DOCSLIB.ORG

269 Problems on the Muslim Understanding of The

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
269 Problems on the Muslim Understanding of The ARAM, 11-12 (1999-2000), 269-279≤INASI GÜNDÜZ 269 PROBLEMS ON THE MUSLIM UNDERSTANDING OF THE MANDAEANS ≤INASI GÜNDÜZ* From the beginning of the Islamic era onwards Muslims have been inter- ested in the Sâbians since the Sâbians as a religious group are mentioned in the Qur'an.1 However, the Qur'an mentions them only by name among the ahl al- kitâb with the Jews and the Christians; it does not give any information about their identity, cults and beliefs. Muslim scholars from the early period to the modern time have therefore been interested in this term and tried to explain the religious identity of the Sâbians of the Qur'an. Extant Islamic sources do not give any information about the existence of the arguments of the Sâbians at the time of Muhammad. We know that the op- ponents of Muhammad who objected to the Qur'anic message asked him many questions about the statements of the Qur'an which were unfamiliar to them. However, they were silent when the Qur'an mentioned the Sâbians with the other religious groups such as the Jews, Christians and Magians. This obviously shows that, mainly because of their trading journeys the Arabs of Hijâz had knowledge of the Sâbians as a religious group. During his time the Prophet Muhammad as well as his followers was also called sâbiî by his opponents.2 Although some of the early Muslim scholars such as ‘Abd al-Rahmân ibn Zayd (d. 798 AD), Ibn Jurayj (d. 767 AD) and ‘Atâ ibn Abî Rabah (d. 732 AD) have seen a specific connection between the term Sâbiî, used for Muhammad and his companions, and the Sabians who lived in the region of Sawâd, it is most probable that the Arabs used this term for Muhammad and his followers in the meaning of ‘apostate' since Mu- hammad left the traditional religion of the Arabs and introduced a new belief system based on strict monotheism.3 After Muhammad, the Muslim commentators of the Qur'an (mufassirûn) tried to explain who the Sabians whom the Qur'an mentioned three times were. They were not particularly interested in the Sabians; and their explana- * Ph. D., Associate Professor, Department of History of Religions, Ondokuz Mayıs Üniver- sitesi Ilahiyat Fakültesi, Samsun, Turkey. 1 al-Baqarah, 62; al-Mâidah, 67; al-Hajj, 17. 2 See for example Ibn Hanbel, Ahmad, musnad, Beirut (n.d.), v. 3, p. 492; v. 4, p. 341, v. 5, pp. 174f; al-Bukhârî, Abû ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismâ'îl, al-jâmi' al-sahîh, Istanbul (1981), v. 1, p. 89; Muslim ibn Hajjâj, sahîh, n.p. (1955), v. 4, pp. 1920f. 3 See Gündüz, ≤., The Knowledge of Life. The Origins and Early History of the Mandaeans and Their Relation to the Sabians of the Qur'ân and to the Harranians, Oxford (1994), pp.18f. 270 PROBLEMS ON THE MUSLIM UNDERSTANDING OF THE MANDAEANS tion on the Sabians was generally only a few sentences. Their main aim was to give an explanation of some statements and terms of the Qur'an which needed to be explained, and the term sâbiûn (or sâbiîn) was one of them. Most of these Muslim scholars who lived in the first two Islamic centuries stated that the Sabians were a religious group who lived in southern Mesopota- mia. According to their statement the Sabians particularly live in Kûthâ, Sawâd and Jazîrah al-Mawsil in Iraq. About the Sabian religion they maintain that the Sabians have a religious system of their own which resembles in many points Christianity, Judaism and Magianism. Some of these early scholars, such as Wahb ibn Munabbih (d. 728-732 AD) and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd, even state that the Sabians worship only one true God.4 We also see from many sources that during the first two Islamic centuries many Muslim scholars believed that the Sabians were among the ahl al-kitâb, while some did not accept this for they believed that the term ahl al-kitâb was a specific term for only the Jews and the Christians.5 Likewise, the Muslim rulers during that time treated the Sabian community in Islamic empire as a religious