Islamic Thought in the Mirror of Philosophy: Problems and Potentials of Method for Heidegger Reception

Intellectual fascination with Martin Heidegger’s philosophy in the Islamicate world began with his introduction to its intellectuals in the 20th century. Since that time, notable intellectuals have drawn upon Heidegger’s philosophy to revise or reinforce the established values and beliefs of their time. Heidegger’s relationship to the Islamicate world has now been brought to the attention of the academic community as an area of study deserving of consideration (Moser et al. 2019). Whilst the area of study presents the reception of Heidegger in relation to the broader cultural milieu of Arab, Iranian, and Turkish intellectuals, the present article discusses the relationship of Heidegger’s philosophy and Islamic thought more specifically. The article builds on this previous collected work to first offer a meta-perspective of the terrain and then turns its attention to specific examples for analysis. Ultimately, the article addresses the question of how Heidegger is employed as a methodological tool for reading the Islamic philosophical tradition. The argument is made that comparative analyses, whilst they may be inevitable, are nevertheless problematic. Considering Heidegger’s philosophy for a critical study of Islamic intellectual tradition, greater care should be given to Heidegger’s own reflective approach.