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Copyright © and Moral Rights for This Thesis Are Retained by the Author And/Or Other Copyright Owners Hassan, Laura (2017) Ash'arism meets Avicennism : Sayf al‐Din al‐Amidi's doctrine of creation. PhD thesis. SOAS University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/26654 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. Ash‘arism meets Avicennism: Sayf al-Dīn al-Āmidī’s Doctrine of Creation Laura Hassan Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD 2017 Department of the Near and Middle East School of Oriental and African Studies University of London 1 Declaration for SOAS PhD thesis I have read and understood Regulation 21 of the General and Admissions Regulations for students of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all the material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person. I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work which I present for examination. Signed: ____________________________ Date: _________________ 2 Abstract It is now broadly recognised that, far from extinguishing the tradition of falsafa in the Islamic world, al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), in his thoroughgoing critique of Ibn Sīnā’s metaphysics, actually inaugurated an era of greater interaction between falsafa and kalām. Indeed, post-Avicennan Ash‘arism was profoundly influenced by the legacy of Avicennism. Sayf al-Dīn al-Āmidī (d. 631/1233) is one post-Avicennan Ash‘arī versed in both traditions whose works represent their convergence. Primarily known for his jurisprudence, al-Āmidī’s theological and philosophical works have not received due attention. This thesis takes the issue of the world’s creation – traditionally a site of contention between Muslim philosophers and theologians – and considers how al-Āmidī’s thought reflects the confluence of his influences. It is argued that the philosophers’ and theologians’ respective doctrines of creations are embedded in contrasting frameworks rooted in distinctive worldviews. On the one hand, Ibn Sīnā’s metaphysical distinction between the possible and necessary of existence is the basis of his conception of the world’s pre-eternal emanation. On the other, for the mutakallimūn, the physical theoretical framework of atomism bolsters their view that God created the world from nothing, since by that framework, the temporal finitude of existents aside from God is proven. The thesis therefore provides (in Chapter 1) a biography and overview of al-Āmidi’s works, then (in Chapter 2) explains the aforementioned frameworks for the discussion of creation, before devoting a chapter each (Chapters 3 and 4) to al-Āmidī’s reception of each framework, and finally studying (in Chapter 5) his own doctrine of creation. It emerges that al-Āmidī begins a committed Avicennist, before developing, by stages, a strong reaction to Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s (d. 606/1210) integration of falsafa with kalām. The intellectual challenges he faces in incorporating Avicennism’s most compelling theories without compromising core Ash‘arī beliefs indicate some of the key issues facing theologians of his era. 3 Acknowledgements I am grateful for the help of many. Dr Ayman Shihadeh’s supervision has made me a far better thinker and writer – a valuable gift – and he has patiently corrected many errors and oversights. The mistakes that remain are mine. I also thank friends, colleagues, and friendly academics who have supported along the way, reading my work and offering insight. Completing the thesis has been a true family effort, and so I thank: my parents and sisters, for unconditional encouragement, Yima and Baba, without whose care this would not have been possible, and my husband and children, who have borne the burden with me. Finally, the journey could never have started without God’s help, nor could I have travelled a day without Him. 4 Transliteration This thesis uses the following transliteration conventions: ẓ ظ ’ ء ‘ ع ā ا gh غ b ب f ف t ت q ق th ث k ك j ج l ل ḥ ح m م kh خ n ن d د h ه dh ذ w/ ū و r ر y/ī ي z ز s ◌َ a س sh ◌ُ u ش ṣ ◌ِ i ص aw أو ḍ ض ay أي ṭ ط Additionally: - Grammatical case endings are not represented in transliteration, except where possessive pronouns are added (so, jawābuhu). - The lām of the definite article is always written, even before shamsī letters. - In names, the hamzat al-waṣl is represented by dropping the initial ‘a’. So Abū l-Ḥusayn (and not Abū al-Ḥusayn). This is also the case where conjunctions occur in an iḍāfa construction. - The tā’ marbūṭa is rendered as a final a (and not ah). So sunna and not sunnah. In iḍāfa constructions, the tā’ marbūṭa is represented as at. Translations are my own unless otherwise stated; Marmura’s and McGinnis’ translations of (respectively) the Ilāhiyyāt and the Ṭabī‘iyyāt of Ibn Sīnā’s Kitāb al-Shifā’ were frequently consulted. 