DOCSLIB.ORG

Qurʾānic Hermeneutics with Reference to Narratives: a Study in Classical Exegetical Traditions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Qurʾānic Hermeneutics with Reference to Narratives: a Study in Classical Exegetical Traditions Qurʾānic Hermeneutics with Reference to Narratives: A Study in Classical Exegetical Traditions Submitted by Khaled Troudi, to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Arab and Islamic Studies, July 2011 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this dissertation which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by or any other University. (Signature)…………………………………………………………………….. i ACKNOWLEDGMENT First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members and staff of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter for their encouragement and guidance. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my advisors for their teaching and patience, and in particular, to Dr. Jamal Barzinji from the International Institute of Islamic Thought who shared my curiosity about religion and helped me in some of the most provoking discussions and discourses. My sincere thanks are also extended to the members of my PhD Thesis Committee Professor ―Abd al-Ḥalīm from SOAS and Professor Robert Gleave from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter for their guidance and patience. Special thanks to my advisor, teacher and friend, Dr. Sajjad Rizvi to whom I am eternally grateful, as words cannot express my heartfelt gratitude. Dr. Rizvi taught me how to understand serious scholarship and the amount of work that is required for such an endeavor. His wise and insightful comments during our meetings, and counsel during the preparation of this thesis will be something that I will never forget. He gave me what I needed to complete this thesis. I would like to thank my parents and specially my wife Faten, without the help of whom this project would not have been possible. Khaled Troudi ii NOTES A- References All Qur‖ānic verses and their translations used in this thesis are quoted from ―Abd Allāh, Yūsuf ―Alī. The Holy Qur‖ān: Text, Translation, and Commentary. (Beltsville, MD: Amāna Publication, 1999). In each quotation of the verse, I have noted the number of Sūrah (Chapter) according to the chronological order of the muṣḥaf followed by the number of the verse (eg: 12:111). This style has been used for both the main document and footnotes. Also, I have used the Harvard style system in the footnotes and cited the full bibliography of all references at the end of the thesis. For example: Rippin (1985: 57) or Ṭabarī (1954, II: 356). B- Arabic Transliteration The Arabic transliteration used in this thesis follows the system used by the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. The tables of transliteration are as follows: CONSONANTS ة ت خ ج ح خ د ر س ص ط ػ ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك و ل ٌ ِ h n l m k q f gh ― ẓ ṭ ḍ Ṣ sh s z r dh d kh ḥ j th t b VOWELS ū = و ī = ي ā = ى ā = ا a = ء ‖ = ء taʾwīl asbāb Rāzī hudā tafsīr Abū - The position of the closed tā‖ or tā‖ marbūṭah written in the end of the word in al-―Ilmiyyah = انعهًيّة :this thesis is to be transliterated as follows -an = انُّضٔل :is to be transliterated as follows ال The position of the definite article - nuzūl. Except for names, such as al-Suyūṭī, al-Dhahabī, al-Rāzī, and so on, the .is clearly mentioned ال definite article iii Qurʾānic Hermeneutics with Reference to Narratives: A Study in Classical Exegetical Traditions ABSTRACT This dissertation is a critical study of the hermeneutical analysis used in classical tafsīr with reference to some Qurʾānic narrative passages. It examines those discourses that are related to these narrative passages by producing a comparative review of the some widely used Qurʾānic commentaries—namely, those by Hūd ibn Muḥakkim, al- Ṭabarī, al-Zamakhsharī, al-Thaʿlabī, al-Rāzī, al-Ṭabrisī, Ruzbihān al-Baqlī, and Nisābūrī. It critically studies the conditions that influenced the interpreters‖ prejudices and preconceptions. Also, this research critically analyzes the gap that exists between these Qur‖ānic narratives and their interpretations. This research consists of five chapters. The first two chapters deal with hermeneutics and narratives with respect to approaches and methods. The last three chapters are case studies, which explore the hermeneutical discourses related to these narratives. An analysis of the early methods of exegesis used on selected Qurʾānic narrative passages—conducted through the interrelated concepts of linguistics, grammar, lexicography, mysticism, history, textuality, and theology- will serve as the framework within which to study the level of understanding of these interpreters of the Qurʾānic text and their impact on the Muslim community. Critical research is conducted and primary sources are used to study how these exegetes understood the Qurʾānic text and contextualized the available knowledge to interpret Qurʾānic narratives on the literary, textual narrative, theological, and mystical levels. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. HERMENEUTICS ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Muslim Approaches to Hermeneutics .................................................................................................... 12 2. NARRATIVE ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 Muslim Approaches to Narrative ............................................................................................................ 21 CHAPTER ONE: QURʾĀNIC HERMENEUTICS ................................................................................................... 31 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 31 1.1 CLASSICAL UNDERSTANDINGS .................................................................................................................... 35 1.1.1 The Formative Period of Tafsīr ............................................................................................................ 36 1.1.2 The Classical Schools of Tafsīr ............................................................................................................. 39 1.2 DISCUSSION OF THE LITERATURE: THE EXEGETES AND THEIR WORKS .............................................. 