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The Imãmi Shi'i Conception of the Knowledge of the Imãm and the Sources of Religious Doctrine in the Formative Period: from Hishäm B

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The Imãmi Shi'i Conception of the Knowledge of the Imãm and the Sources of Religious Doctrine in the Formative Period: from Hishäm B The Imãmi Shi'i Conception of the Knowledge of the Imãm and the Sources of Religious Doctrine in the Formative Period: from Hishäm b. al-Hakam (d. 179 A.H.) to Kulini (d. 329 A.H.) Tamima Bayhom Daou, SOAS, London. A thesis submitted to the University of London for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History School of Oriental and African Studies April, 1996 0 2 Abstract This thesis proposes to re-exaniine the generally held assumption that, since the elaboration of the theory of the Imãmate by Hisham b. al-Fjakam, the Imãmi conception of the nature of the Imãm's knowledge and the sources of religious doctrine underwent little or no development. It contends that early Imãmism did not regard the Imãm as a recipient of divinely inspired knowledge, and maintained that his role was restricted to that of guardian of the Qur'an - a perfect and sufficient source. It proposes a fresh look at sources, reports, and traditions whose potential to yield evidence of the doctrines of pre-classical Imãrnism has not been exploited. The first chapter discusses the known aspects of Hisham's theory of the Imãmate and the background against which it was formulated. It also examines the structure and general features of a work of his preserved in Nawbakhtrs Kitãb Firaq al-Shi'a, and discusses the problems involved in using this late third century source for extracting Hishãm's views. The analysis of key passages which describe the doctrines of the Imãm's inspiration of three non-Imãmi ShT'T sects forms the subject of the next chapter. It demonstrates that Hisham regarded those doctrines as heterodox, and that, due to changing Imãmi perceptions of the Imãm's knowledge, his description was updated by Nawbakhti. Chapters 3 and 4 examine evidence which shows that YUnus b. 'Abd al-Rabmãn (d. 208 A.H.) and al-Fa1l b. Shãdhãn (d. 260 A.H.) belonged to the same school of thought as Hisham. Chapter 5 assesses the extent to which the position of this school m be said to represent the dominant position in pre-classical Imãmism. The last chapter examines material from al-Kafi of Kulini and asY Kulinrs own contribution. It also discusses the theoretical problem! accompanied the developments reflected in that work and the attempts to resolve them. Dedication To Nabil, Serine, and Ramzy 5 Contents Preface 6 Transliteration 8 Dates 9 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 11 Chapter 1: Hisham b. al-Fjakam (d. 179 A.H.) and his Kitãb Ikhtilaf al-Nãs fi' l-Imãma 40 Chapter 2: Heterodox Doctrines of the Imãm's 'I/rn according to Hisham 66 Chapter 3: Yünus b. 'Abd al-Rabman (d. 208 A.H.) and the Child-Imãm Controversy 113 Chapter 4: The Doctrine of the Imãm's 'Jim according to al- Façll b. Shadhan (d. 260 A.H.) 137 Chapter 5: Hishãm, Yünus, and al-FaçIl: a School within pre- Ghayba Imamism? 167 Chapter 6: Legal Theory and Notions of the Imãm's 'Jim in the Early Ghayba Period as Reflected in Kulinrs al-Kafi 182 Conclusion 222 Bibliography 226 6 Preface The question of the Imãm's knowledge, its sources, its nature and its extent is crucial to our understanding of the Shi'i concept of religious authority and its basis. We are better informed about the development of ideas on this subject in Sunni Islam than in Shi'ism. Modem research has investigated the SunnY theory of sources (uü1) and the concept of caliphal authority in early Islam, and has uncovered the stages of development in these areas. No comparable studies on the development of the Shi'i concept of authority and theory of ucü1 in the formative period have been undertaken. The widely held view remains that, since the emergence of Imãmi Shi'ism as a distinct school of thought in the latter part of the second hijri century, its doctrine of uü1 and its conception of the Imäm's authority underwent little or no development, and were essentially the same as those found in the classical sources. This thesis is concerned with reassessing this view. The study was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Gerald Hawting. I am deeply indebted to him for his encouragement and constructive criticism, and for his patient and meticulous reading of the various drafts. I am grateful to Professor Wilferd Madelung who read an early draft of Chapters 1 and 2 and made a number of incisive comments. I also owe a particular debt of gratitude to Tarif Khalidi. He has been very supportive at all stages of my academic career. I learned much from the extended discussions we had during his stay in England from 1991 to 1993. I must emphasize, however, that all the errors and shortcomings in this study are my own. The Institute of Ismaili Studies in London helped me to gain access to primary sources and other material. I am thankful to the library staff who always responded to my queries in a most generous way. 7 Tamima Bayhom Daou Department of History School of Oriental and African Studies April 1996 8 Transliteration The transliteration system used in this study is that of the Library of Congress as outlined in the Cataloguing Service Bulletin 49, (November: 1958). 