The Political Thought of Al-Jahiz with Special Reference to the Question of Khilafa (Imamate): a Chronological Approach
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THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF AL-JAHIZ WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE QUESTION OF KHILAFA (IMAMATE): A CHRONOLOGICAL APPROACH (VOLUME II) JAMAL F. EL-'ATTAR THESIS PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH 1996 -0. Wa NYý, w t --h CHAPTER EIGHT al-Wäthiq's Period I: (227-229) 1.Kitäb Fadl Hashim °alä `Abd Shams. 1-Note on Nomenclature : al-Jähiz in his famous preface to Kitdb al-Hayawän868refers to Kitäb Fadl Häshim as "Kitab Farq mä bayn Häshim wa `Abd Shams". The difference in nomenclature does not alter its authenticity, and seemsto have been acceptedby the leading experts on al-Jähiz869 al-Häjiri in his analysis of this work suggests that it belongs in the same religio-political setting as al-Näbita. 870 He adds that he is not sure of the relation between this work and a similar one quoted by Yäqüt in his bibliography of Jähiz's writings. This work - according to the authority of Yäqüt - is named "Kitäb al Fakhr mä bayn `Abd Shams wa Makhzüm", and since it has not reached us, there is no point of making any further comment on it. 871 As regards the relation between Kitäb Fadl Häshim and the series of works known as al-Häshimiyyät, mentioned by Jähiz himself in his preface to Kitäb al- Hayawän, as distinct from Kitäb Fadl Häshim, one may say here that there is obviously a common Hdshimite theme that runs through these writings, in the constant attempt of al-Jähiz to raise the two wings of the Häshimite stock against their Umayyad opponents, and in his no less eager efforts to undermine and marginalize the Umayyads by pointing out that as regards their relation to Quraysh, which then provided the socio-genetic pool for all political leaders - it was a very poor relation and not as central as that enjoyed by the Tälibites and `Abbäsids. 868 al-Jäliiz, Kitäb al-Hayawän, ed. Härim, vol 1: 6-7 869 See Tahä al-Häjiri, al-Jähiz. Hayätuhü wa Athäruhu pp. 288-293, C. Pellat, The Life and Works of al-Jähiz, p. 10, and al-Sandubi, Rasä'il al-Jähiz, pp. 67-116.The last editor happens to have provided us with this treatise. 870 al-Häjiri, pp. 288-289. But his linking it with the early works on Imbma is not convincing as this treatisecontains a reference to al-Wäthiq and not to MI'mün. 871 lbid., p. 289. 227 2.The Häshimiyyät'srelation to Kitäb Fadl Häshim: By comparing this treatise, "Fadl Häshim", with its related pro-Häshimite works, of which only excerpts have survived, one can easily find that al-Jähiz does not mind acknowledging the virtues of the Alid componentof Banü-Häshim in his political attempt to blemish the record of the Umayyads by scoring more points against them. Of these Häshimiyyät, two essays have reached us, only one of which is believed to be authentic.It is given two titles: "Risälafi Tafdil Ban! Häshim `ali man siwähum"872or "Risälaft `Ali wa-Alihi min Ban! Häshim."873 The reasonfor these variable titles is that they have been edited by different personsin different periods, but both editors agree on the authenticity of the text and give us the sametext that does not exceedseven printed pages. As regardsthe authenticity of this work, Dr. Muhammad al-Häjiri adds that the Shiite poet al-Irbilli has probably given himself the liberty of abridging the original text, and perhaps has omitted certain parts of it that bear significance for the literary and cultural history of the Arabs. Nevertheless, the treatise remains a Jähizian one despite al-Irbilli's Shiite stamp on it as reflected in the way he affixes to `Ali b. Abi Taub the epithet "`Alayhi al-Saläm", a term - Häjiri rightly observes - which does not appear in al-Jäliiz's style outside this treatise.874 al-Häjiri's observationon the Shiite flavour of this treatiseis not far fetched, as al-Jähiz himself has admitted in the preface to al-Hayawän that readers of his 872 `1sä Both editors of theseessays depend on a manuscript written by `Ali b. al-Irbilli (7th C. A. H scholar), entitled: "Kashf al-Ghumma fi-Ma`rifat al-A'immat". The first editors were Faul Alläh al-Zanjäni and Dr. Däwüd Beg al-Jalabi, and the letter Is jointly published in Lu hgat al-cArab,vol 6,1931, pp. 413-420. 