Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology

Carl ErnstReli 180, Introduction to Islamic

Civilization

Overview Intellectual understanding of Islamic doctrine, ritual, and ethics in process of formationNew definitions of Islam formulated against multiple encounters with older religious traditions

1.Law 2. Sufism3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

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1. Origins of Islamic lawProbably 500 [not 80] of 6500 verses in Qur’an have legal applicationDiverse local non-Islamic traditions and administrative rulings used for legal decisionsArticulation of distinctively Islamic legal rulings by scholars without official government positions

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Evolving Islamic lawUse of Prophetic example (sunnah) in addition to Qur’an SunniElaboration of hadith literature by 875, rejection of thousands of fake hadithLegal school (madhhab) formation around leading scholarsCaliph’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 scholarsEmergence of four major Sunni schools:

Hanafi – Abu Hanifa (d. 767) Syria and EastMaliki – Malik ibn Anas (d. 796), N. AfricaShafi`i – al-Shafi`i, Egypt, Yemen, E. AfricaHanbali – Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 857) in Baghdad and Syria (Saudi Arabia today)

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Other schoolsKharijites morph into Ibadi school (Oman, Tunisia)Shi`is:

12ers are Ja`fari (Ja`far al-Sadiq, 6th Imam)Fatimids (Isma`ilis) developed distinctive schoolZaydis also have a school

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Shari`a in the worldNorms for living a godly lifeDevelopment of misogyny in gender roles, marriage and divorce (many ancient sources), consequent seclusion of womenQadi courts vs. state justiceCommunitarian sense of Sunni Islam

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2. SufismAsceticism (self-denial): suf = wool; disapproval of Umayyad worldlinessMysticism (seeking closeness to God beyond reason)Spirituality (cultivating inner life)Contact with Jews and Christian monksHasan al-Basri (d. 728) and weepersRabi`a (d. 801) and love of GodPsychological disciplines of inner path

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“whirling dervishes” (Sufi group)

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Limits of TranscendenceUnion with God: “passing away” of self, “eternity” [not ‘survival’] in GodFriends of God: “saints”; analogy with Shi`i imamsTrial 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 PhilosophyHeritage of Greek science in Persia (Jundishapur), logicAstronomy and astronomy patronized by Arab princes along with medicine, alchemyAl-Ma’mun establishes House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) as translation and research center, ca. 800Christians, 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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PhilosophyPlato, Aristotle, “Neoplatonism” of PlotinusNotion 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 TheologyTheology as rational investigation of scripture to understand God and creationDebates 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 responsibilityShi`ism seeks divine will in charismatic leaders, while Sunnis look in textsEarly importance of Iraq for development of intellectual disciplines

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Overview Intellectual understanding of Islamic doctrine, ritual, and ethics in process of formationNew definitions of Islam formulated against multiple encounters with older religious traditions

1.Law 2. Sufism3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

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