Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, a contemporary Islamic scholar and author of works on comparative philosophy (1925–1996). He was born in 1925 in the Bīdābād* neighborhood of Isfahan. He was a descendant of the philosopher Mullā Esmā‛īl Wāḥed al-‛Ayn*. Mullā Esmā‛īl (d. ca. 1824/1240), known as Darb Kūshkī Esfahānī*, was a student of Mullā Ali Nūrī* (d. 1830/1246) and the teacher of Mullā Hādī Sabzevārī (d. 1872/1289). Falāṭūrī completed his primary education in Isfahan and his secondary education at the German-Iranian Industrial School* in Isfahan. At the same time, he pursued studies in the Islamic seminary* of Isfahan. In 1944/1323, he moved with his family to Tehran, where he studied at Marvī School under scholars such as Muhammad Taqī Qumshe’ī (d. 1918/1297) and Muhammad Ali Shāh-Ābādī (d. 1949/1328). In 1947/1326, he traveled to Mashhad for further studies, where he became known by the title “Ḥakīmī,”, attributed to the wisdom, a surname associated with his paternal uncle and cousins.¹

During his time in Mashhad, Falāṭūrī undertook rigorous studies in various disciplines, including grammatical and rhetorical sciences under Muhammad Taqī Adīb Nayshābūrī, jurisprudence and legal theory under Hāshem Qazvīnī and Muhammad Kāẓem Dāmghānī, and philosophy under Hādī Kadkanī. Among his mentors, Mujtabā Qazvīnī Khurāsānī (d. 1967/1346), the author of Bayān al-Furqān and a disciple of Mīrzā Mahdī Eṣfahānī* (d. 1945/1324), exerted the most profound intellectual influence on him. This impact later became evident in Falāṭūrī’s scholarly contributions, particularly in his systematic delineation between philosophical inquiry and religious doctrine. Concurrently, he was granted authorization for narration and ejtehād by Muhammad Reza Kalbāsī* (d. 1963/1342).² In 1951/1330, he returned to Tehran, where he further refined his scholarship under the tutelage of eminent figures such as Muhammad Taqī Āmulī (d. 1970/1349), Aḥmad Kh^wānsārī (d. 1984/1363), and Mīrzā Mahdi Āshtīyānī (d. 1953/1332). Falāṭūrī was recognized as one of Sayyed Jalāl al-Dīn Āshtīyānī’s distinguished students, and upon his mentor’s recommendation, he formally pursued advanced studies in rational sciences at the Faculty of Theology in Tehran (formerly the Faculty of Ma‛qūl and Manqūl). He completed this academic trajectory with the Persian translation of Mullā Ṣadrā’s al-Mashā‛er.³ Āshtīyānī, in a formal endorsement, affirmed Falāṭūrī’s qualifications for teaching philosophy.⁴

In 1954/1333, Falāṭūrī traveled to Germany to pursue higher education, selecting philosophy as his principal field of study. Alongside his specialization, he conducted research in a range of disciplines, including psychology, education, sociology, oriental studies, philosophy of law, and comparative religious studies. Ultimately, he designated comparative religious studies as his secondary field of expertise. Falāṭūrī earned his doctorate from the University of Bonn with a dissertation titled On the Interpretation of Kantian Ethics in Light of Respect.ⁱ Subsequently, he gained his Habilitation at the University of Cologne by submitting a thesis entitled The Reinterpretation of Greek Philosophy through Islamic Thought,ⁱⁱ which qualified him for teaching official courses at the universities.⁵ He thereafter embarked on his academic career at the University of Cologne. This dissertation was later published in Tehran in 2015/1394 under the somewhat imprecise title The Fundamental Transformation of Greek Philosophy in Encounter with the Islamic Mode of Thinking, translated by Muhammad Bāqer Talgharīzāde. For a time, Falāṭūrī also served as a Persian language instructor at the University of Hamburg. In this capacity, he authored and taught from Neṣāb-e Āmūz-e Fārsī,⁶ a textbook designed for Persian language acquisition.