57 1.2.1 Hūd Ibn Muḥakkim al-Hawwārī (d. 280 or 290/893 or 902) ............................................................ 59 1.2.2 Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923) ...................................................................... 63 1.2.3 Abū Isḥāq Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Thaʿlabī (d. 427/1035).................................... 66 1.2.4 Abūʾl-Qāsim Jār Allāh MaÎmÙd b. ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī (d. 538/1144) ....................................... 71 1.2.5 Abū ʿAlī Faḍl ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Faḍl al-Ṭabrisī (d. 548/1154) ....................................................... 75 2.1.6 Abū ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar b. Ḥusayn Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1209) ......................................... 80 2.1.7 Abū Muḥammad ibn Abī Naṣr Shīrāzī Ruzbihān al-Baqlī (d. 606/1209) ........................................ 82 2.1.8 Niẓām al-Dīn b. al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Khurāsānī Nisābūrī (d.728/ 1327) ............................. 85 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 87 CHAPTER TWO: THE CLASSICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE QURʾĀNIC NARRATIVE ................................. 91 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 91 2.1 THE EXEGETICAL CONCEPTS OF NARRATIVE ........................................................................................... 95 2.1.1 The Semantic Range of qiṣṣah .............................................................................................................. 96 2.1.2 The Semantic Range of nabāʾ................................................................................................................ 99 2.1.3 The Semantic Range of ḥadīth ........................................................................................................... 103 2.1.4 The Semantic Range of usṭūrah ......................................................................................................... 105 2.2 SOURCES AND EXEGETICAL METHODS OF NARRATIVE ........................................................................ 109 2.2.1 The Qurʾān ............................................................................................................................................. 110 2.2.2 The Prophetic ḥadīth ........................................................................................................................... 114 2.2.3 Grammar, Lexicography, and Linguistics ......................................................................................... 120 2.2.4 Mysticism and Theology ....................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis
    prelims.046 17/12/2004 4:58 PM Page i MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis “Shahzad Bashir is to be commended for producing a remarkably accessible work on a complex subject; his explanations are models of lucidity and brevity.” PROFESSOR DEVIN DEWEESE, INDIANA UNIVERSITY prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page ii SELECTION OF TITLES IN THE MAKERS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD SERIES Series editor: Patricia Crone, Institute for Advanced Study,Princeton ‘Abd al-Malik, Chase F.Robinson Abd al-Rahman III, Maribel Fierro Abu Nuwas, Philip Kennedy Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Christopher Melchert Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi, Usha Sanyal Al-Ma’mun, Michael Cooperson Al-Mutanabbi, Margaret Larkin Amir Khusraw, Sunil Sharma El Hajj Beshir Agha, Jane Hathaway Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis, Shazad Bashir Ibn ‘Arabi,William C. Chittick Ibn Fudi,Ahmad Dallal Ikhwan al-Safa, Godefroid de Callatay Shaykh Mufid,Tamima Bayhom-Daou For current information and details of other books in the series, please visit www.oneworld-publications.com/ subjects/makers-of-muslim-world.htm prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iii MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis SHAHZAD BASHIR prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iv FAZLALLAH ASTARABADI AND THE HURUFIS Oneworld Publications (Sales and editorial) 185 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7AR England www.oneworld-publications.com © Shahzad Bashir 2005 All rights reserved Copyright under Berne Convention A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library ISBN 1–85168–385–2 Typeset by Jayvee,
    [Show full text]
  • Ibn Khaldun: Managing Justice in Economy
    Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 162 International Conference on Law and Justice (ICLJ 2017) Ibn Khaldun: Managing Justice in Economy Moch. Bukhori Muslim Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, Indonesia [email protected] Abstract—This study aims to discuss economic not in an individualistic way but as a community.( Khaldun, issues in Ibn Khaldun's perspective. The method used 1993) in this research is descriptive analytical, with the main data source from Ibn Khaldun's book, Muqaddimah. The findings of this research are Ibn Khaldun states that the economic activities of society become the II. GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMIC SUPERVISION benchmarks of people's welfare. The government John Maynard Keynes argues that economic depression should organize and direct the economy of society can be overcomed by granting authority to governments in the fairly, so that the people work hard and try to grow the supervision of the economy. The idea is the antithesis of a free economy. The implication is that the government must market support group often referred to as laissez-faire which create a stimulus to encourage all elements of society means liberated.(Skidelsky, 2008) The classical theory states to have a positive impact on the economy. As a result, that economic freedom is a human right for every person to do the government will accumulate wealth for the country whatever he wants without goverment intervention.(Reinert, from the community. 1999) Keywords—Justice; Fiscal; Government; Ibn Khaldun argues that the state is the ruler of the market (al-suq al-a'zham). The government should be able to provide basic needs for the people, but the price should not be set by the government.