group belonging to ahl al-dhimma (the subject people), a status given to the non-Muslims, mainly to the Christians and the Jews, who live under Muslim government. Some Muslim rulers even thought to recognise an exclu- sive right to the Sabians because they thought the beliefs of the Sabians were nearer Islam than the other groups among ahl al-dhimma. In these Muslim rul- ers' opinion the most important feature which showed the proximity of the be- liefs of the Sabians to Islam was the Sabian's belief in God. The following narration is quite important for this. According to the information given by Hasan al-Basrî (d. 728), Ziyâd ibn Abîhî (d. 672), the governor of Iraq at the time of the first Umayyad caliph Mu'âwiyah, had met the Sabians and wanted to exempt them from the poll-tax (jizyah), but when he was informed that they worshipped the angels (malâikah) he changed his decision.6 It is quite clear that the Sabians of the Qur'an who were described by these early scholars are the Mandaeans of southern Iraq. We know that the Man- daeans have been living in this area since the second century AD. They mi- grated from Palestine first to the mountainous lands of Media (Adiabene), then to the marshy region of southern Mesopotamia. By the second century AD they were in this new homeland, where they settled under Parthian protection. Also we know that Mandaean beliefs and cults have many similarities to Judaism, Christianity and Iranian religions, and take various elements from these religious traditions. These early Muslim scholars were therefore correct 4 Ibid., pp. 18, 24. 5 Ibid., pp. 28-29. 6 al-Tabarî, Abû Ja'far Muhammad, jâmi' al-bayân ‘an ta'wîl ây al-qur'ân, Cairo (1968), v. 1, p. 319. ≤INASI GÜNDÜZ 271 when they stated that the Sabians have a religious system resembling Christi- anity, Judaism and Magianism. In the early Islamic period (first two centuries) we do not generally see such problems with the identification and place of settlement of the Sabians as we see in later sources. Although there are some differences between these Mus- lim scholars regarding some characteristics of the Sabians, there is a consensus on the identification of the Sabians and the main characteristic features of the Sabian religion. We also see in this early period that Muslim rulers as well as Muslim scholars were generally tolerant of the Sabians, since they saw them as a group among the ahl al-dhimma. Although the Mandaean sources do not generally talk about the Muslims positively,7 an account in Haran Gawaita seems supportive of the idea that the Muslims treated them as ahl al-kitâb when they first met the Mandaeans, so there was no problem with them.8 The Abbasid period was an important milestone for early speculations about the Sabians. These speculations were mainly based on the claim that the Sabians were pagans, adherents of the planet cult of ancient Mesopotamia. From this period onwards most Muslim scholars saw a special connection be- tween the term “Sabians” and the pagans of Harran. Even such important Muslim scholars as al-Mas'ûdî (d. 957), Ibn Hazm al-Qurtûbî (d. 1063), al- Shahristânî (d. 1153) and Abû ‘Abd Allah Muhammad al-Qurtûbî (d. 1282) identified Sabians with the Harranians, whom they called “the Sabians from Harran”.9 Although early Muslim scholars (commentators of the Qur'an and the jurists) mentioned neither the city of Harran nor the Harranians in relation to the Sabians, later Muslim writers especially emphasised Harran as the dwelling place of the Sabians whenever they talked about the Sabians. The characteristic features of the Harranians, such as paganism, polytheism and star and idol worshipping, have therefore been described as the characteristics of the Sabians. This was also contrary to the early scholars, since they never, as stated earlier, mentioned characteristics such as paganism, polytheism and so on when they described the Sabians. Some Muslim scholars of that time, such as Ibn al-Nadîm (d. 995), Abd al- Qâhir al-Baghdâdî (d. 1037), and al-Bîrûnî (d. 1048) maintained that there was another Sabian group, Sabât al-Batâ'ih, living in southern Mesopotamia. They also stressed that Sabât al-Batâ'ih were completely different from the Harra- nians. Some of them even emphasised that the Harranians were not the real 7 For example, in Mandaean literature Muhammad is identified with the demon Bizbat and usually called “the Son of Slaughterer, the Arab”. See Ginza Right (hereafter GR) M. Lidzbarski (tr.), Ginzâ. Der Schatz oder das grosse Buch der Mandaer übersetzt und erklart, Göttingen (1925), pp. 30, 54; Haran Gawaita, E.S. Drower (tr.), The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil Ziwa, Citta del Vaticano (1953), pp. 12-16. 