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Scholastic Traditional Minimalism: a Critical Analysis of Intra-Sunni Sectarian Polemics

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Scholastic Traditional Minimalism: a Critical Analysis of Intra-Sunni Sectarian Polemics Scholastic Traditional Minimalism: A critical analysis of intra-Sunni sectarian polemics Tajul Islam Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervised by: Professor Ian Richard Netton The University of Exeter Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies March 2015 Acknowledgements Firstly I express my deepest gratitude to my family who have supported me during my undergradute/post graduate years. I owe it to my friends, Arafat Latif, Ridwaan Haris and Wasim Afzal (Pakka) for helping me in my times of need, including health, wealth and emotional support. A special thanks to Professor James Dickins, Dr Mustapha Sheikh, Mrs Sofia Rehman at the University of Leeds, and Mrs Sarmishta (Sarmi) Ghosh, Vicky Colton and Julie Gay at the University of Exeter for their kind support and patience with me. I also extend my gratitude to my internal examiner Professor Rob Gleave and external examiner Professor Hugh Goddard for their constructive criticism and scholarly insight, the result of which has made this a better thesis. And lastly and most importantly thanks to my supervisor and mentor (pīr-o-murshid), Professor Ian Netton for his guidance, humour, and inspiration along the way. 2 Abstract This thesis is an analytical exploration of the influence of medieval theology on contemporary scholastic traditionalist polemics within Sunni Islam. Intra-Sunni sectarian polemics as an emerging area of study is relatively untouched as opposed to sectarian violence. A detailed mapping of the theological terrain from the genesis of Sunni ‘orthodoxy’ and the perennial tensions within the classical theological tradition and how they have manifested parochially into the contemporary scholastic traditionalist trends of the Barelwi, Deobandi, Ahl-i-Ḥadīth and Wahhābī within the backdrop of the Sufi-Salafi contestation of Sunni authenticity is timely. Concern regarding growing extremism prompted Muslim Ulama, academics and political leaders to create unity initiatives such as the Amman Message and the Sunni Pledge in dealing with this problem and also delineating ‘orthodoxy’. The theological basis for these neo-credos can be explained as doctrinal ‘minimalism’. Minimalism is a growing social construction of scholastic traditionalists through which the warring factions are attempting to salvage the historical continuity with ‘orthodoxy’ and placate Sunni infighting. The thesis aims to examine the theological veracity of the minimalism project and explore its doctrinal, methodological and ethical facets. Polemicism and excommunication is the current state of affairs within Sunni theological discourse. Minimalism is deemed as the antidote to this problem. 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 2 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 9 Background ........................................................................................................................... 9 Literature review ................................................................................................................. 15 The purpose of the study .................................................................................................. 17 The significance of the study............................................................................................ 19 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER ONE: MINIMALISM AS A THEOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY ............................ 21 1.1 MINIMALISM ................................................................................................................ 21 1.2 HYPOTHESIS ................................................................................................................. 23 1.3 MINIMALISM IN AN ISLAMIC CONTEXT .................................................................. 24 1.4 MINIMALISM AS FORMAL THEORY .......................................................................... 26 1.4.1 DOCTRINAL MINIMALISM ................................................................................... 29 1.4.2 METHODOLOGICAL MINIMALISM ..................................................................... 36 1.4.3 ETHICAL MINIMALISM ......................................................................................... 54 1.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER TWO: THE ROOTS OF MINIMALISM IN CLASSICAL SUNNI THEOLOGY ...... 78 2.1 ORTHODOXY AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION ......................................................... 78 2.1.1 Tradition [Sunna]: .................................................................................................. 80 2.1.2 Community [Jamāca]: ............................................................................................ 83 2.2 Virtue-Based Orthodoxy ............................................................................................. 88 2.2.1 Ashcarī and Māturīdī views on ‘historical’ orthodoxy ....................................... 89 2.2.2 Ḥanbalī view on historical orthodoxy ................................................................. 91 2.2.3 The Pious Predecessors – Sunni Historicism ..................................................... 92 2.3 Quantifiable orthodoxy ............................................................................................... 95 2.3.1 The Saved Sect [al-firqa al-nājiya]: ..................................................................... 96 2.3.2 The Great Masses [al-sawād al-acẓam] .............................................................. 99 2.4 Heterodoxy ................................................................................................................. 108 4 2.5 Theology ..................................................................................................................... 109 2.5.1 Documentation of the Sunni creed: ................................................................. 115 2.5.2 Sunni Methodology ............................................................................................ 116 2.5.3 Innovation ............................................................................................................ 120 2.5.4 Reverence of Scholars and their authority in religious affairs ...................... 120 2.5.5 Early tensions - Collision of rationality and tradition ..................................... 122 2.5.6 Aversion of kalām by early religious authorities ............................................ 127 2.5.7 Sunni Schools of theology ................................................................................. 129 2.5.8 Theological trends .............................................................................................. 138 2.6 Scholastic traditionalism ........................................................................................... 139 2.6.1 The scholar as the mouthpiece of tradition .................................................... 141 2.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 145 CHAPTER THREE: PERENNIAL THEOLOGICAL CONTROVERSIES .................................. 149 3.1 Amalgamation of theological and traditional discourse on monotheism ......... 153 3.2 Interpretation ............................................................................................................. 159 3.2.1 Literalism v Metaphor: the Medieval Islamic debate ..................................... 159 3.2.2 ‘Orthodox’ methods of interpretation ............................................................. 163 3.2.3 Interpretation of the Divine Attributes ............................................................ 166 3.2.4 Schism over amodality (bilā kayf) ..................................................................... 169 3.2.5 Implications of the ‘correct’ interpretation of the Divine Attributes ........... 173 3.3 Grey areas in mainstream interpretation and practice ......................................... 179 3.4 TRADITION ................................................................................................................. 185 3.5 INNOVATION ............................................................................................................. 186 3.5.1 Popular categorisation of innovations ............................................................. 190 3.5.2 Bidca in theological treatises ............................................................................. 193 3.5.3 Censure of innovations ...................................................................................... 195 3.5.4 Sacred Law as the source of innovation .......................................................... 197 3.6 ORTHODOXY V ORTHOPRAXY ................................................................................ 222 3.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 226 5 CHAPTER FOUR: EXCOMMUNICATION THE BANE OF SUNNISM ................................ 231 4.1 Ethical minimalism: a non-excommunicative
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