    [Show full text]
  • A Traditionalist's Response to the Falāsifa
    The Virtuous Son of the Rational: A Traditionalist’s Response to the Falsifa (Conference Paper for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Fordham University, Oct. 14–16, 2005) Nahyan Fancy University of Notre Dame Dimitri Gutas has recently made a strong case for considering the three centuries after Ibn Sn (d. 1037, lat. Avicenna) as the “Golden Age of Arabic Philosophy.”1 He argues that the “originality and depth of philosophical thought” and the “diffusion of philosophical work and influence on society in general” during this period far surpassed that of earlier and later periods.2 He traces the deep penetration of falsafa3 into Islamic intellectual life to the towering figure of Ibn Sn himself, who, by engaging with the religious and theological concerns and discussions of his day, made falsafa relevant for all subsequent discussions on philosophical and theological topics.4 Recent work by Robert Wisnovsky and Ayman Shihadeh has substantiated Gutas’s claim by further illuminating how much Ibn Sn was influenced by and, in turn, influenced subsequent theological discussions in kalm5 and other religious circles.6 What is abundantly clear from these studies is that thirteenth century philosophical and theological discussions had to contend with Ibn Sn’s sophisticated philosophical system, for it rationally defended and interpreted religious doctrines and 1 Dimitri Gutas, “The Heritage of Avicenna: The Golden Age of Arabic Philosophy, 1000–ca. 1350,” in Avicenna and His Heritage: Acts of the International Colloquium, Leuven-Louvain-La-Neuve, September 8–September 11, 1999, ed. Jules Janssens and Daniel De Smet (Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2002), pp. 81–97.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Civilization: Factors Behind Its Glory and Decline
    International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, Vol. 9, Issue 5 (Apr.) ISSN 2289-1552 2016 ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION: FACTORS BEHIND ITS GLORY AND DECLINE Tijani Ahmad Ashimi Assistant Professor, Dr., Department of General Studies, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). E-mail:[email protected] ABSTRACT Civilization is widespread of quality civic idea, supported by full development of arts, maintained with enthusiasm to pursuit the knowledge in which many ethnicities and religions may participate. It begins from the time of the settlement of the first man on this earth. Almost every nation has contributed to the history of civilization, although the contribution may vary from one nation to another. What may distinguish one civilization from one another is the strength of the foundation on which these civilizations have been founded and the impact these civilizations have made to humanity as a whole. Based on this fact, Islamic Civilization which may be synonymous to tawhidic civilization is based on a unity of God which stands completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Such major racial and ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese and Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and contributed to the building of Islamic civilization. Moreover, Islam was not opposed to learning from the earlier civilizations and incorporating their science, learning, and culture into its own world view, as long as they did not oppose the principles of Islam. Indeed, historically speaking, during the period when Western civilization was experiencing the dark ages, between 700-1200 A.D, Islamic empire stretched from Central Asia to southern Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Islam in Process—Historical and Civilizational Perspectives Yearbook of the Sociology of Islam Volume 7
    Islam in Process—Historical and Civilizational Perspectives Yearbook of the Sociology of Islam Volume 7 2006-12-06 16-23-03 --- Projekt: T491.gli.arnason.yearbook7 / Dokument: FAX ID 00fb133402603594|(S. 1 ) T00_01 Schmutztitel.p 133402603618 Yearbook of the Sociology of Islam Edited by Georg Stauth and Armando Salvatore The Yearbook of the Sociology of Islam investigates the making of Islam into an important component of modern society and cultural globalization. Sociology is, by common consent, the most ambitious advocate of modern society. In other words, it undertakes to develop an understanding of modern existence in terms of breakthroughs from ancient cosmological cultures to ordered and plural civic life based on the gradual subsiding of communal life. Thus, within