ABSTRACT
The Muslim community has long been preoccupied with the commandment to die for the faith, and the promise of paradise for those who do so. Alfarabi provides a more substantial account in the Selected Aphorisms. This chapter includes a list of the various motivations for war, along with a description of the virtuous warrior and what he may expect to gain through death. It also contains an unusual cosmology which turns out to be closely linked to these pressing human questions. The chapter provides a close analysis of the relevant passages in this work. Alfarabi fears that the warriors of his time might succumb to two temptations: first, to conjure up chimerical beings that serve to justify their warlike pursuits, second, to immerse themselves in dreams of sensual delights. Alfarabi’s critique sheds light on certain enduring problems within Islamic civilization.