873 The samework was later edited by Muhammad Tähä al-Häjiri, in "Maimü` Rasäil al-Jähiz", (Beirut: Dar al-Nahdaal-°Arabiyya, 1983), pp. 47 ff. Dr Häjiri believed that the other treatise cAli mentioned by al-Irbilli and entitled "R.isäla 11Ithbät Imämat Amir- al- Mu'minin b. Abi Tälib" (which is published in Maiallat Lughat al cArab, 1931,vol 7, pp. 497-501). Is highly dubious in its attribution to al-Jähi;. This notice makes senseas we shall seebelow that al- `Ali Jähiz's conception of the house of the Prophet was not confined to the house of but equally contained Tälibites and cAbbasids. One should therefore distinguish between the explicit actual historical broadnessof the House of the Prophetduring al-Jähi; 's time, and betweenthe implicit and hidden motives of ai-Jähiz behindrehabilitating the charismaof the °Abbäsid HAshimites as a whole, without necessarily having to share the fruits of the revolution with their Häshimite fellows. 874 M lbid., 48. .al-HAjiri, p. 228 Häshimiyyät have complained of his excessive pro-Alid approach, thus allowing them to say "al-Jähiz has left the Mu`tazilite circles to the Zaydite ones, and moved from upholding a moderate respect for "Ali", al-I`tidäl fl-al-Tashayyu" to an extremist position, "Saraf wa-Ifrät. "875But as al-Häjiri has rightly pointed out, al- JAhiz's pro-Alid approach was simply one that could simultaneously accomodate respect for the family of the Prophet as well as for his Companions. 876 The significance of this representative Hashimite treatise is twofold. First, it shows that during the time of al-Jähiz the pro-Alid affection was not something peculiar or unique to the later fully developed group of Shiites as Sunnites appear to have maintained such an affection and respect alongside moderation, in what is later known as "al-Tashayyu` al-Hasan" versus "al-Tashayyu" al-Qabih" to which al- Jähiz refers to as "Saraf" and "Ifrät". The second point to be inferred here is the collective meaning of Band Häshim. The family of the Prophet is collectively referred to as such, but in all such references it is pointing to the virtues of Band Häshim, or the virtues of `Ali and his relatives from the stock of Häshim, though thus one notices that at no point does the charismatic reference exclusively contract to the side of the Alids or to the `Abbäsids. On the contrary, Band Häshim, or the house of the Prophet, (`Irrat al-Rasül), includes the respective descendants of all the sons of Hdshim b. `Abd Manäf. i. e., the Tälibites (thus "Ali, Ja`far, "Agil and their descendants) on the one hand, and the `Abbäsids; al `Abbäs and his descendants on the other. Such was the broader definition of the house of the Prophet, in which al- Jäliiz includes all close relatives to the Prophet, including his other uncle, Hamza, 877 his aunt Safiyya878 and his grandchildren, al-Ijasan and al Ijusayn. Furthermore, against the later Shiite definition of the house of the Prophet that confines it solely to the Fätimid descendants of `Ali Ibn Abi. Tälib, al-Jähiz's notion of ahl al-Bayt seems to include the non-Alid and non-Fätimid descendants, i. e., the descendants of `Ali `Ali 's brother, Ja`far al-Tayyär (All b `Abd Allah b. Ja`far b. Abi Tälib879) and Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, 880the son of `Ali from a wife from the tribe of Hanifa. Quick comparisonbetween the two treatises. 875 Seeal-Hayawän, 1: 7. 876 SeeM. al-Häjiri, Ibid., p. 50. 877 Maiallat Lughat al-cArab,pp. 416,418. 878 Ibid., p. 418. 879 Ibid., pp. 416,418. 880 Ibid, p. 416. 229 00 M E ü ö O 1+ y r«ý ßc0 y C F 3 G U w u 2 p4 0 1r 0 C 0 y Cd E E y K 2 U x o . - 0 U) b 10 legt 3 E cu CL) ö v U ný, ý ö Wb x xy CO) ýJ' r_ U wA Q C U U .O cý H VQ y = C S .5 yb u vi Ü Mg m O QJ W b C f GO O .2 ti 0 ; y- U y .-0 N U w 0 .i "O cd d 2 y(A b I) f' Qý Ä W iz limbI) 4 A 3 -.`ý .9 ° FLD --6 O -4.d 1.1 . - ~4 t`0 to J0 mW 0 Lr fd WC 04 L'. CA Äti v '5 .: + = O>-% 5 y 'O UM O q E CQ y^ 'C ý"r O I- V '" 3ö ßä ö" ¢ °) 4.) ci v ä . ý ci= x pq , o ,ýu Ci v < '23 g c5. 3 cm V = v, ºW' ý' "Cd r ý ", y V U fA a A; x" Oi r', W ý< vo Vl r 0 ý 4 Op >c C Ä C G ?, ` >` g) ýT . 3 "a vM d° " II to aý -2 yV W0 0ö mf ýe :it! ý ttr NN Q uff' vii ý ¢0 Ou 0 ö ci. 0 b M N w + öC H= ^C ÖU O [ý 2 "Ö .1* C^" W N ,Co / 0.