Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology Carl Ernst Reli 180, Introduction to...
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Transcript of Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology Carl Ernst Reli 180, Introduction to...
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
2
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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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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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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