9 Dates The dates in this study are given according to the Muslim calendar. The table below gives the AD equivalents which correspond to the larger part of the Muslim year: AH AD AH AD AH AD 40 660 180 796 269 883 47 667 183 799 270 884 61 681 193 809 274 887 65 685 194 810 280 893 117 735 202 818 290 903 120 738 204 819 300 913 122 740 208 823 301 914 144 761 217 832 310 922 145 762 220 835 322 934 148 765 221 836 324 935 150 767 226 841 328 940 158 775 236 851 329 941 166 783 240 854 381 991 169 785 246 860 413 1022 170 786 250 864 415 1024 173 789 254 868 429 1038 179 795 260 874 460 1068 10 Abbreviations BSOAS Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies BJMES British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies E12 Encyclopaedia of Islam (second edition) GAS F. Sezgin, Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums IC Islamic Culture 'OS Israel Oriental Studies Is!. Der Islam JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JBBRAS Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society JRAS Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society JSAJ Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam JSS Journal of Semitic Studies KK Kulini, al-Kaft MW Muslim World Mu 'jam M. F. 'Abd al-Baqi, al-Mu 'jam al-Mufahras li-A lfa? al-Qur'an al-Karim R.MMM Revue du Monde Musulman el de Ia Méditerranée SI Studia Islamica Introduction In the first and early second Islamic centuries, Shi'ism was characterized by allegiance to the Family of the Prophet and opposition to the claim of the Umayyads to be the rightful rulers of the community. It manifested itself in a number of revolutionary and messianic movements' which culminated in the success of the 'Abbasid revolution. 2 With the hereditary appropriation of the caliphate by the 'Abbãsids and their persecution of the 'Alids and their followers, disaffected Shi'ites emphasized the claim that only the 'Alids, the descendants of Fãima, or a specific line of 'Alid Imãms, were the true Family and heirs of the Prophet.3 Throughout the early 'Abbasid period, groups of 'Mid Shi'a revolted against the 'Abbãsids in support of those claims .' 1H. Haim, Shiism, Edinburgh 1992, pp. 14-24; V. Ivanow, 'Early Shi'ite Movements', JBBRAS 1941, pp. 1-23; W. Tucker, 'AbU ManUr al-'Ijli and the Manuriyya: a study in medieval terrorism', Is!. 54 (1977), pp. 66-76; id., 'Bayan B. Sam'an and the Bayaniyya: Shi'ite extremists of Umayyad Iraq', MW 65 (1975), pp. 241-253; id., 'Rebels and gnostics: al-Mughira ibn Sa'id and the Mughiriyya, Arabica 22 (1975), pp. 33-47; id., "Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya and the Janaliiyya: rebels and ideologues of the late Umayyad period', SI 51(1980), pp. 39-57; W. M. Watt, 'Shi'ism under the Umayyads', JRAS 1960, pp. 158-172; J. WeiThausen, The Religio-Political Factions in Early Islam, trans. from German by R.C. Ostle and S.M. Waizer, ed. by R.C. Ostle, Amsterdam 1975, pp. 95-167. 2M. A. Shaban, The 'Abbasid Revolution, Cambridge 1970; M. Sharon, Black Banners from the East, Leiden 1983; P. Crone, 'On the Meaning of the 'Abbãsid Call to al-Rüã', The Islamic World from the Classical to Modern Times: Essays in honour of Bernard Lewis, C. E. Bosworth (et a!) eds., Princeton, N.J. 1989. 3w. Madelung, 'The Hãshimiyyã: of al-Kumayt and Hãshimi Shi'ism', SI 1989, pp. 5-26. 4H. Kennedy, The Early Abbasid Caliphate: a political history, London 1981, pp. 198- 213; F. Omar, The 'Abbãsid Caliphate, Baghdad 1969, pp. 211-257; B. Lewis, art. 'Alids in E12. 12 Irnãmi Shi'ism5 (which later developed into Twelver Shi'ism)6 is generally believed to have begun to emerge as a distinct Shi'i group in the early 'Abbasid period during the time of Ja'far al-Sadiq (d. 148 A.H.) who, according to Imãmi belief, was the sixth of a line of Imãms beginning with 'All. The contribution of al-$adiq and his circle of scholars to the establishment and survival of Imãmi Shi'ism has been recognized by western scholarship for some time, and was the subject of a well known article by Hodgson.7 Imãmism distinguished itself from other ShT'i groups by a 51n this study the term Imãmi refers to those Shi'ites who were mostly called Rãfia by the Muslim heresiographers and were distinguished from other groups such as the Zaydiyya, the Kaysaniyya, and the Rawandiyya (the 'Abbãsid Shi'a), and whose doctrines and beliefs were subsequently incorporated into Twelver Shi'ism.
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