Political Thought: Al Farabi

By Hussain Jalaluddin
ERP: 05565
Al Farabi believes in virtuous society. Ideal society is virtuous society. Ideal society will want to work
towards the realization of happiness, which is spiritual enlightenment. He knows that this goal is
hard and rare to achieve in completeness. It cannot be achieved by a single individual. If it will be
realised, it will happen only with association with other members of society. Thats why Al Farabi
proclaims man, a social and political animal. Al Farabi knew that ideal society needs many hard
conditions to be fulfilled. His vision of this society was that it was a perfect and noble society that
would benefit man in this world and the hereafter.

Al Farabi judged that an ideal leader to lead a virtuous society will have twelve attributes. He
regarded the leader to have the knowledge the followers dont. And it is duty of the leader inform
people what is happening now and what to expect in the future.

Leader has to:

1. Be persuasive
2. Be physically sound
3. Be able to visualize what is being said, for better conception of the problem
4. Have good, sharp memory
5. Have authority to get the work, which is required of him, done.
6. Have good communication skills
7. Have capacity to absorb comprehensive knowledge
8. Not indulge in fun and games, has to control his anger and passions
9. Have love for truth and justice; and hatred of hypocrisy, knavery and duplicity
10. Be happy in the happiness of his subjects; and fight against tyranny and oppression
11. Have the power to implement justice and he needs to be fearless
12. Confront all internal and external dangers his people may face. He needs to have
considerable wealth so he does not turn greedy.
*(Acmad Macarimbang, Envisioning a perfect city, IQRA: Journal for Islamic Identities and Dialogue in
Southeast Asia, Volume 1 (2013), pages 73-92.)

The leader of an ideal society must be chosen by following the given condition. A person with even 5
or 6 of these qualities can be chosen to be the leader. If condition 1 is not met, find a person who
was raised under a leader with at least 5 or 6 of those qualities. This is case Al Farabi makes for
hereditary leadership. When condition 1 and 2 both cannot be fulfilled, select a council of 2 5
people with the aggregate of these qualities. One of them must be a Hakim (knows the needs of the
state and its people). If none of these conditions are being met and no leader can be found then the
state is doomed to fail, it will be a non ideal society.

Moving on, Non Ideal society is of three kinds, ignorant society, wicked society and errant society.
Ignorant society: This kind of society has failed to know the true purpose of the society, which is
accomplishment of total happiness. They have replaced this goal with another inferior goal like
wealth and power. Todays modern society falls into this category. Contemporary societys goals are
money, power, and fame. Wicked society: This society knows the true goal but has abandoned that
goal for other pleasures. Errant society: They know the goal, but the societys leaders have
misguided the people of the errant society.
*(Mahdi, Muhsin; Encyclopaedia Iranica)

Al Farabi further classifies six kinds of states, which are:

1. State of Necessity (Daruriya): Aim of the people is only get the necessities of life like food,
water, clothing and shelter.
2. State of Vile (Nadhala): In this state people only want wealth and riches for themselves.
3. Base and Despicable state: After getting base necessities, citizens will help each other
achieve the pleasure of fun and games etc.
4. Timocracy (Madina Karama): Al Farabi considers this the best state. People in this state assist
each other to achieve glory for one another in war and peace alike. Two kind of honourable
men in this state:
I. Honourable because of good personality and virtues
II. Honourable due to victories in war, wealth and authority.
5. State of Tyranny (Taghallub):
Internal: Mastery of tyrant over citizens of state
External: Mastery of tyrant over citizens of other states, by force conquest or
persuasion
6. Democracy (Madina Jamaliya): Rulers rule by the will of people, citizens have freedom as
they wish. Rulers are masters only because people desire protection, luxury and necessities.
* (htt)

Al Farabi asserts that strong nations will overpower weak nations, as is the human nature.
Furthermore Al Farabi believes that it is correct for the strong nation to behave as such. And the
weak nation should accept its fate for the betterment of the relationship between its master and
itself.
As far as colonisation is concerned Al Farabi writes that it is inevitable, and to escape from
colonisation people should scatter far from the power centre and form states like in a
commonwealth. He deems that in states like those, the laws of the imperialist will only be amended
and then followed because people are used to the laws and regulation of parent country. We can
see this in the modern state of Pakistan.
*(Mian, Ali Altaf; 2011; Muslim Political Phil...)

Al Farabi believed that a Pan Islamic society would not be achieved. This was due to extremely tough
probability that Islamic peoples of such pluralistic cultures, customs, languages, geographies could
sustain togetherness necessary for Pan Islamica.

The political philosophy of Al Farabi is inspired by Platos republic and, Aristotles monarchic and
aristocratic form of governance. The political theories of muslim scholars like Al Farabi are loosely
encompassed in the modern state. This is due to the imprint of European rule and hegemony over
hundreds of years on the vast muslim lands.

Sources:

- http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H021.htm
- http://www.rima.sg/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ENVISIONING-A-PERFECT-CITY-AN-
INTRODUCTION-TO-ALFARABIS-POLITICAL-PHILOSOPHY.pdf
- http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-optional-subjects/group-b/political-science/50682-muslim-
political-thought-al-farabi.html
- http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/farabi-vi
- http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~pbushmil/Alfarabi_paper.html
- http://www.academia.edu/1641120/_Muslim_Political_Philosophy_and_the_Affective_Turn_Far
abi_on_Language_Affect_and_Reason._
- http://www.allamaiqbal.com/publications/journals/review/oct89/18.htm
- http://www.gradesaver.com/alfarabi-the-political-writings/wikipedia/contributions/
- https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Al-Farabi