8 See Haran Gawaita, pp. 15f. 9 See Gündüz, op. cit., pp. 31-48. 272 PROBLEMS ON THE MUSLIM UNDERSTANDING OF THE MANDAEANS Sabians, but pseudo-Sabians.10 In spite of this they continued to use the term Sabians as a particular name for the Harranians, and described the characteris- tics of the Harranians as those of the Sabians. Muslim writers, especially the commentators and jurists, have continued to hold this point of view on the Sabians up to now. They have repeated the idea of those Muslim scholars who described Harranians as the Sabians and ac- cused the Sabians of being idolaters and star-worshippers.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Al-Sabiu'n (The Sabians)
    World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (3): 163-167, 2011 ISSN 2225-0883 © IDOSI Publications, 2011 The Al-s~biã’n (The Sabians): An Overview from the Quranic Commentators, Theologians and Jurists Muhammad Azizan Sabjan Department of Philosophy and Civilization, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia Abstract: The term ‘al-S~biã’n,’ as literally employed in the Qur’~nic commentaries, denotes “peoples who shift from one religion to another” or “peoples who take on a new religion other than their own.” This term is the plural of s~b§’ and it derives from the root sab~, which signifies “turn to” or “lean towards to.” The term al-S~biã’n as applied in the Qur’~n indicates various technical meanings since almost all commentators of the Qur’~n and the earliest scholars have left the identification of al-S~biã’n vague. Such a vague identification is plausible since al-S~biã’n is represented by a conglomerate of various views comprising remnants of sects who were oriented to cultic practices, ancient heathen sects of several nationalities, namely Greeks, Persians and Indians and sects who were Neo-Platonic in their origin and character. This paper thus has a distinct purpose. It attemps to exhibit the features of the Sabians as perceived and conceived by the Quranic Commentators, Theologians and Jurists. It is hoped that the paper will provide a preliminary yet clear understanding of the Sabians as interpreted by them. Key words: Sabians % Quranic Commentators % Theologians % Jurists % People of a Dubious Book INTRODUCTION The term al-S~biã’n as applied in the Qur’~n indicates various technical meanings since almost all Al-S~biã’n (the Sabians) is illustrated in three commentators of the Qur’~n and the earliest scholars have Qur’~nic passages.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mandaeans
    The Mandaeans A Story of Survival in the Modern World PHOTO: DAVID MAURICE SMITH / OCULI refugees and spoken to immigration officials in Aus- The Mandaeans appear to be one of the most tralian embassies and international NGOs about their misunderstood and vulnerable groups. Apart from being desperate plight. She laments that the conditions in a small community, even fewer than Yazidis, they do which they live are far worse than she could have ever not belong to a large religious organisation or have imagined, and she fears they may have been forgotten links with powerful tribes that can protect them, so by the international community overwhelmed by the their vulnerability makes them an easy target. To make massive displacement and the humanitarian disaster matters worse they are scattered all over the country, caused by the Syrian civil war. so they are the only minority group in Iraq without a There is no doubt that more of a decade of sectarian safe enclave. If the