A single click. That's how long it takes me to trash your garbage comments.
To all the genuine comments, I don't have time to respond to your comments/feedback since I've been away for a while. I'm busy working on new new stuffs.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Mutazilah Position on the Imamah
The main dispute between the ahl al-Sunnah Wal Jamaah with the Shia was the question of Imammah.
The main proponent of Mutazila sect, Qadi Abd al Jabbar, who was previously a Shafii, and now a hanafi, believed that the rightful leaders for the Ummah were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. He rejected the Shia Imami position that Ali was superior than other calips.
A Zaydi by the name of Manekdim (or Abu-1-Husayn Ahmad) disagreed with the above position.
He presented the following arguments, not from the Shia Imami position but from his own sect the Zaydi.
- The Imam has authority over those who hold the offices of the land (such as qadis/judges).
- The Imam is needed to carry out and enforce divine legislation. (Shi'a generally (refers them as ah1 al-bayt).
- Imam is needed to implement the Shari'a
- Imam functions specifically as mujtahid, one who is entrusted with ijtihad, authority to decide in legal and theological matters.
- Imam is designated/chosen by al-nass
- His view, based on the Zaydi sect, was that the Prophet appointed 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as Imam. His sons Hasan, then Husayn, were appointed, down to the fifth Imam, Zayd ibn 'Ali, and thereafter those (and there could be more than one at a time) who followed in their path.
Reference
[1] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
The main proponent of Mutazila sect, Qadi Abd al Jabbar, who was previously a Shafii, and now a hanafi, believed that the rightful leaders for the Ummah were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. He rejected the Shia Imami position that Ali was superior than other calips.
A Zaydi by the name of Manekdim (or Abu-1-Husayn Ahmad) disagreed with the above position.
He presented the following arguments, not from the Shia Imami position but from his own sect the Zaydi.
- The Imam has authority over those who hold the offices of the land (such as qadis/judges).
- The Imam is needed to carry out and enforce divine legislation. (Shi'a generally (refers them as ah1 al-bayt).
- Imam is needed to implement the Shari'a
- Imam functions specifically as mujtahid, one who is entrusted with ijtihad, authority to decide in legal and theological matters.
- Imam is designated/chosen by al-nass
- His view, based on the Zaydi sect, was that the Prophet appointed 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as Imam. His sons Hasan, then Husayn, were appointed, down to the fifth Imam, Zayd ibn 'Ali, and thereafter those (and there could be more than one at a time) who followed in their path.
Reference
[1] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Qadariya again
This is a continuation of an old post.
The doctrine of al Kalam fi al-Qadar - Major concept in the Qadariya sect
The Beginnings of Kalam - from wikipedia [1]
Briefly, the Qadariya believes that evil and ethically bad things exist in the world not through divine agency but through human agency and other causes. For the Qadariya, God is removed from doing ethically bad and evil acts. [2]
Umayad Opposition to the above doctrine
Caliph 'Abd al-Malik (date: 685-705) and his immediate successors had condemned the doctrine of al-kalam fi 1-qadar because the doctrine was a theological critique of Umayyad rule. [2]
Evidence from the the Quran to support this belief
Chapter 4: Verse 123
References
[1] Wikipedia - Predestination in Islam
[2] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
The doctrine of al Kalam fi al-Qadar - Major concept in the Qadariya sect
The Beginnings of Kalam - from wikipedia [1]
Though nothing definite can be said about the beginnings of 'ilm al-kalam among Muslims, what is certain is that discussion of some of the problems of kalam, such as the issue of predestination (jabr) and free will (ikhtiyar), and that of Divine Justice, became current among Muslims during the first half of the second century of Hijrah. Perhaps the first formal centre of such discussions was the circle of al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110/728-29).
Briefly, the Qadariya believes that evil and ethically bad things exist in the world not through divine agency but through human agency and other causes. For the Qadariya, God is removed from doing ethically bad and evil acts. [2]
Umayad Opposition to the above doctrine
Caliph 'Abd al-Malik (date: 685-705) and his immediate successors had condemned the doctrine of al-kalam fi 1-qadar because the doctrine was a theological critique of Umayyad rule. [2]
Evidence from the the Quran to support this belief
Chapter 4: Verse 123
Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper.
References
[1] Wikipedia - Predestination in Islam
[2] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Five Usul
I am still reading the book [1].
Summary of pages: 60-64
First Principles: Knowledge of God
It is incumbent on all human beings to exercise speculative reason (al-nazar) in order to know God
the rest of what we need to know about religion can't be known until we first know (rationally) that there is a God
The Qadi names four kinds of evidence on which speculative reason (al-nazar) is appropriately based:
- Rational argument (hujjat al-'aql)
- The Book or scripture (al-kitab)
- The paradigmatic practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Sunna)
- And the consensus of the community (ijma')
The early madhab of Mutazilah identify the following five doctrines
1. Divine unity (al-tawhid)
2. Divine justice or theodicy (al-'adl)
3. The promise and the threat (of reward or punishment in the hereafter, al-wa'd wa 1-wa'id)
4. The "intermediate position" on the matter of who is a true Muslim (almanzila bayn al-manzilatayn)
5. Commanding the good and prohibiting evil (al-amr bi 1-ma'ruf wa 1-nahy 'an al-munkar)
Reference
[1] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
Summary of pages: 60-64
First Principles: Knowledge of God
It is incumbent on all human beings to exercise speculative reason (al-nazar) in order to know God
the rest of what we need to know about religion can't be known until we first know (rationally) that there is a God
The Qadi names four kinds of evidence on which speculative reason (al-nazar) is appropriately based:
- Rational argument (hujjat al-'aql)
- The Book or scripture (al-kitab)
- The paradigmatic practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Sunna)
- And the consensus of the community (ijma')
The early madhab of Mutazilah identify the following five doctrines
1. Divine unity (al-tawhid)
2. Divine justice or theodicy (al-'adl)
3. The promise and the threat (of reward or punishment in the hereafter, al-wa'd wa 1-wa'id)
4. The "intermediate position" on the matter of who is a true Muslim (almanzila bayn al-manzilatayn)
5. Commanding the good and prohibiting evil (al-amr bi 1-ma'ruf wa 1-nahy 'an al-munkar)
Reference
[1] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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