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PDF Hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/113099 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-03 and may be subject to change. ) » J AL-MA'MÛN: MIHNA AND CALIPHATE JOHN ABDALLAH NAWAS NUMEGEN 1992 ί <, / Al-Ma'mûn: Mihna and Caliphate een wetenschappelijke proeve op het gebied van de Letteren Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen, volgens besluit van het College van Decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 27 januari 1993 des namiddags te 3.30 uur precies door John Abdallah Nawas geboren op 24 maart 1960 te Chicago, Illinois, V.SΛ. Promotores: Prof. Dr. C.H.M. Versteegh Prof. Dr. ΡJ.A.N. Rietbergen CONTENTS PREFACE Vll- Ш CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1-14 1.1. Aim of the study 1 1.2. An overview of the broader context 1 1.2.1. The caliphates 2 1.2.1.1. The Orthodox caliphate 2 1.2.1.2. The Umayyad caliphate 3 1.2.1.3. The'Abbâsid caliphate 5 1.2.2. The two major divisions in Islam: Sunnites and Shi'ites 6 1.2.2.1. A clarification of semantics 6 1.2.2.2. The Sunnites 7 1.2.2.3. The Shi'ites 8 1.2.3. The Mu'tazilites 10 1.2.4. The doctrine of the createdness of the Koran 11 1.2.5. TheMihna 12 CHAPTER TWO: 'ABDALLAH AL-MA'MÛN: A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND REIGN 15-24 2.1. The formative years 15 2.2. The Civil War 16 2.3. Al-Ma'mûn's reign 17 CHAPTER THREE: EXPLAINING WHY AL-MA'MÛN SPOKE OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE CREATEDNESS OF THE KORAN AND ORDERED THE MIHNA 25-39 3.1. A survey of current explanations of the declaration and the mihna 25 3.1.1. Three focuses 27 3.1.1.1. Proposition I: Mu'tazilism 27 3.1.1.2. Proposition II: Shi'ism 29 3.1.1.3. Proposition III: Al-Ma'mûn's vision of the caliphate 30 3.2. Description of the research 33 3.2.1. Points of departure 33 3.2.1.1. Al-Ma'mûn's public declaration of the doctrine of the createdness of the Koran and his ordering of the mihna as two separate issues 34 3.2.1.2. Placing the createdness of the Koran doctrine and the mihna order on center stage, not in the periphery 3.2.1.3. The range of the primary source material used 3.2.2. The primary sources: selection and analysis 3.2.2.1. Selection of the primary sources Table 1: The primary sources used in this study and their chronology 3.2.2.2. Analysis of the sources CHAPTER FOUR; VIABILITY OF THE EXPLANATIONS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORKS OF PROPOSITIONS I AND II 4.1. The viability ofMu 'tazilism as an explanation (Proposition Γ) 4.2. The viability ofShi'ism as an explanation (Proposition 4.2.1. Al-Ma'mûn and the 'Alids 4.2.1.1. An explanation of al-Ma'mûn'spartiality to the Alids CHAPTER FIVE: AN EXPLANATION OF THE MIHNA AS THE INSTRUMENT WHICH AL-MA'MÜN USED FOR ENFORCING HIS VISION OF THE CALIPHATE 5.1. Statement of the thesis 5.2. Al-Ma'mûn 's vision of the caliphal institution and the place of the caliph in it 5.2.1. Al-Ma'mûn and the domain of God and the Prophet Muhammad 5.2.2. The caliph as custodian 5.3. The mihna order and the issues dealt with in the letters 5.3.1. A comparison of the mihna letters 5.3.2. Timing of the mihna 5.3.3. The createdness of the Koran as a convenient device 5.3.4. The mihna letters as polarity of good against evil 5.3.4.1. Safalat al-'âmma and the evil-doers 5.3.4.2. The caliph as embodiment of virtue and illumination 5.3.5. Identity and characteristics of the men subjected to the mihna 5.3.5.1. The unnamed men: "judges and shuhûd" 5.3.5.2. In search of denominators common to the men whose names are known 5.3.5.3. The judiciary and traditionists as target 5.3.5.4. Are there other patterns? SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 73-78 Summary 73 Conclusions 73 Suggestions for further research 77 NOTES 79-102 Notes to Chapter One ' 79 Notes to Chapter Two 83 Notes to Chapter Three 86 Notes to Chapter Four 87 Notes to Chapter Five 97 APPENDIX ONE: CHRONOLOGICAL INFORMATION, BY GENRE, ON THE COMPILERS OF THE SOURCES USED 103 APPENDIX TWO: INFORMATION ON THOSE INTERROGATED 119 WORKS CITED 127 SAMENVATTING 145 CURRICULUM VITAE 150 PREFACE In the year 212 A.H./827 A.D., the seventh 'Abbâsid caliph, al-Ma'mûn, made public his view on a religious doctrine, that the Koran was created, and six years later, he ordered an inquisition (tnihna) using the doctrine as the touchstone. These two events, at once unique in Islam and at odds with what we know about the caliph, are the concern of this study. The study consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 is introductory and starts off by presenting a succinct statement of the aim of the study, followed by an overview of a number of topics and concepts as aid for placing the two events of concern within a broad yet directly relevant historical context. Naturally, the declaration of the doctrine and the mihna did not occur in a vacuum. Their coming into existence was a product of interactions be­ tween al-Ma'mûn, a man and a caliph, and the constant now of events which he had to master or at least cope with. Chapter 2 will sketch the highlights of the caliph's life and government and places the issues of con­ cern to this study within the totality of the major events which took place during his long reign. Chapter 3 describes the three most prevalent explanations of the ca­ liph's declaration that the Koran was created and of the mihna edict. The rationale of the study lies precisely in the fact that the very proponents of these explanations are skeptical that their versions do complete justice to all known facts or have sufficient sway to put the matter to rest. Chapter 3 delineates also the manner in which these three competing explanations will be reexamined in this research and the ways in which it differs from those which preceded it. The findings are presented and discussed in chapters 4 and S. The dissertation closes with a summary, the main con­ clusions and some suggestions for further research. The dissertation is addressed not only to Islamicists and Arabists but to the general historian as well. Consequently, all Arabic terms used have been translated into English. The transliteration system used is that of the Encyclopaedia of Islam except that the "k" is substituted by the "q". The new edition of the Ency­ clopaedia is indicated by "EI2" and the earher version by "ΕΠ". Acknowledgments A four-year grant (1988-92) provided by the Catholic University of Nijmegen enabled me to conduct the research for this dissertation. For generously helping me to gain access to primary sources and other indispensable material, I am indebted to the Catholic University of Nijmegen's Central Library and to the libraries of both the Departments of Semitic Languages and of History as well as to the Dutch Institute in Cairo. It has been my good fortune to carry out the research within the com­ pass of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, Cathohc University of Nijmegen, amidst colleagues who made me feel welcome and who, in their effort to dispel whatever diffidence I might have had due to the History and Philosophy baggage I carried with me, good-naturedly dubbed me an "applied Arabist" — a complimentary badge which will always serve as re­ minder of their camaraderie and that the Department is my home too. Those to whom I owe an expression of heart-felt thanks and deep grati­ tude are many. I explicitly acknowledge my debt to several scholars on whose time and expertise I had no claim whatsoever but who, nonetheless, graciously responded to my needs and queries in ways that no novice has a right to expect. CE. Bosworth, С Hillenbrand, E. Kohlberg, W. Made- lung, W. Montgomery Watt, H. Motzki, J.R.T.M. Peters, and D. Sourdel have all done so; I am most thankful to them and to Dr. G.H.A. Juynboll who will additionally be always remembered for our extended discussions which taught me much and which I cherish deeply. Needless to say, how­ ever, any shortcomings of this dissertation should not be attributed to the scholars named. It is impossible for me to express in words the debt I owe Monique Bernards for her constant encouragement and for that quality of nearness which is always present no matter how physically apart we are. This endeavor is lovingly dedicated to my mother and father; a child could not wish for better parents. Nijmegen, September 4th, 1992. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1. Aim of the study 'Abdallah al-Ma'mûn shares with his father, Hârûn al-Ra§hîd (г. 170/786- 193/809), the honor of spearheading what has come to be known as the Golden Age of Islam.
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