Roots of Tolerance in the Social and Moral Thoughts of Ikhwan-al Safa

Tolerance is considered a salient characteristic feature of the thoughts and teachings of Ikhwan-al Safa va Khellan-al Vafa (Brethren of Purity), a group of Islamic scholars and mystics who lived around a thousand years ago during the flourishing years of Islamic civilization. Ikhwan’s tolerance has been studied by various researchers but the roots of this attitude and Ikhvan's open teaching of toleration towards other beliefs and practices, which appeared several centuries before the western counterparts, have been more or less neglected. This study seeks to delve into the roots and sources of this prominent feature of Ikhwan’s thoughts. After explaining the main tenets of this lesser–known school of thought, we make an attempt to find out the main sources and underlying currents of thought that led to Ikhwan’s amazing ideas about. The method used in this research is descriptive and textual interpretation.