Tahafut

Tahafut commonly refers to a classical Islamic philosophical work known as Tahafut al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), written by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali in the late 11th century. The book is a polemical critique of certain positions held by prominent Islamic philosophers, especially al-Farabi and Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and to a lesser extent Ibn Bajjah (Avempace). Ghazali sought to defend Islamic orthodoxy by challenging the metaphysical and cosmological conclusions attributed to these philosophers.

The core aim of Tahafut al-Falasifa is to expose contradictions Ghazali argues arise when philosophical rationalism is claimed to alone secure truth about God, creation, and the nature of existence. It scrutinizes issues such as the eternity of the world, the nature of divine knowledge, causation, and the possibility of knowledge beyond revelation. Ghazali asserts that certain philosophical propositions cannot be reconciled with Qur’anic teachings or prophetic revelation, and he advocates for a more constrained use of reason within an Ash'arite theological framework.

The work had a profound impact on Islamic thought, stimulating extensive debate. It prompted a famous medieval response by Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Tahāfut al-Tahāfut (The Incoherence of the Incoherence), written in the 12th century, which defended philosophy against Ghazali’s objections. The Scholastic and theological traditions in the Islamic world subsequently engaged with Ghazali’s criticisms in various ways, shaping the later balance between philosophy and theology in both Sunni and Shia contexts.

In modern usage, Tahafut is also used more generally to denote a discourse that exposes incoherence or inconsistency in a given argument or system.