His prodigious knowledge of astronomy, medicine, Aristotelian philosophy, Qur' anic studies, and the civil law of his time based on the Qur'an, made Averroes a favorite of the sultan's court. He was appointed Grand Qadi, the highest judicial position in the medieval Spanish city of Cordoba. Yet in the midst of his success Averroes faced a struggle that is not unknown to thinkers today: how to reconcile philosophical reason with faith, specifically his Muslim faith and the tenets of the Qur'an.
In 1195, following conflicts with orthodox Muslim clergy, who possessed political influence and power, Averroes fell into disfavor with the leaders of the Islamic state. His writings were burned and he was forced into exile. Eventually he regained his po