As Falāṭūrī himself reported, during his time in Germany, he met the renowned philosopher Martin Heidegger and engaged in discussions regarding the possibility of comparison between Mullā Ṣadrā’s philosophy and existentialism⁷. Falāṭūrī argued Greek philosophy and modern existentialist philosophy fundamentally differ from Islamic one. In his view, although Islamic philosophy emerged at the intersection of Greek intellectual traditions and Islamic foundations, it pursues distinct questions and objectives. According to Falāṭūrī, within the framework of Islamic culture, philosophy serves to facilitate the rational demonstration of the existence of a Creator for the world and to elucidate the ontological journey from the Origin to the Resurrection. Nevertheless, he emphasized that philosophy must remain distinct from religious doctrines and must be governed by a spirit of inquiry and intellectual exploration. Falāṭūrī further argued that Islamic philosophy possesses the potential for expansion and can foster transformations in various dimensions of society, provided that novel inferences and reasoning continue to shape its development.⁸ According to him, Greek philosophy primarily sought to explain change and motion within nature itself and to analyze the intrinsic causes of phenomena. Likewise, in both Greek philosophy and modern existentialist thought, the discussion on existence is pursued independently of any connection to the divine.⁹

While pursuing his studies and teaching in Germany, Falāṭūrī became aware of widespread misconceptions about Islam, particularly Shiism, in academic circles and textbooks. He observed the common intellectual language and framework for dialogue between Islam and the West had been lost, leading to misunderstandings and prejudices concerning Islam and Muslims. Falāṭūrī sought to bridge this gap and facilitate intellectual engagement between these two cultural spheres. One of his significant contributions in this regard was the critical examination of German textbooks on Islam and its history. In collaboration with a group of Muslim scholars in Germany, he proposed substantial revisions aimed at rectifying misrepresentations and fostering a more accurate and nuanced understanding of Islam.¹⁰

Among Falāṭūrī’s notable initiatives in this field were the organization of seminars aimed at introducing Shiism and the establishment of the Library of Shiite Studies at the University of Cologne. This library played a pivotal role in advancing Shiite studies in the West, although following his passing away, it met an unfortunate fate.¹¹ In addition, he founded the Academy of Islamic Sciences in Cologne, with the objective of fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and collaboration among adherents of the Abrahamic religions, particularly between Islam and Christianity. In 1994/1372, this academy was relocated to Hamburg, where the then-chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Hamburg welcomed the initiative. Falāṭūrī also sought to engage Egyptian scholars from al-Azhar University, including Sheikh Jād al-Ḥaqq and Sheikh Muhammad Ghazālī, inviting them to collaborate in the academy’s activities. However, with their passing in 1996/1374, these efforts were left incomplete. In January 1997/1375, Falāṭūrī passed away in Germany at the age of 71. His body was repatriated to Iran and laid to rest in Takht-e Fūlād* Cemetery in Isfahan, within the Tekīye of Fāḍel Hendī*.¹²

Falāṭūrī’s works are primarily in the form of articles and interviews, written in both German and Persian. In these writings, he examined fundamental Islamic beliefs, the political, social, and cultural realities of Islam, as well as the possibility of mutual understanding and cultural exchange between the West and the East, along with the necessity and obstacles to such dialogue. Some of his German-language articles include “Islam in Dialogue with Christianity”ⁱⁱⁱ, “Islamic Doctrinal Schools from a Religious-Philosophical Perspective”^iv, “How Adaptable is Islam?^v”, and “Muslims Among Christians”^vi.

In addition to these, Falāṭūrī’s academic contributions include the critical edition and translation of several works. Among them is a commentary on Durar al-Farāʾed fī Ghurar al-Farāʾed by Ḥājj Mullā Hādī Sabzevārī, accompanied by the commentary of Muhammad Taqī Āmulī, published in 1952/1331 in Tehran; a commentary on Manṭeq-e Sabzewārī by Mullā Hādī Sabzewārī, along with the commentary of Mahdi Āshtīyānī, published in 1953/1332 in Tehran. His translations include a Persian rendition of Mullā Ṣadrā’s al-Mashā‛er and a German translation of al-Khamsūn Masʾala fī Kasr al-Manṭeq by Abū Najāt al-Farīd, which was published in Cologne in 1974.

In 1997/1375, the Oriental Studies Department at the University of Cologne held a memorial ceremony in honor of Falāṭūrī following his passing and published a commemorative volume titled Falāṭūrī-nāme. This work includes transcripts of several speeches along with a selection of Falāṭūrī’s articles, some of which had previously been translated from German into Persian by his colleagues and associates. Additionally, in 1998/1377, on the occasion of a congress dedicated to Falāṭūrī at the University of Isfahan*, a collection of his Persian articles, interviews, and lectures was published under the title The Necessity of Exchange and the Key to Cultural Understanding. This book comprises various sections, including “What Do We Have to Offer the West? By What Method?”, “The Relationship Between Religion and Philosophy”, “The Necessity of Exchange and the Key to Cultural Understanding”, “Two Intellectual Traditions: East and West”, “Fundamental Obstacles to Dialogue Between Islam and Christianity”, “Fārābī and Cultural Exchange”, “Islam in German Schools”, “The Study of Shiite Beliefs and Sciences”, “The Philosophical Thought of al-Bīrūnī Based on Gradual Evolution”, and “Mahdi Bāzargān’s Innovative Method in Quranic Studies”. This collection also includes Falāṭūrī’s discussions with Muhammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāʾī, widely known as ‛Allāme Ṭabāṭabāʾī, as well as conversations with figures such as Akbar Dānāseresht and Sayyed Jalāl al-Dīn Āshtīyānī. These discussions were originally serialized between 1962–1963/1341–1342 in various issues of the journal Rāhnamā-ye Ketāb. Furthermore, in 2007/1386, the proceedings of the Isfahan University conference were published under the title Interfaith Dialogue, edited by Murtaḍā Ḥāj Ḥusaynī and Muhammad Nūrī, in Isfahan.

