Aql al-Fa'al

al-‘aql al-fa‘‘al(Arabic:العقل الفعال) or Wahib al-suwar is a kind of reason in Islamic philosophy and psychology. al-‘aql al-fa‘‘al acted as links between human beings and divine. Aql Al Fa'al Also counted as the lowest level of celestial intelligences.

concept

the word Aql means to restrain or to tie philologically. reason namely something which prevent human from hurry judgment and behavior.Aql gradually transform to reason semantically. Aql has many different meanings in Islamic philosophy and psychology.in Islamic philosophy, particularly peripatetic, the technical use of aql to some extent is under effection of Greek philosophy.

historical background

for the first time, Farabi numerated several meanings of Aql in his book.Avempace or ibn Bajjeh knows the goal of human and philosopher as connection and unity with active intellect. Active intellect is the last emanation of intelligences which accounts for the forms in the nature world. Through active intellect we could know that what the reality of things in nature is.According to Avicenna those who could separate their souls from earthly distractions, at the same time could united with the active intellect during a journey. in Islamic philosophy the active intellect has to do with Neoplatonic cosmology. this intelligence is associates with moon and Angel Jibril or Holy Spirit (Islam). peripatetic philosophers in Islamic world try to show a Platonized version of active intellect on the basis of which human soul and sensible world united with intelligence and intelligibility.Farabi try to reconciles between peripatetic attitude of active intellect with the Islamic notion of prophecy. Farabi identifies active intellect with jibril, is Islam the angel of revelation. Human could transformed from Aql bi-l-quwwah (potential intellect) into Aql bi-l-fi'l( actual intellect). Thereby human could free themselves from the darkness of ignorance. Finally Aql reached to Aql Al-mustafad( the acquired intellect).in the level of acquires intellect, Aql reflects upon its own contents through inquiring among its similarities and distinction.

characteristics

Aql Faal has many basic role in epistemology and psychology in Islamic philosophy.some of them are as follow:

1. active intellect acted as an intellection such a way that providing forms for sublunary world
2. it also transforms potential Aql to the level of actual Aql in epistemology and sense perception
3. it also enable us to separate between intelligible from Sense perception objects
4. active intellect also helps to perfect human souls
5. Wahib Al-suwar helps to acquiring highest of happiness
6. Aql Faal also helps to immortality of souls
7. active intellect helps to explain the mechanism of revelation

See also

• Active intellect
• Islamic philosophy