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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

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Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology

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  1. Intellectual disciplines: Law, Sufism, Philosophy, Theology Carl Ernst Reli 180, Introduction to Islamic Civilization September 11, 2008

  2. 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 • Law 2. Sufism 3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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)

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. “whirling dervishes” (Sufi group)

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. Scientists al-Khwarizmi and the development of algebra  “algorithm” Later institutions: observatories, hospitals

  13. 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

  14. Aristotle teaching (Arabic manuscript in British Museum)

  15. 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]

  16. 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

  17. 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 • Law 2. Sufism 3. Philosophy & Science 4. Theology

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