AL-JUWAYNI'S DOCTRINE OF THE IMAMATE BY ZAID BIN MOHAMAD Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Edinburgh May 1995 ý x ý. _,, : :ý, t BEST COPY AVAILABLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The most entitled person to my gratitude is my supervisor Dr. I. K. A. Howard for his supervision, assistance and patience during the period of the preparation of this thesis. My gratitude is also due to miss Crawford, the secretary of the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, all librarians of the University of Edinburgh and all staff of the Faculty of Arts for their good treatment and cooperation throughout the period of my study at the University. To my wife, Aziah, for her understanding and patience, and to my daughters, Anis and Izzat, due to injustice in the provision of time for them, beside my acknowledgement of gratitude, I dedicate this thesis to them. ii ABSTRACT This thesis is devoted to the study of the doctrine of the imamate according to Im9m al-Haramayn Abi al- Ma°gli ý-Abd al-Malik bin -Abdullah al-Juwayni. The thesis consists of eight chapters. It begins with a brief introduction to the life of al-Juwayni and the historical background to his doctrine of the imamate. The first chapter deals with al-Juwayni's concept of the imamate and its establishment. The second chapter deals with the qualifications required for the imam. The third chapter deals with the disqualification and dismissal of the imam. This comprises three separate sections i. e. the circumstances which require disqualification, the circumstances which require dismissal and the rules pertaining the dismissal. Chapter four deals with the duties of the imam. Chapter five deals with the assistants and equipment required by the imam. Chapter six and seven deal with the legitimacy of the imamate of the four Guided Caliphs and the legitimacy of the de facto imamate of Ni; gm al-Mulk, respectively. In analyzing al-Juwayni's doctrine -of the imamate, an attempt is made in chapter eight to show the chain of thought among the traditional scholars prior to and after him, and to show the contribution made by al-Juwayni in iii the formulation of the doctrine of the im9mate in Islam. The conclusion, presents the result of the analysis of his writing on the doctrine of the im9mate, its origin and influence. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS al-°Agidah : al-Juwayni, al-c3AQidah al-Nizgmiyyah al-Ni; gmiyyah al-Bidclyah : Ibn Kathir, al-Bidgvah wa al-Ningvah 7 fi USU1 al-Burhgn : al-Juwayni7 , al-Burh3n al-Filth Cambridge : The Cambridg e History of Iran, ed. History of Iran R. N. Frye EI(l) : The Encyclop aedia of Islam, EI(2) : The Encyclo paedia of Islam, New Edition EI(C) : The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam EI(S) : The Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam Fa4R' ilk : al-GhazMli, Fads' iii al-Batiniyy9h Fiqh : °Abd al-°A*im al-Dib, Figh Imgm al-Uaramayn al-Ghiyathi(1) : al-Juwayni, Ghiyath al-Umam fi Iltivclth al-Zu1am, ed. °Abd al-°A; im al-Dib al-Ghiyäthi(2) : al-Juwayni, Ghiy th al-Umam fi Iltiy! th al-Zulam, ed. Fu'Rd 'Abd al-MunCim and Mu$tafa Hilmi al-IbAnah al-Ash-ari, al-Ibainah °an Usßl al-Divgnah IT" Imam al-laramayn : Mu1animad b. -All b. °Uthman al-Iarbi, Im9m al-iaramavn Aba al-Ma°311 al-Juwayni wa Atharuh fi f"Ilm al-Kaläm V al-Igtiqgd : al-Ghazgli, al-Igtisgd fi al-I, tiggd al-Irsh3d : al-Juwayni, al-Irsh3d i1 4awgti° al- Adillah ff Usul al-I°tigýd Islamic Dynasties: C. E. Bosworth, The Islamic Dynasties al-Kgfiygh : Fawkia Hussein Mahmoud, al-Kgfiyah fi al-Jadal al-KRmil : Ibn al-Athir, al-KNmi1 fi al-Tgrikh Lama al-Adillah : al-Juwayni, Lam° al-Adillah fi Qawä°id Ahl al-Sunnah wa a1-Jamg-ah al-Luma- : al-Ash°ari, Kitab al-Lum9° fi al-Radd °aIN Ahl al-Zaygh wa al-Bid' al-Nujüm : Ibn Taghribirdi, al-NuiUm al-Z&hirah fi MulUk al-Misr wa al-O9hirah 17 - al-Mankhül al-Ghazali, al-MankhUl min Ta°lig al-Usßl Mu-jam : YggIt, Mu°iam al-Buldgn Mughith al-Khalaq: al-Juwayni, Muahith al-Khalav fi Bavgn al-Abaaa The Origination : Fawkia Hussein Mahmoud, Al-Juwavni and the-Origination of the World al-Qur'In : al-Qur'8n, translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali al-ShAmil : al-Juwayni, al-ShImil