Brethren of Purity

Did You Know?

• The Brethren met on three evenings each month, with the third meeting involving hymns of philosophical content.
• They held three feasts on the dates of the sun's entry into the Zodiac signs Ram, Cancer, and Balance.
• Their meetings included liturgy reminiscent of the Sabians of Harran.

Name

The Arabic phrase Ikhwān aṣ-Ṣafāʾ is short for a longer expression meaning "Brethren of Purity, Loyal Friends, People worthy of praise and Sons of Glory." It can be translated as either "Brethren of Purity" or "Brethren of Sincerity"; some scholars prefer "of Purity" due to the group's ascetic impulses toward purity and salvation. A suggestion by Ignác Goldziher, later written about by Philip Khuri Hitti, traces the name to a story in Kalilah waDimnah. In that tale, a group of animals—a Barbary dove, a rat, a crow, a tortoise, and a gazelle—act as faithful friends to escape a hunter's snares. The animals are designated as the "Ikhwān aṣ-Ṣafāʾ" after the tortoise is freed through mutual aid. The Brethren themselves mention this story as an exemplum of mutual aid in one of their epistles, a crucial part of their ethical system.

Ranks

The Brethren loosely divided themselves into four ranks by age, though the age guidelines were not firm. The first rank, the "Craftsmen," required a minimum age of 15 and carried the honorific "pious and compassionate." The second rank, the "Political Leaders," required age 30 and the honorific "good and excellent." The third rank, the "Kings," required age 40 and the honorific "excellent and noble." The highest rank, the "Prophets and Philosophers," required age 50 and was called the "angelic rank"; its honorific compared members to historical figures such as Jesus, Socrates, or Muhammad, who were also classified as Kings.

Identities

The identities of the Brethren of Purity have been the subject of many theories, and it is not easy to determine exactly who or how many were part of this group. Members referred to themselves as "sleepers in the cave," a hidden intellectual presence, and gave as their reason for hiding their secrets a desire to protect their God-given gifts from the world. Many scholars hold them to be free-thinkers who transcended sectarian divisions, categorizing them as non-sectarian Muslims.

Their literature is generally accepted as belonging to a Shi'ite legacy with strong connections to the Isma'ili tradition, yet they were also inspired by Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle. Other theories propose a Sunni origin, noting that the Encyclopedia contains hadith narrated by Aisha and references to the Rashidun Caliphate, and includes a passage denouncing the Rafidhi. One passage states that if an ideal Imam dies, the community can still be governed by consensus, a Sunni concept that rejects the Shia doctrine of the Imamate.

The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity

The Rasā’il Ikhwān aṣ-Ṣafāʾ consist of fifty-two treatises divided into four parts. The first part, on mathematics, groups fourteen epistles covering arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, geography, music, and elementary logic. The second part, on natural sciences, gathers seventeen epistles on matter and form, generation and corruption, metallurgy, meteorology, the essence of nature, and classes of plants and animals. The third part, on psychology, comprises ten epistles on the nature of the intellect, temporal cycles, love, resurrection, and causes and effects. The fourth part deals with theology in eleven epistles, investigating religious sects, the virtue of companionship, genuine belief, Divine Law, politics, and magic.