violence persists, it is feared their infighting has had a devastating impact on Iraqi society ancient culture and religion will be lost forever. as a whole. But religious minority groups have borne the brunt of the violence. For the past 14 years Mand- andaeans have a long history of per- aeans, like many other minorities, have been subjected secution. Their survival into the modern to persecution, murder, kidnappings, displacement, world is little short of a miracle. Their forced conversion to Islam, forced marriage, cruel M origins can be traced to the Jordan treatment, confiscation of assets including property and Valley area and it is thought that they may have migrated the destruction of their cultural and religious heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabians 1 Sabians
    Sabians 1 Sabians For the Canadian cymbal manufacturing company, see Sabian (company). For the ancient people living in what is now Yemen, see Sabaeans. For the followers of Sabbatai Zevi, see Sabbateans. For the pre-Roman Italic tribe of Latium, see Sabine. Part of a series on Mandaeism Mandaean saints • Adam • Abel • Seth • Enosh • Noah • Shem • Aram • John the Baptist Related religious groups • Sabians • Sabians of Harran • Manichaeans • Sampsaeans • Syncretists (Jewish) Practices • Baptism • Esotericism Scriptures • Genzā Rabbā • Qolastā • Drāšā D-Yaḥyā • Dīvān • Asfar Malwāshē Gnosticism portal • v • t [1] • e of Middle Eastern tradition are a variety of monotheistic: Gnostic (Mandeans), Hermetic (ﺻﺎﺑﺌﺔ :The Sabians (Arabic (Harranian) as well as Abrahamic religions mentioned three times in the Quran with the people of the Book, "the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians".[2] In the hadith, they are described merely as converts to Islam,[3] but interest in the identity and history of the group increased over time, and discussions and investigations about the Sabians begin to appear in later Islamic literature. Sabians 2 In the Quran The Qur'an mentions briefly the Sabians in three places and the Hadith provide additional details as to who they were: • "Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans – whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. "[Quran 2:62 [4]] • "Lo! those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians – Whosoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
    [Show full text]
  • Adam and Seth in Arabic Medieval Literature: The
    ARAM, 22 (2010) 509-547. doi: 10.2143/ARAM.22.0.2131052 ADAM AND SETH IN ARABIC MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: THE MANDAEAN CONNECTIONS IN AL-MUBASHSHIR IBN FATIK’S CHOICEST MAXIMS (11TH C.) AND SHAMS AL-DIN AL-SHAHRAZURI AL-ISHRAQI’S HISTORY OF THE PHILOSOPHERS (13TH C.)1 Dr. EMILY COTTRELL (Leiden University) Abstract In the middle of the thirteenth century, Shams al-Din al-Shahrazuri al-Ishraqi (d. between 1287 and 1304) wrote an Arabic history of philosophy entitled Nuzhat al-Arwah wa Raw∂at al-AfraÌ. Using some older materials (mainly Ibn Nadim; the ∑iwan al-Ìikma, and al-Mubashshir ibn Fatik), he considers the ‘Modern philosophers’ (ninth-thirteenth c.) to be the heirs of the Ancients, and collects for his demonstration the stories of the ancient sages and scientists, from Adam to Proclus as well as the biographical and bibliographical details of some ninety modern philosophers. Two interesting chapters on Adam and Seth have not been studied until this day, though they give some rare – if cursory – historical information on the Mandaeans, as was available to al-Shahrazuri al-Ishraqi in the thirteenth century. We will discuss the peculiar historiography adopted by Shahrazuri, and show the complexity of a source he used, namely al-Mubashshir ibn Fatik’s chapter on Seth, which betray genuine Mandaean elements. The Near and Middle East were the cradle of a number of legends in which Adam and Seth figure. They are presented as forefathers, prophets, spiritual beings or hypostases emanating from higher beings or created by their will. In this world of multi-millenary literacy, the transmission of texts often defied any geographical boundaries.
