Who Was Averroes?

Averroes was an Andalusian polymath during the Islamic Golden Ages. He wrote countless works in philosophy, theology, law, medicine, astronomy, physics, Islamic jurisprudence, mathematics, and linguistics. He is best known for his commentaries on Aristotle, which later instigated a movement in the West known as Averroism. Like all great thinkers, Averroes faced as much controversy as recognition during his lifetime.

Muḥammad Ibn Aḥmad Ibn Rushd, known in the Arab world as Ibn Rushd and in the West as Averroes, was born in Cordoba on the 14th of April 1126 CE. His family was well-reputed in Andalusia for the prestigious positions they held in the judicial system and their contributions to the religious sciences. Averroes received a diverse education, studying philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, medicine, and many other subjects under the tutelage of the leading experts in each field. There is no doubt that the diversity of his education and the mastery of his teachers contributed to his ability to specialize in such a wide variety of fields. When Averroes moved to Seville, he participated in meetings with poets, philosophers, and physicians. His refined social entourage not only contributed to his intellectual evolution but also led to an encounter that would change the course of the rest of his life.

Meeting Ibn Tufayl

In 1153, Averroes met Ibn Tufayl in Marrakesh. Ibn Tufayl was an Andalusian polymath and the vizier and physician of the Almohad caliph, Abu Yaqub Yusuf, to whom he introduced Averroes in 1169. When the caliph met Averroes, he challenged him with a question about heaven. Averroes was reluctant to answer, fearing that if he were to share his thoughts, the caliph would condemn their unorthodoxy. But the caliph ended up having an unconventional philosophical discussion himself about the subject with Ibn Tufayl, making Averroes more at ease to express his views. The caliph was impressed by Averroes’ intellectual power and asked Ibn Tufayl to entrust him with the task of interpreting the works of Aristotle for him. Such is how Averroes proceeded to write his famous Aristotelian commentaries, and how he entered royal favor. 

Averroes was immediately appointed as the judge (qadi) of Seville, and later also served as the judge of Cordoba. Eventually, he rose to become the chief judge of Cordoba like his late grandfather, and even succeeded Ibn Tufayl as the physician of the caliph in 1181. During these years, he published countless oeuvres in various fields that continued to influence both Eastern and Western thought for centuries after his death. Averroes was fully supported by the caliph, which granted him a space of intellectual freedom and a sense of immunity against the backlash his works stirred in Andalusian society. Everything was working well for him, until his fortune was overturned.

The Fall of Averroes

Averroes’ intellectual positions were extremely radical compared to the conservative views of other jurists and theologians. He opposed the Neoplatonic teachings of Ibn Sina and Al-Farabi, who were both very respected figures during the Islamic Golden Ages. He also roasted Al-Ghazali’s book, The Incoherence of Philosophers (Tahafut Al-Falisefa), in his book Tahafut alTahafut (The Incoherence of the Incoherence).  Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali was a well-known and respected Kalam theologian who opposed philosophy. Averroes not only argued that the practice of philosophy is religiously permissible but even deemed it compulsory among the elect.

Moreover, he argued that if scriptural passages appeared to contradict reason, they should be interpreted allegorically — a view that was considered outrageously blasphemous during a time when literalism was the intellectual status quo. And, as if to make things worse for himself, Averroes argued that only philosophers should be allowed to interpret scriptures.

A Return to Favor

The Kalam theologians had a great influence over the conservative masses of Andalusia, which is why the caliph had to sacrifice Averroes when he needed their help. War was approaching, and the caliph couldn’t afford to lose any support by protecting him. In 1195, a trial was held in Cordoba in response to numerous charges made against Averroes.

In the absence of the caliph’s protection, the tribunal ruled against his teachings and ordered his exile to Lucena. Although Averroes’ fall from grace was sudden and painful, it did not last for long. A few years later, the caliph returned to Marrakesh where he called the exiled philosopher back to his service. Averroes returned to royal favor, but died a few years later in 1198. He was buried in Marrakech, but his body was later moved to his family’s tombs in Cordoba, where he had a second funeral that Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi attended.