Athir al-Din al-Mufaddal ibn 'Umar al-Abhari al-Samarqand (d.663/1265) is one of those philosophers who lived during a time when Islamic Aristotelianism was still at its height despite al-Ghazzali's severe criticism. His well known book the Hidayat al-Hikmah is indeed A Guide to Philosophy in the true sense; but in this case Aristotelianism as understood and interpreted by the philosophers in the Muslim lands is what is meant by philosophy. In order to appreciate Abhari's contribution to the development and dissemination of Aristotelianism in the Muslim world, a study of the Hidayat al-Hikmah is very significant. Therefore this study is timely and will fill a gap in the history of Islamic philosophy. Abhari's work, the Hidayat al-Hikmah is a summary of the Islamic Aristotelian system, and as such, its aim is not to defend Ibn Sina against Ghazzali's critique; rather, it is intended to be a textbook. For this reason, the first part of the book in particular was a standard textbook in the traditional madrasah education system throughout the Muslim world. The present study is not a mere translation; it offers a rich source material both on Abhari and his works, but particularly on the Hidayat al-Hikmah .
A Guide to Philosophy: The Hidayat al-Hikmah of Athir al-Din al-Mufaddal ibn 'Umar al-Abhari al-Samarqandi is the first study in this area and is the first translation into English. It will reveal later philosophical thought in Islam especially following Ghazzali's critique of Aristotelian philosophy, thus enabling scholars to appreciate later developments.