    [Show full text]
  • The Yazidis Perceptions of Reconciliation and Conflict
    The Yazidis Perceptions of Reconciliation and Conflict Dave van Zoonen Khogir Wirya About MERI The Middle East Research Institute engages in policy issues contributing to the process of state building and democratisation in the Middle East. Through independent analysis and policy debates, our research aims to promote and develop good governance, human rights, rule of law and social and economic prosperity in the region. It was established in 2014 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Middle East Research Institute 1186 Dream City Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq T: +964 (0)662649690 E: [email protected] www.meri-k.org NGO registration number. K843 © Middle East Research Institute, 2017 The opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of MERI, the copyright holder. Please direct all enquiries to the publisher. The Yazidis Perceptions of Reconciliation and Conflict MERI Policy Paper Dave van Zoonen Khogir Wirya October 2017 1 Contents 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................4 2. “Reconciliation” after genocide .........................................................................................................5
    [Show full text]
  • The Identity of the Sabi'un
    THE IDENTITY OF THE SABI’UN: AN HISTORICAL QUEST One of the mysterious and unsolved Qur’anic problems surrounds the identity of the Sabians, al-sribi’zin.As Jane McAuliffe has shown in her study published in an earlier volume of this journal,’ Muslim exegetes reflect uncertainty on this point from the very start. Over time the term so diversified in meaning that it became even more difficult to determine to whom it referred. Yet one would assume that in the Qur%n uZ-.@bi’rln denotes a specific historical community. Placed alongside Jews, Christians, and “the Believers” (Muslims)-in S. 2:62, one is tempted to regard the Sabians as a fourth monotheistic community. This association is all the more inviting when once again, in S. 569, the same four religions are distinguished following an address to the “possessors of scripture” several verses earlier. This sense of parallelism would appear in S. 22:17 to extend to the Mujk-who are called into question by the obtrusion into the context of “those who associate” (gods with God). Whatever the solution, these groups constitute a significant internal witness to the religious demography, so to speak, within the Qur’anic universe. To make sense of the demographic puzzle in which the Sabians figure as the least familiar piece, a fresh methodological “angle” is suggested by the inconclusive data obtained from the study of Muslim commentators. Their indecisive witness is itself a problem which may need to be explained in other ways than simply as resulting from educated speculation. Complementary to McAuliffe’s illustrative exegetical survey, the present study employs, therefore, an historical methodology which enables us to place history alongside tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • Sidirountios3
    ZEALOT EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND THE EMERGENCE OF ANTI‑ HELLENISM GEORGE SIDIROUNTIOS A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of London (Royal Holloway and Bedford New College) March 2016 1 Candidate’s declaration: I confirm that this PhD thesis is entirely my own work. All sources and quotations have been acknowledged. The main works consulted are listed in the bibliography. Candidate’s signature: 2 To the little Serene, Amaltheia and Attalos 3 CONTENTS Absract p. 5 Acknowledgements p. 6 List of Abbreviations p. 7 Conventions and Limitations p. 25 INTRODUCTION p. 26 1. THE MAIN SOURCES 1.1: Lost sources p. 70 1.2: A Selection of Christian Sources p. 70 1.3: Who wrote which work and when? p. 71 1.4: The Septuagint that contains the Maccabees p. 75 1.5: I and II Maccabees p. 79 1.6: III and IV Maccabees p. 84 1.7: Josephus p. 86 1.8: The first three Gospels (Holy Synopsis) p. 98 1.9: John p. 115 1.10: Acts p. 120 1.11: ʺPaulineʺ Epistles p. 123 1.12: Remarks on Paulʹs historical identity p. 126 2. ISRAELITE NAZOREAN OR ESSENE CHRISTIANS? 2.1: Israelites ‑ Moses p. 136 2.2: Israelite Nazoreans or Christians? p. 140 2.3: Essenes or Christians? p. 148 2.4: Holy Warriors? p. 168 3. ʺBCE CHRISTIANITYʺ AND THE EMERGENCE OF ANTI‑HELLENISM p. 173 3.1: A first approach of the Septuagint and ʺJosephusʺ to the Greeks p. 175 3.2: Anti‑Hellenism in the Septuagint p. 183 3.3: The Maccabees and ʺJosephusʺ from Mattathias to Simon p.
