Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology

Carl Ernst

Reli 180, Introduction to Islamic Civilization

Overview

Intellectual understanding of Islamic doctrine, ritual, and ethics in process of formation

New definitions of Islam formulated against multiple encounters with older religious traditions

1.Law 2. Sufism

3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

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1. Origins of Islamic law

Probably 500 [not 80] of 6500 verses in Qur’an have legal application

Diverse local non-Islamic traditions and administrative rulings used for legal decisions

Articulation of distinctively Islamic legal rulings by scholars without official government positions

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Evolving Islamic law

Use of Prophetic example (sunnah) in addition to Qur’an Sunni

Elaboration of hadith literature by 875, rejection of thousands of fake hadith

Legal school (madhhab) formation around leading scholars

Caliph’s forced imposition of Mu`tazili rationalism resisted by Hanbali legal school

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Development of Shari`a (the ideal of God’s law)

Shafi`i (d. 820) and doctrine of four sources of Shari`a: Qur’an, sunnah, analogy, consensus of scholars

Emergence of four major Sunni schools:Hanafi – Abu Hanifa (d. 767) Syria and East

Maliki – Malik ibn Anas (d. 796), N. Africa

Shafi`i – al-Shafi`i, Egypt, Yemen, E. Africa

Hanbali – Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 857) in Baghdad and Syria (Saudi Arabia today)

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Other schools

Kharijites morph into Ibadi school (Oman, Tunisia)

Shi`is:12ers are Ja`fari (Ja`far al-Sadiq, 6th Imam)

Fatimids (Isma`ilis) developed distinctive school

Zaydis also have a school

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Shari`a in the world

Norms for living a godly life

Development of misogyny in gender roles, marriage and divorce (many ancient sources), consequent seclusion of women

Qadi courts vs. state justice

Communitarian sense of Sunni Islam

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2. Sufism

Asceticism (self-denial): suf = wool; disapproval of Umayyad worldliness

Mysticism (seeking closeness to God beyond reason)

Spirituality (cultivating inner life)

Contact with Jews and Christian monks

Hasan al-Basri (d. 728) and weepers

Rabi`a (d. 801) and love of God

Psychological disciplines of inner path

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“whirling dervishes” (Sufi group)

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Limits of Transcendence

Union with God: “passing away” of self, “eternity” [not ‘survival’] in God

Friends of God: “saints”; analogy with Shi`i imams

Trial of al-Hallaj (executed 922 in Baghdad): “I am the Truth!” (actually convicted on home pilgrimage ritual)

Junayd and the identification of Sufism in accordance with Islamic ethics

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3. Science and Philosophy

Heritage of Greek science in Persia (Jundishapur), logic

Astronomy and astronomy patronized by Arab princes along with medicine, alchemy

Al-Ma’mun establishes House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) as translation and research center, ca. 800

Christians, Jews, Sabian pagans (Thabit ibn Qurra’) involved in scientific research

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Scientists

al-Khwarizmi and the development of algebra “algorithm”

Later institutions: observatories, hospitals

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Philosophy

Plato, Aristotle, “Neoplatonism” of Plotinus

Notion of the First Cause = the One, from which Intellect and Soul emanate (impact on Christian and Jewish thinkers)

Al-Farabi and the Prophet as Philosopher-King: philosophy as truth, revelation as a public version of that truth in symbols

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Aristotle teaching (Arabic manuscript in British Museum)

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4. Islamic Theology

Theology as rational investigation of scripture to understand God and creation

Debates with sophisticated representatives of other religions: origins of evil, free will, judgment, God’s will vs. justice, etc.

5 principles of Mu`tazilites: Justice, unity, [promise/threat, intermediate position of sinner, commanding good and forbidding evil]

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Islamic theology (cont’d)

Literalism in the Hanbali school: accepting scripture “without asking how”

Al-Ash`ari (d. 935) and the doctrine of uncreated Qur’an; God creates all acts, but humans acquire responsibility

Shi`ism seeks divine will in charismatic leaders, while Sunnis look in texts

Early importance of Iraq for development of intellectual disciplines

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Overview

Intellectual understanding of Islamic doctrine, ritual, and ethics in process of formation

New definitions of Islam formulated against multiple encounters with older religious traditions

1.Law 2. Sufism

3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

17