Among the notable works associated with Falāṭūrī is a two-volume compilation that includes selected articles authored by him, alongside analytical discussions on his intellectual contributions. This collection, titled “Falāṭūrī”, was curated by Sayyed ‛Abbās Rafī‛ī-Nezhād, with an introductory study by Muhammad Reza Ḥakīmī, and was published in 2004/1383 in Qom. Additionally, “The Biography and Academic and Cultural Contributions of Dr. ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī” was published as part of the Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Figures of Iran¹³ offering a comprehensive overview of his scholarly and cultural legacy. Another significant publication, prepared under the auspices of the Islamic Academy and the Islamic Center of Hamburg, is “Collected Articles of Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī: Man – Islam – West”. This volume, edited by Yūnus Nūrbakhsh (n.d.), compiles selected Persian articles and translations from German, accompanied by a detailed biographical study and a bibliography of Falāṭūrī’s works. The collection includes a range of critical Persian essays, such as “The Study of Shiite Beliefs and Sciences”, “Intellectual, Human, and Social Foundations in Nahj al-Balāgha”, “The Tradition of Peace and Tolerance in Islam”, “The Quran and Western Perceptions of Human Rights”, “Fundamentalism”, “Islam and Modernism”, “The Conditions and Experiences of Christian-Muslim Dialogue”, “Commonalities and Differences Between the Gospel and the Quran”, “The Status of Women in Islam”, and “Is the Study of Religious Sciences (Islamic Jurisprudence) an Exclusive Privilege of Men?”.¹⁴

/Mohsen Mohammadi Fesharaki/

Bibliography

Schmidtke, Sabine, “Ketābkhāne-ye Shīʿe-ye Cologne va Jāygāh-e Ān dar Shīʿe-shenāsī-ye Gharb,” in Guftugū-ye Adyān: Majmū‛e-ye Maqālāt-e Kungere-ye Buzurgdāsht-e Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Dāneshgāh-e Eṣfahān – Dey Māh 1375, compiled by Murtaḍā Ḥāj Ḥusaynī and Muhammad Nūrī, Tehran: University of Tehran, 2007/1386.

Ja‛fari, Muhammad Mahdi, “Guftugū-ye Beyn-e Madhaheb-e Eslāmī,” in Guftugu-ye Adyān: Majmu‛e-ye Maqālāt-e Kungre-ye Buzurgdāsht-e Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, University of Isfahan – January 1997/Dey 1375, Compiled by Murtaḍā Ḥāj Ḥusaynī and Muhammad Nūrī, Tehran: University of Tehran, 2007/1386.

Ḥāj Ḥusaynī, Murtaḍā, “Dar Justujū-ye Falāṭūrī: Az Isfahan tā Hamburg”, in Ḍarūrat-e Tabādul va Kelīd-e Tafāhum-e Farhanghā, Isfahan: University of Isfahan Press, 1998/1377.

Ḥakīmī, Muhammad Reza, “Ānjā ke Khurshīd Mīvazad”, in Zendegī-nāme va Khadamāt-e ‛Elmī va Farhangī-ye Dr. ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Tehran: Anjuman-e Āthār va Mafākher-e Farhangī Press, 2007/1386.

Ḥakīmī, Muhammad Reza, “Resālat-guẕārān-e Gharīb”, in Sepīde Bāvarān (Articles), Qom: Dalīl-e Mā, 2003/1382.