    [Show full text]
  • Religions and Cultures of the Middle East
    Religions and Cultures of the Middle East J. N. Hooker Osher Course March 2013 A Word About Religion • We often think of religion as: – Divisive, cause of conflict – Irrational – Prone to fanaticism – Apart from the rest of life • Sacred vs. secular A Word About Religion • Religion = re-connect – Puts life back together. A Word About Religion • Religion = re-connect – Puts life back together. • How? – Makes sense of things. – Finds meaning in life. – Brings us together. A Word About Religion • Religion is inseparable from the larger culture. – Deals with life as a whole. – Gets us through the day. Middle Eastern Religions • Zoroastrianism • Judaism • Christianity • Islam Middle Eastern Religions • Zoroastrianism • Judaism Abrahamic • Christianity religions • Islam Middle Eastern Religions • Zoroastrianism • Judaism Focus on these • Christianity • Islam – Sunni, Shia, Sufi – Everyday life – Recent events Zoroaster • Zarathustra (Persian) • One of the world’s most influential figures. – Lived about 1200 bce in Persia. Zoroaster • Key ideas: – Cosmic battle between good and evil. • We must take sides. – Reward and punishment in the afterlife. – Concept of history. Zoroaster • Good vs. evil. – Good: Ahura Mazda. • The stronger god, object of worship. – Evil: Ahriman. • Solves theodicy problem (existence of evil). Relief of Ahura Mazda at Persepolis Zoroaster • Another Mazda... The Origin and Meaning of “Mazda” The company’s name, “Mazda,” derives from Ahura Mazda, a god of the earliest civilizations in western Asia. We have interpreted Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony, as a symbol of the origin of both Eastern and Western civilizations, and also as a symbol of automotive culture. It incorporates a desire to achieve world peace and the development of the automobile manufacturing industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Treatment of the Sabean-Mandean Minority in Iraq
    COI QUERY Country of Origin Iraq Main subject Treatment of the Sabean-Mandean minority in Iraq Question(s) 1. General information 2. Rights (relevant legislation on identity documents, school enrolment, healthcare, education, residence, other rights) 3. Access and barriers to registering vital civil status events 4. Access to (re-obtaining lost) ID documents 5. Access to services: health, education, residence and other 6. Enrolment of children in school Date of completion 7 October 2020 Query Code Q 26 Contributing EU+ COI units This query response was sent to the EASO COI Specialist Network (if applicable) on Iraq1 for contributions on the treatment of members of the Sabean-Mandean community in Iraq. No information was contributed by EU+ countries, but feedback was received from the Swedish Migration Agency’s (SMA) Country of Origin expert institution (Lifos) and The Netherlands, Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (OCILA). Disclaimer This response to a COI query has been elaborated according to the EASO COI Report Methodology and EASO Writing and Referencing Guide. The information provided in this response has been researched, evaluated and processed with utmost care within a limited time frame. All sources used are referenced. A quality review has been performed in line with the above mentioned methodology. This document does not claim to be exhaustive neither conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to international protection. If a certain event, person or organisation is not mentioned in the report, this does not mean that the event has not taken place or that the person or organisation does not exist.
    [Show full text]
  • Submission on Behalf of the Mandaean Human Rights Group to the Human Rights Committee’S Periodic Review of Iraq in October 2015 Background 1
    Mandaean Human Rights Group The Mandaean Associations Union 19 Ketch Rd. Morristown, NJ 07960 ,USA http://www.mandaeanunion.com/mhrg Dr Salam Farhan, Director Dr Layla al Roomi Dr Suhaib Nashi [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] tel.: +44 7455 375747 tel.: +1 973 865 1340 Submission on behalf of the Mandaean Human Rights Group to the Human Rights Committee’s Periodic Review of Iraq in October 2015 Background 1. The Mandaean Human Rights Group (MHRG) represents the Sabian Mandaean community, an ethno-religious, linguistic minority and an indigenous people from Iraq and Iran, numbering approximately 60–70 thousand individuals with our own independent 2,000-year- old religion and our own language, a dialect of Aramaic. The Mandaean homeland is primarily in Iraq with a population of 50,000 in 2003,1 and a smaller community of 5,000 in Iran. 2. The situation for the Mandaean people is extremely grave at this time with a very real threat that Mandaean cultural heritage and identity will be entirely eliminated within a generation. 3. The threat to the Mandaean people originates in extreme persecution within Iraq. However, the responsibility for protecting the Mandaean culture is now a matter for States around the world, and the international community as a whole, particularly as manifested in the UNHCR. 4. The biggest conceptual legal challenge is to assert the rights of the Mandaeans as an indigenous people in the international arena. These rights must be vindicated by all States with a Mandaean population and by UN agencies. The alternative is to allow the intentions of certain elements within Iraq who wish to eliminate the Mandaean people to be realised, enabled by the inaction of the international community.
