Comparing and Contrasting Fictional Treatises of Ibn Tufail and Suhrawardi

The term ‘SciArt’ refers to bilateral relations between art and science, including artistically-inclined science, science-minded art, and intertwined SciArt activities. In this definition, different disciplines from metaphysics to physics are reckoned as science, as different types of art- from literature to music are counted as art. The SciArt approach, in the fields of philosophical inquiry, can be accounted for by Farabi’s works. As Farabi holds, rational well-being and rational truths just might be brought to mind of people via imagery and analogy. In Islamic philosophy, two representatives of the field are Ibn Tufail and Suhrawardi. I will compare and contrast the main characters of these two major figures in chronological order. Plus a few more philosophical and mystical issues Ibn Tufail developed in scientific matters like anatomy, autopsy, and vivisection in the non-allegorical style. Contrary to Ibn Tufail, Suhrawardi explains mystical vs. philosophical problems in his fictions, using the allegorical style. He represents the world of spheres and the sublunary realm by a variety of imageries like nine shells, eleven layers of a basin, and eleven mountains. Both Ibn Tufail and Suhrawardi use fictional manner to explain mystical as well as philosophical themes.