this undertaking, the sociological project of modernity figures as the cultural machine that dislodges the rationale of social being from local, communal, hierarchic contexts into the logic of individualism and social differentiation. The conventional wisdom of sociology has been challenged by post-modern debate, abolishing this dichotomous evolutionism while embracing a more heterogeneous view of coexistence and exchange between local cultures and modern institutions. Islam, however, is often described as a different cultural machine for the holistic reproduction of pre-modern religion, and Muslims are seen as community-bound social actors embodying a powerful potential for the rejec- tion of and opposition to Western modernity. Sociologists insist on looking for social differentiation and cultural differ- ences. However, their concepts remain evolutionist and inherently tied to the cultural machine of modernity. The Yearbook of the Sociology of Islam takes these antinomies and contradic- tions as a challenge.
    [Show full text]
  • Martyrdom in Christianity and Islam Martyrdom 1Fl Christianity and Islam
    33 MartyrdomMartyrdom 1fl in ChristianityChristianity andand Islam MAHMOUDMAHMOTJD M. M. AYOUBAYOUB nneue ofof methe most important marks of a person's faith faith oror commitmentcommitment toto OV a religiousa religious ideology ideology i.sis hishis readinessreadiness to to defenddefend thatthat faithfaith with life itself ifif necessary. Examples Examples of of such such heroic heroic sacrifice sacrifice or or martyrdom martyrdom abound abound in in bornboth ancientancient and contemporary society.society, InIn ancientancient times, the heroicheroic indifference of suchsuch menmen asas thethe StoicStoic philosopher, philosopher, Epktetus, Epictetus, to to torrure torture and and death death inin thethe affirmation of aa noblenoble idealideal earnedearned them the honor of martyrs; their example and ideal of total indifference to passionspassions and worldlyworldly life provided a model for earlyearly ChristianChristian martyrs. InIn ourour own time,time, such menmen as Che Guaverra andand his legendary comrade Tanya havehave beenbeen regardedregarded asas martyrsmartyrs andand even saints by somesome CatholicCatholic leftistleftist priests.priests. MartyrdomMartyrdom hashas beenbeen oneone of the most power-power­ ful instruments in thethe establishmentestablishment andand propagationpropagation ofof a a faithfaith oror ideology,ideology, and hencehence ofof aa newnew socialsocial order. In thisthis essay wewe shallshall examineexamine thethe philosophyphilosophy of of martyrdom martyrdom andand the role of martyrs inin Christianity
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded from Brill.Com09/25/2021 04:49:01PM Via Free Access 348 Glossary of Proper Names
    Glossary of Proper Names A ʿAbdAllāh b.ʿUmar (d. 73/693): Companion of the Prophet and son of the Caliph ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. Was active in narrating traditions from the Prophet and gained a rep- utation for his precision in recalling events that took place during the Prophet’s life. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, Abū Bakr (d. 363/974): Ḥanbalī muḥaddith and jurist who transmitted the Kitāb al-Amr of Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal. ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd (Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Ḥumayd) (d. 249/863): Early muḥaddith who compiled his own musnad work. Prominent ḥadīth scholars nar- rated from him, including al-Bukhārī, al-Tirmidhī, and Muslim. ʿAbd al-Jabbār, al-Qāḍī Abū al-Ḥasan (d. 415/1025): Major Muʿtazilī theologian, a Shāfiʿī, who presented a systematic discussion of Muʿtazilī doctrine in his ten- volume work al-Mughnī fī abwāb al-tawḥīd wa-l-ʿadl. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (d. 561/1166): Well-known Sufi and Ḥanbalī scholar in Baghdad who, after his death, became the eponym of the Qādiriyya Sufi order. Was greatly respected by Ibn Taymiyya, who wrote a commentary on ʿAbd al-Qādir’s mystical treatise Futūḥ al-ghayb. al-Abharī, Athīr al-Dīn (d. 663/1264 or 1265): Influential philosopher, astronomer, as- trologer, and mathematician. His philosophical tracts Īsāghūjī and Hidāyatal-ḥikma are commonly taught in seminaries and other scholastic settings around the world. Abū Ḥanīfa, al-Nuʿmān b. Thābit (d. 150/767): Founder and eponym of the Ḥanafī school of law. Studied with many noteworthy jurists and theologians, particularly the Kufan legal scholar Ḥammād b.
