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Practice these MCQs in the appQuick fact: Ikhwan al-Safa was a secret organization of Muslim philosophers and scholars in the 10th century.
Ikhwan al-Safa, meaning "Brethren of Purity," was a secret society of Muslim philosophers based in Basra and Baghdad during the Abbasid era (10th century CE). They operated covertly because their philosophical and scientific ideas often challenged orthodox religious views of the time. They are best known for compiling the famous encyclopedia "Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa" (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity), consisting of 52 epistles covering mathematics, natural sciences, psychology, and theology.
The Ikhwan al-Safa were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy, particularly Neoplatonism and Pythagorean thought, and sought to harmonize philosophy with Islamic teachings. Their identity remained largely anonymous, though scholars have linked them to Ismaili thought. Their encyclopedic work, the Rasa'il, had a profound influence on later Islamic and even European medieval scholarship, and was widely circulated across the Muslim world.