    [Show full text]
  • Continuity of Pagan Religious Traditions in Tenth-Century Iraq” JAAKKO HÄMEEN-ANTTILA
    THE MELAMMU PROJECT http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ “Continuity of Pagan Religious Traditions in Tenth-Century Iraq” JAAKKO HÄMEEN-ANTTILA Published in Melammu Symposia 3: A. Panaino and G. Pettinato (eds.), Ideologies as Intercultural Phenomena. Proceedings of the Third Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project. Held in Chicago, USA, October 27-31, 2000 (Milan: Università di Bologna & IsIao 2002), pp. 89-108. Publisher: http://www.mimesisedizioni.it/ This article was downloaded from the website of the Melammu Project: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ The Melammu Project investigates the continuity, transformation and diffusion of Mesopotamian culture throughout the ancient world. A central objective of the project is to create an electronic database collecting the relevant textual, art-historical, archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic evidence, which is available on the website, alongside bibliographies of relevant themes. In addition, the project organizes symposia focusing on different aspects of cultural continuity and evolution in the ancient world. The Digital Library available at the website of the Melammu Project contains articles from the Melammu Symposia volumes, as well as related essays. All downloads at this website are freely available for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. For inquiries, please contact [email protected]. HÄMEEN -A NTTILA C ONTINUITY OF PAGAN RELIGIOUS TRADITION IN IRAQ JAAKKO HÄMEEN -A NTTILA Helsinki Continuity of Pagan Religious Traditions in Tenth-Century Iraq Perhaps nine tenths of sciences belong to the Nabateans and one tenth to all other nations together 1 t has long been known that Θ!""&$ conquerors never settled down en masse .
    [Show full text]
  • The Perfection of the Soul in Fakhr Al-Dīn Al-Rāzī's Al-Sirr
    THE PERFECTION OF THE SOUL IN FAKHR AL-DĪN AL-RĀZĪ‘S AL-SIRR AL-MAKTŪM MICHAEL-SEBASTIAN NOBLE A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Combined Historical Studies The Warburg Institute University of London 2017 1 I declare that the work presented in this dissertation is my own. Signed: _________________________________ Date: _____________________ 2 Abstract Al-Sirr al-Maktūm is one of the most compelling theoretical and practical accounts of astral magic written in the post-classical period of Islamic thought. Of central concern to its reader is to understand why the great philosopher- theologian, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d.606/1210) should have written it. The occult practices described therein are attributed to the Sabians, a historical group who lived in Ḥarrān in Upper Mesopotamia. Representing the last vestiges of Ancient Mesopotamian paganism during the early Islamic period, their religion involved the veneration of the seven planets, which they believed were ensouled celestial beings and the proximate causes of all sublunary change. By means of such astrolatry they were able, remotely, to change reality in ways which defied the customary pattern of causation in this world. The main focus of al-Rāzī‘s treatment of their practice is a long ritual during which the aspirant successively brings under his will each of the seven planets. On completion of the ritual, the aspirant would have transcended the limitations of his human existence and his soul would have attained complete perfection. This thesis will argue that for al-Rāzī, the Sabians constituted a heresiological category, representative of a soteriological system which dispensed with the need for the Islamic institution of prophethood.
    [Show full text]