    [Show full text]
  • Practices of Islamic State (ISIS) in the Context of Islamic Eschatology
    Practices of Islamic State (ISIS) in the Context of Islamic Eschatology Andrey Chuprygin, Senior Lecturer, School of Asian Studies, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, 101000, 20, Myasnitskaya str., Moscow, Russian Federation, E-mail: [email protected] Andrey Kudelin, Phd, Department of World History, Peoples’ Friendship University, 117198, Moscow Miklukho- Maklaya str. 6, E-mail: [email protected] Valeriy Matrosov, Graduate, School of Asian Studies, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Master Student, Faculty of Asian and African Studies, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034, 7-9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, Russia, E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The History has shown once again, that one cannot fight something that one does not understand. In modern warfare both the military and the ideological fronts are at the same level of intensity, as the victory always depends not only on battlefield triumphs, but also on enlisting new adherents and holding to the old ones. And after two years of heroic fight of the “Obama Alliance” against IS in Syria and Iraq there is a clear indication, that Caliph Ibrahim (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) is winning on both fronts. The main goal of this article is an attempt to explain reasons underlying the success of ISIS leadership, that allowed the Islamists not only to evade the “degrade and destroy” strategy of the coalition, but also to build a new state, in the light of the context of Islamic eschatological concepts. To reach this goal, we strive to not only understand the perspectives of this newly- founded state and possible forecasts for its sustainability, but also to look into the reasons of IS attractiveness for large groups of people from a variety of countries and regions, through the lens of Islamic eschatology.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Modern Syria Future Home for Nmc
    nmc.utoronto.ca Spring 2020 NMCNear & Middle Eastern Civilizations NEWS THE HISTORY FUTURE HOME RESEARCH OF MODERN SYRIA FOR NMC SPOTLIGHT NMC's Professor James A. Reilly The university has released NMC students and postdoctoral shares thoughts about writing a plans for a new building to be fellows share what attracted them history book aimed at reaching the future home of NMC to the department, their current an audience beyond academia projects, and their plans for the future Chair’s Message The start of a new year, and decade, presents opportunities to mark new beginnings, declare new resolutions and voice hopes for a new and better future. It also offers an occasion to pause and reflect on the year that has passed. For Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations (NMC), 2019 was an eventful year, and this issue of our newsletter provides a snapshot, highlighting some of the research activities of our faculty and students, and the important societal contributions of our alumni. Professor James Reilly’s new book grapples with the devastating, ongoing civil conflict in Syria, and demonstrates the importance of historical context and perspective in providing critical insight into this otherwise unfathomable conflict. A historic conference on Ibadism celebrating the remarkable pluralism within Islam; the participation of NMC archaeologists in public outreach events, most notably the wildly popular Science Rendezvous, which annually draws thousands of eager, aspiring students; and a student project reconstructing a Bronze Age Syrian tomb: these events accentuate the wide-ranging experientially rich learning opportunities in NMC. Exciting discoveries can also occur in unexpected places, as PhD candidate Tracy Spurrier learned while studying ancient historical texts housed in Robarts Library, and SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow Moujan Matin encountered investigating the early history of craft production technology.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Ibadi Oman
