Isma'il Al Faruqi's Theory of Value: A Plea for Islamic Humanism

In his early writings Ismail al Faruqi realized the importance of the concept of humanism in any ethical discourse. Most importantly, perhaps, he noted that an ethical theory that did not adhere to the universality of ethics would obviously lead to relativism in ethical values. Thus, for al Faruqi, Islamic humanism should emphasize the supposition that values are relational to human beings rather than relative. In this regard, al Faruqi made a distinction between the realization of a value in a human act and its ideal being. It becomes apparent that an exposition of al Faruqi's theory of value necessitates a close examination of his concept of Islamic humanism, how it developed, and what elements were retained throughout the different phases of his intellectual life. Therefore, the main focus of this paper will be on his understanding of humanism and its relationship to the ethical discourse.