Sharī‛at, Muhammad Javād, “Falāṭūrī; Mardī az Sulāle-ye Ḥekmat”, Waqf: Mīrāth-e Jāvīdān, vol. 5, no. 3 & 4, Fall & Winter 1997/1376.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, Degargūnī-ye Bunyādī-ye Falsafe-ye Yūnān dar Barkhurd bā Shīve-ye Andīshe-ye Islāmī, trans. Muhammad Bāqir Talgharīzāde, Tehran: Muʾassase-ye Pazhūheshī-ye Ḥekmat va Falsafa-ye Iran, 2015/1394.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, Du Andīshe-ye Sharq va Gharb, in Ḍarūrat-e Tabādul va Kelīd-e Tafāhum-e Farhanghā (Collected Articles and Interviews of the Late ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Including His Philosophical Dialogues with the Late ‛Allāme Ṭabāṭabāʾī), Isfahan: University of Isfahan Press, 1998^a/1377.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, “Zendegī-nāme-ye Khudnevesht” [autobiography], in Zendegī-nāme va Khadamāt-e ‛Elmī va Farhangī-ye Dr. ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Tehran: Anjuman-e Āthār va Mafākher-e Farhangī Press, 2007^a/1386.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, “Ḍarūrat-e Tabādul va Kelīd-e Tafāhum-e Farhanghā”, in Ḍarūrat-e Tabādul va Kelīd-e Tafāhum-e Farhanghā (Majmū‛e-ye Maqālāt va Muṣāḥebehā-ye Marḥūm ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī va Mubāḥethāt-e Falsafī-ye Īshān bā Marḥūm ‛Allāme Ṭabāṭabāʾī), Isfahan: University of Isfahan Press, 1998^b/1377.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, Falāṭūrī, vol. 2: Chand Maqāle az Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī Eṣfahānī, ed. and compiled by ‛Abbās Rafī‛ī Pūr, Qom: Dalīl-e Mā, 2004/1383.

Falāṭūrī, ‛Abd al-Javād, Majmū‛e-ye Maqālāt-e Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī: Ensān – Islām – Gharb, compiled by Yūnus Nūrbakhsh, Hamburg: Islamic Academy of Germany & Islamic Center of Hamburg, [n.d.].

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Muhammadī Feshārakī, Muḥsen, Ketāb-shenāsī-ye Shādravān Professor ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Āyīne-ye Pazhūhesh, no. 68, May–July 2004 2004/Khurdād & Tīr 1383.

Nūrī, Muhammad, “Andīshe-hā va Khadamāt-e Professor Falāṭūrī”, in Zendegī-nāme va Khadamāt-e ‛Elmī va Farhangī-ye Dr. ‛Abd al-Javād Falāṭūrī, Tehran: Anjuman-e Āsthār va Mafākher-e Farhangī, 2007^a/1386.

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1. Zur Interpretation der Kantischen Ethik im Lichte der Achtung[↩]
2. Die Umdeutung der griechischen Philosophie durch das islamische Denken[↩]
3. Der Islam im Dialog mit dem Christentum[↩]
4. Die islamischen Glaubensrichtungen aus religionsphilosophischer Sicht[↩]
5. Wie wandlungsfähig ist der Islam?[↩]
6. Muslime unter Christen[↩]

1. Ḥāj Ḥusaynī, p. Seven; Nūrī, 2007^a/1386, pp. 135–136.[↩]
2. Muḥaqqeq, pp. 174–175; Ḥakīmī, 2003/1382, p. 123; idem, 2007/1386, p. 127; Nūrī, 2007^a/1386, pp. 136–137.[↩]
3. Falāṭūrī, 2007/1386, p. 24; Sharī‛at, pp. 238–239; Falāṭūrī, Majmūʿe-ye Maqālāt (n.d.), introduction by    Nūrbakhsh, pp. 4–5.[↩]
4. See Falāṭūrī, vol. 2, final pages.[↩]
5. Ḥājī Ḥusaynī, p. 10; Falāṭūrī, 2007/1386, pp. 24–26.[↩]
6. Falāṭūrī, Majmū‛e-ye Maqālāt, introduction by Nūrbakhsh, p. 5.[↩]
7. Falāṭūrī, 1998^b/1377, pp. 66–67.[↩]
8. Falāṭūrī, 2004/1383, vol. 2, pp. 84–86; 91–92; Falāṭūrī, 1998^a/1377, pp. 79–80.[↩]
9. See Falāṭūrī, 2004/1383, vol. 2, pp. 103–120; Falāṭūrī, 2015/1394, pp. 321–327.[↩]
10. Ḥājī Ḥusaynī, pp. 11–18; see also Falāṭūrī, vol. 2, pp. 39–50; 167–169; 207–214.[↩]
11. See Falāṭūrī, 2004/1383, vol. 2, pp. 23–24, 35; see also Schmidtke, pp. 48–49.[↩]
12. See Ja‛farī, pp. 53–59; Ḥājī Ḥusaynī, pp. 11–18; Falāṭūrī, Majmū‛e-ye Maqālāt, introduction by Nūrbakhsh, pp. 7–9.[↩]
13. No. 83, 2007/1386.[↩]
14. For a list of articles and their publication locations, see Falāṭūrī-nāma, pp. 259–271; Muḥammadī Feshārakī, pp. 110–113; Nūrī, 2007^b/1386, pp. 200–220. [↩]