    UCLA Journal of Religion Volume 2 2018 Developing Tolerance and Conservatism: A Study of Ibadi Oman Connor D. Elliott The George Washington University ABSTRACT This thesis analyzes the development of Omani-Ibadi society from pre- Islam to the present day. Oman represents an anomaly in the religious world because its Ibadi theology is conservative in nature while also preaching unwavering tolerance. To properly understand how Oman developed such a unique culture and religion, it is necessary to historically analyze the country by recounting the societal developments that occurred throughout the millennia. By doing so, one begins to understand that Oman did not achieve this peaceful religious theology over the past couple of decades. Oman has an exceptional society that was built out of longtime traditions like a trade-based economy that required foreign interaction, long periods of political sovereignty or autonomy, and a unique theology. The Omani-Ibadi people and their leaders have continuously embraced the ancient roots of their regional and religious traditions to create a contemporary state that espouses a unique society that leads people to live conservative personal lives while exuding outward tolerance. Keywords: Oman, Ibadi, Tolerance, Theology, History, Sociology UCLA Journal of Religion Vol. 2, 2018 Developing Tolerance and Conservatism: A Study of Ibadi Oman By Connor D. Elliott1 The George Washington University INTRODUCTION he Sultanate of Oman is a country which consistently draws acclaim T for its tolerance and openness towards peoples of varying faiths. The sect of Islam most Omanis follow, Ibadiyya, is almost entirely unique to Oman with over 2 million of the 2.5 million Ibadis worldwide found in the sultanate.2 This has led many to see the Omani government as the de facto state-representative of Ibadiyya in contemporary times.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Al-Ghazālī and Rasā'il
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Al-Ghazālī and Rasā’il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’: Their Influence on His Thought A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies by Abdullah Ozkan 2016 © Copyright by Abdullah Ozkan 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Al-Ghazālī and Rasā’il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’: Their Influence on His Thought by Abdullah Ozkan Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor Khaled M. Abou El Fadl, Chair In his Munqidh, al-Ghazālī states that there were four classes of seekers of truth at his time: the theologians, the followers of the doctrine of Ta‘līm, the philosophers, and the Sufis. He depicts himself here as a Sufi who denounces the others, especially philosophy. This image of al-Ghazālī became the major perception of him from the beginning. But this perception changed completely in the twentieth century. The most recent scholarship challenges this image and views him as a kind of scholar who was heavily influenced by philosophy and disseminated its teachings in disguise. However, the concentration is given mostly to the philosophy of Ibn Sīnāwhile searching the source of this influence. While not denying the influence of Ibn Sīnā, this study argues that Rasā’il Ikhwān Ṣafā’ must be taken ii seriously as a major source of philosophical influence on al-Ghazālī’s thought despite the negative remarks he makes about them. It tries to prove its argument first by situating al- Ghazālī’s negative remarks in the political and social conditions of his time and second by comparing his works, especially his Mishkāt al-Anwār, with Rasā’il.
    [Show full text]
  • Abū Hāshim Al-Jubbāʾī's (D. 321/933) Theory of 'States' ( Aḥwāl
    Abū Hāshim al-Jubbāʾī’s (d. 321/933) Theory of ‘States’ (aḥwāl) and its Adaption by Ashʿarite Theologians Jan Thiele* Abstract This chapter discusses the notion of ‘states’ (aḥwāl) in Muʿtazilite and Ashʿarite theology. The concept was borrowed from linguistics by the Muʿtazilite theolo- gian Abū Hāshim al-Jubbāʾī (d. 321/933). It helped him to explain the nature of God’s attributes without asserting the existence of co-eternal beings in God. The conception of attributes as ‘states’ became a central doctrine among Abū Hāshim’s followers, the so-called Bahshamiyya school. The theory of aḥwāl was first rejected by Ashʿarite theologians. With Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī (d. 403/1013), however, an important representative of the school eventually came to use the term within the framework of his theory of attributes. Later, Abū l-Maʿālī al- Juwaynī (d. 478/1085–6) also followed al-Bāqillānī in adopting the notion of ḥāl. Keywords ḥāl, attributes, Muʿtazila, Ashʿariyya, Abū Hāshim al-Jubbāʾī, Bahshamiyya, al- Bāqillānī, al-Juwaynī The notion of ‘states’ (aḥwāl, sing. ḥāl) was introduced into Muʿtazilite theology by Abū Hāshim al-Jubbāʾī. By adopting this concept, he intended to solve a fun- damental problem that had challenged theologians for several generations. The principal question which Muslim theologians posed was: How can we conceive of God as one and, at the same time, describe Him by a multitude of qualities? With the concept of ḥāl, Abū Hāshim provided a category alongside the nature of mere things or entities (ashyāʾ, sing. shayʾ ). Because only things were believed to be ei- ther existent or non-existent, Abū Hāshim’s definition of God’s multiple qualities as ‘states’ helped him to avoid asserting the existence of other beings within God.
    [Show full text]