Transcript Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology

Intellectual disciplines: Law,
Sufism, Philosophy, Theology
Carl Ernst
Reli 180, Introduction to Islamic
Civilization
September 11, 2008
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 8
“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
11
Scientists
al-Khwarizmi and the
development of algebra
 “algorithm”
Later institutions:
observatories, hospitals
12
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 PhilosopherKing: philosophy as truth, revelation as a
public version of that truth in symbols
13
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