fi UjUl al-Din Subki's TabagXt : al-Subki, Tabaaat al-Shlfi°ivvah al-Kubra Tabyin : Ibn °Asgkir, Tabvin Kadhb al-Muftari fi MR Nusiba ill Abial-r asan al-Ash°ari vi al-Tamhid al-Bägi11 ni, al-Tamhid fi al-Radd °a1g al-Mulhidah al-Mu°attilah wa al-Qarclmitah wa al-Khawgrii wa al-Mu°tazilah Ü$81 al-Din : al-Baghdgdi, Usül al-Din Wafayät : Ibn KhallikRn, Wafavclt al-A°vgn al-Waragät : al-Juwayni, al-Waraggt fi UsUl al-Fish W vii NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION The transliteration system used in this thesis is that used by the Encyclopaedia of Islam with some exceptions for the sake of convenience. The following are the exceptions: (i) th is used for instead of th; (ii) J is used for instead of di; (iii) kh is used for instead of kh; (iv) dh is used for instead of dh; (v) sh is used for instead of sh; (vi) gh is used for instead of gh; (vii) q is used for instead of 1.; (viii) h is added to transliterate tl_marbütah (e). For example, is translated as .., a. "Madinah"; (iv). In the case of mu 3f"ß, t is used instead of h for t9' ZJis marbütah. For example, .&vJI translated as "tawliyat al-°ahd".; and (v) Whenever the word &ii is mudaf ilavh, the Mudaf and mud9f ilayh are connected together. For example, u11ac is transliterated as "CAbdulläh". viii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii - iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v- vii NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ix - xxii INTRODUCTION 1 1. The Life of al-Juwayni 1 2. Historical Background to al-Juwayni's Doctrine of the ImSmate 13 2.1. Political 13 2.1.1. The Breaking Up of the Islamic Empire 13 2.1.2. The Contemporary Political Forces 16 2.1.2.1. The OAbb3sid Caliphate 16 2.1.2.2. The FgVimids 17 2.1.2.3. The Buyids 19 2.1.2.4. The SaljUgs 21 2.2. Religious 28 2.3. Intellectual 32 ix 3. Notes on al-Ghivathi 39 3.1. Definition 39 3.2-. The Date of the Writing of al-Ghivathi 39 3.3. A1-Ghivgthi was Written for and Addressed to Ni; 3m al-Mulk 41 CHAPTER I: THE IMAMATE AND ITS ESTABLISHMENT 45 1. Definition of the ImcImate 24 2. The Rule ( ukm) of the Establishment of the ImImate 51 3. The Methods of the Appointment of the IM_ým__: 54 3.1. The Appointment by Nass 55 3.2. The Appointment by Ahi al-}all wa al-cAQd 60 3.2.1. The Qualification of Ahi al-Fall wa al-°AQd 63 3.2.1.1. Maleness 64 3.2.1.2. Free Status 65 3.2.1.3. Knowledge 66 3.2.1.4. Age of Majority 67 3.2.1.5. Islam 67 X 3.2.1.6. Possession of Power 68 3.2.1.7. Piety 69 3.2.2. The Number of Ahl al-lall wa a1-°AQd 70 3.3. The Appointment by Predecessor: Tawlivat al-°Ahd 73 3.3.1. Evidence 73 3.3.2. Requirement for Wali al--Ahd 75 3.3.3. The Acceptance of Wall al-°ahd 75 3.3.4. The Time of the Commencement of the Acceptance of the Appointment by Wali al--Ahd 76 3.3.5. The Consent of Ahi al-Ijall wa al-°AQd 77 3.3.6. The Appointment of a Son by a Father as Wall al-°Ahd 78 3.3.7. Conditional Appointment of Wali al-°Ahd 80 3.4. The Appointment by Usurpation 83 3.4.1. Usurpation by One Who Possesses Full Qualification for the Imamate 84 3.4.2. Usurpation by One Who Does Not Have Full Qualification for the Imämate but Possesses Capacity 90 3.4.3. Usurpation by a Fäsicz 90 xi 4. The Nature of the Appointment of the Imgm 91 5. Procedures of the Appointment: the Rule Regarding the Attendance of the Witness 92 6. The Prohibition of the Appointment of Two Im m Concurrently 94 CHAPTER II: THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THE IMAM 100 1. Qualities Which are Related to the Senses 1.1. Ability to See 100 1.2. Ability to Hear 101 1.3. Ability to Speak 101 2. Qualities Which are Related to the Limbs and Organs 101 3. Inherent Qualities 103 3.1. Descent from Quraysh 103 3.2. Maleness 107 3.3. Free Status 107 3.4. Islam 108 3.5. Sound Mind 109 3.6. Of Age 109 xii 3.7. Bravery 109 4. Acquired Qualities 110 4.1. Knowledge 110 4.2. Piety 112 4.3. Possession of Power and Capacity 112 5. Al-Juwayni's Conclusion on the Qualification for the ImIm 115 6. Observation on the Development of al-Juwayni's Thought on the Qualification of the ImIm 116 7. Discussion on the Requirement of Infallibility 118 8. Discussion on Im3mat al-Mafdßl 121 8.1. The Meaning of al-F3di1, al-Afdal and al-MafdUl 121 8.2.