5 Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………….….. 8 Chapter 1: Al-Āmidī’s Life and Works…………………………………………..……………………………………..…..…. 14 1. Biographical Sketch………………………………………………………………..…………………..……….….…….. 14 2. Al-Āmidī’s Works…………………………………………………………………………..……………..………….…….. 18 3. Interpreting Contradictions between al-Āmidī’s Biographers………….…………………….……. 27 Chapter 2: Concepts of Creation in al-Āmidī’s Intellectual Context……………………..………………....… 35 1. Ibn Sīnā’s Conception of Creation ……………………………………….…………………………....….…….... 36 2. The Classical Ash‘arī Conception of Creation …………………………….…………………………….…… 39 3. Theological Significance ………………………………………………………………….……………..……….….... 49 4. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………..... 54 Chapter 3: Al-Āmidī’s Conception of Possibility and Necessity……………………………………...………..… 56 1. Ibn Sīnā on Possibility and Necessity…………………………………………………………..……….…..…... 58 2. The Classical Ash‘arī Metaphysics of Possibility and Necessity…………………..……………..…. 70 3. Possibility as Determinant of Causedness……………………………………………….…….………………. 76 4. The Ontology of Possibility……………………………………………………………………..……………………... 92 5. The Relation of the Possible Non-Existent to a Cause……………………..…….……………….…… 107 6. Conclusion……………………………………………….…………..………………………………………….……………. 111 Chapter 4: Al-Āmidī’s Physical Theory…………………………….…………………………………………………………115 1. Classical Ash‘arī Physical Theory………………………..……………….………………………………………. 116 2. The Challenge of the falāsifa……………………………………………………………………..…….…………….…. 129 3. The Atomist Ontology in al-Āmidī’s works of falsafa……………….……………………….….……… 132 4. Al-Āmidī’s Physical Theory in Abkār al-afkār…………………………….………….……………….…….. 136 5. Conclusion……………………………………………….…………………………………..………………….……….…… 180 6 Chapter 5: Al-Āmidī’s Doctrine of Creation……………………………………………….……………………………... 185 1. The Doctrine of Creation Ex Nihilo among post-classical Ash‘arīs……………..………………… 187 2. The Doctrine of Creation Ex Nihilo in al-Āmidī’s Theology……….…………………………………. 204 3. Avicennan Metaphysics in al-Āmidī’s discussion of Creation: Critiquing al-Rāzī’s Proof from Possibility……………………………………………….………………………………………….…………….…. 213 4. Ash‘arī Physical Theory in al-Āmidī’s Discussion of Creation ………………………………..…… 228 5. Al-Āmidī’s Original Proof for Creation Ex Nihilo ……………………………………………….…..…….. 243 6. Conclusion……………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………. 246 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………… 253 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….. 264 7 Introduction Sayf al-Dīn al-Āmidī (d. 631/1233), known primarily for his talent as a jurisprudent, is also commonly recognised, and still revered among some modern Muslims, as an Ash‘arī theologian of great significance. Lesser known is his skill as an exponent of falsafa. Scholars of the continuing tradition of Avicennan philosophy in the post-Avicennan Islamic world have noted his contribution in this field in the form of his response to Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s (d. 606/1210) commentary on Ibn Sīnā’s (d. 428/1037) al-Ishārāt wa-l-tanbīhāt. Indeed, on the basis of his authorship of Kashf al-tamwīhāt fī sharḥ al-ishārāt wa-l-tanbīhāt, Gutas classes al-Āmidī as a ‘mainstream Avicennist’.1 Yet al-Āmidī’s earliest work of falsafa, al-Nūr al-bāhir fī l-ḥikam al- zawāhir, is still barely known. The impetus for this thesis is the puzzle represented by al-Āmidī’s authorship of works of both Ash‘arī kalām and Avicennan falsafa. This is a puzzle precisely because of how little we yet understand of the complex interactions between these traditions in the post-Ghazālian Muslim world, traditions whose relationship has historically been presumed to be essentially inimical. What is understood – this much has been broadly acknowledged for the past few decades – is that, far from somehow extinguishing the tradition of falsafa in the Islamic world, al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), in his thoroughgoing critique of the methods and doctrines of that tradition (and especially of
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