
The Association of Cultural Works and Dignitaries held a commemoration for Falaturi on Tir 31, 1386Sh (July 22, 2007), introducing him as an Iranian dignitary. They gave a plaque of appreciation to his family.[26].[27]
The book, Zindiginama wa khadamat-i 'ilmi wa farhangi-yi duktur 'Abd al-Jawad Falaturi (Biography and academic and cultural services of Dr. 'Abd al-Jawad Falaturi) was published in Tehran by the above Association as number 83 of its series of biographies in Tir 1386Sh (July 2007).
Notes
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 134.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 23.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 139-140.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 23-24.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 26.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 24.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 24.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 25.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 25.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 141.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 143-144.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 148-149.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 149.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 42.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 43.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 201-202.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 202-203.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 207.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 208-209.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 206.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 211.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 214.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 203.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 202.
- ↑ Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī, p. 202.
- ↑ Anjuman-i Āthār wa Mafākhir-i Farhangī (Persian). 2015/04/26.
- ↑ A paper of the life of D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī. (Persian). 2015/04/26.
References
- Mīrāth-i māndigar. Majmūʿa muṣāḥibahā-yi sāl-i awwal wa duwwum-i Kayhān-i Farhangī. Tehran: Kayhān, 1369 Sh.
- Zindigīnāma wa khadamāmt-i ʿilmī wa farhangī-yi D.r ʿAbd al-Jawād Falāṭūrī. Tehran: Anjuman-i Āthār wa Mafākhir-i Farhangī, 1386 Sh.