Ismail al-Faruqi

**Isma'il Raji al Faruqi** (إسماعيل راجي الفاروقي; Ismāʿīl Rājī al-Fārūqī; January 1, 1921 – May 27, 1986) na Palestinian-American Muslim philosopher and scholar wey really sabi Islamic studies and how to yarn well with people from other religions. E no just sabi book — e deep for brain matter. Al-Faruqi spend serious years for Al-Azhar University for Cairo before e carry im knowledge waka go North America. For places like McGill University for Canada, e teach correct. Later, for Temple University, e no just be professor — na him start and lead di Islamic Studies program with sense and purpose. On top all that, na one of di people wey build di International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) from ground up.

When e reach book and paper, di man no slack at all. E write over 100 academic articles and more than 25 books. Some of di most popular ones na Christian Ethics: A Historical and Systematic Analysis of Its Dominant Ideas (1967) and Al-Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life (1982). For all these, al-Faruqi break down serious Islamic philosophy, ethics, di meaning of Tawhid (oneness of God), and how different religions fit reason together without wahala. Di kain contribution wey e drop for religion and scholarship na something people still dey respect till today. E no just teach — e shape how people dey think.

## Biography
### Early life and education
Al-Faruqi na Jaffa, for inside British-mandate Palestine dem born am. E papa, 'Abd al-Huda al-Faruqi, na Islamic judge (*qadi*) — na big person for Shari'ah mata. Al-Faruqi start to learn Islam from small pikin level, both for house and for mosque wey dey close by. Na e papa really shape how e take sabi Islam and build di moral foundation wey guide am later for life.

For 1936, e begin go French Dominican school wey dem dey call Collège des Frères de Jaffa. Later, al-Faruqi move go Beirut, Lebanon, to continue im education for American University of Beirut (AUB). For AUB, al-Faruqi jam Arab nationalist movements and Christian Arab nationalists like Constantin Zureiq, Nabih Amin Faris, and Nicola Ziadeh — na dem make am begin like Arabism well well. That time too, AUB dey force students to attend Christian missionary lectures and courses wey dey push Western modern ideas. All these experiences help al-Faruqi begin form im own beliefs and worldview.

For 1942, dem give al-Faruqi appointment as registrar for cooperative societies under di British Mandate government for Jerusalem. By 1945, e don rise to become district governor for Galilee. Afta di 1948 Arab-Israeli war, al-Faruqi waka go Indiana University to collect im M.A. for philosophy. Im thesis that time na *The Ethics of Reason and the Ethics of Life (Kantian and Nietzschean Ethics)*, wey e submit for 1949. E no stop there — e go still do another M.A. for philosophy for Harvard University for 1951, then return Indiana University to complete im Ph.D. with thesis titled *On Justifying the Good* for 1952. Na during dis time e meet and marry Lois Lamya al-Faruqi.

For im master’s thesis, al-Faruqi chook eye into di ethics of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. Dis early philosophical work na wetin lay di groundwork for di kind sharp critiques wey e later give Western ethical systems, and how e begin shape Islamic ethical thinking. When e do im doctoral thesis, al-Faruqi yarn say values no be anyhow — dem get their own existence and person fit sabi dem a priori through emotional intuition. Im theory rest on Max Scheler own style of phenomenology and Nicolai Hartmann ethics work. Na from all this deep study, al-Faruqi come realise say if no dey transcendental foundation, everything go turn moral relativism — and na that wake am begin return to im Islamic roots.

Within six years after al-Faruqi land for United States, e don realise say to really understand Islam proper, e need to go deeper. Na wetin push am go Egypt, to study for Al-Azhar University from 1954 reach 1958. By di time wey e comot from US go Egypt, al-Faruqi don begin ask new questions about moral responsibility, and e dey try find how e go balance im academic waka with im Islamic identity.

### Academic career
For 1958, dem offer al-Faruqi visiting fellowship for McGill University Faculty of Divinity. Na through invitation from di founder, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, e join di Institute of Islamic Studies, and e teach together with Smith from 1958 go reach 1961. For this period, al-Faruqi study Christian theology and Judaism, and na so e meet Pakistani philosopher Fazlur Rahman. Rahman later talk say di way al-Faruqi immerse himself inside these traditions under Smith mentorship help sharpen im eye for comparative religion and interfaith dialogue.

By 1961, na Fazlur Rahman still help arrange two-year teaching post for al-Faruqi for di Central Institute of Islamic Research for Karachi, Pakistan. Al-Faruqi serve as visiting professor there till 1963. Rahman later talk say dis experience open al-Faruqi eye to di cultural variety wey dey inside Islam itself, and na dat experience shape many of im ideas later on about comparative religion and meta-religion.

By 1964, al-Faruqi return back to United States. That time, e hold two roles — one as visiting professor for University of Chicago Divinity School, and another as associate professor for Syracuse University.

Then for 1968, al-Faruqi join Temple University as professor of religion. Na there e start di Islamic Studies Program, and e hold that position till e die for 1986. While e dey Temple University, al-Faruqi mentor plenty students — and among dem na im first doctoral student, John Esposito.

### Death and burial

For May 1986, dem kill Ismail al-Faruqi and im wife, Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, for their house wey dey Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Di person wey do am na Joseph Louis Young, wey people also sabi as Yusuf Ali. Young bin get past connection with di local Muslim community, and e later confess say na him commit di murder. Court sentence am to death, but e later die for prison from natural causes for 1996. Their daughter, Anmar el-Zein, wey dey pregnant that time, survive after she collect multiple stab wounds, and dem rush give her serious medical treatment.

Almost 4,000 people, including big international dignitaries, gather for Masjid Muhammad mosque for West Philadelphia to honor al-Faruqi and im wife. For di service, many people talk fine things about al-Faruqi — dem remember am as person wey carry weight and really matter for di community. After di prayer service, dem bury al-Faruqi and im wife together for Forest Hills Cemetery for Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania.

Di killing of al-Faruqi and im wife spark plenty talk about wetin really cause di attack. Some people believe say e fit be politically motivated assassination, while others think say na just ordinary burglary wey no go as plan.

For one conference wey happen for International Islamic University Malaysia for 2008, Anis Ahmad yarn say al-Faruqi don tell am before say im papa get two special prayers: make al-Faruqi become big scholar, and make e die as *[[shahid]]* (martyr). Dem talk say al-Faruqi later begin ask, “I don turn scholar now, but how I go take die as shahid for US?” Malik Badri come talk say, “Allah Ta'ala answer di two prayers.”

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