An Evaluation of the Jewish Philosopher Ibn Kammūna's Understanding of Prophethood

In this article, the 13th century philosopher Ibn Kammūna’s understanding of prophethood, objectivity of his understanding and its scientific value will be examined. It is observed that he discusses prophethood more from a theologian’s point of view, than of a philosopher’s point of view. Alongside his courteous language about Muhammad, he does not abstain from severe criticism of Islam’s understanding of prophethood. It draws attention that he makes references to Islamic writers of the period, especially Fakhr al-dīn al-Rāzī. In his theological work Tankīhu'l-abhāth li al-milal al-thalās, Ibn Kammūna studies firstly the Jewish, then the Christian and Islamic perspectives on prophethood. In this study, an evaluation will be made on Ibn Kammūna's analyses and comments. In this regard, this work will be of evaluating his understanding of prophethood, rather than a biography