Ittiba', Ijtihad, and Taqlid are three important concepts that affect one’s practice of Islam whether he is a scholar or an ordinary Muslim. Ittiba' is "obedience", or the understanding of whom we should follow and give our obedience to in practicing or living by our religion. Ijtihad is to strive with utmost sincerity in arriving at the truth or the resolution of a problem. And taqlid is "blind imitation" or accepting the opinion or judgment of a person or a group without checking for its validity or evidence, believing that it is always correct. One who engages in taqlid does not consider any contrary opinion even if it may be backed up by authentic evidence from the Sunnah, since he/she believes that his Imam or madhhab is always correct or has the best opinions already. This work shows that Islam teaches us to submit our intellect to none but Allah and accept opinions based on objective evidence regardless of affiliations. It also points out some of the ill effects of taqlid on the ummah.
Abdul-Rahman Mustafa offers a deft new translation of a large extract from the book I'lam al Muwaqqi'in 'An Rabb al 'Alamin, by the thirteenth-century Islamic scholar, Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya. The I'lam comprises an extensive discussion of the subject of taqlid, or legal imitation. It is one of the most comprehensive treatments of Islamic legal theory and even today serves as a manual for mujtahids and muftis. In the portion of the I'lam Mustafa has translated, Ibn Qayyim introduces the nature of taqlid and divides it into several categories. He then provides an account of a debate between a critic of the view that taqlid of a particular school or a scholar is a religious duty and this critic's interlocutor. Among the topics discussed are the different kinds of taqlid, the differences between taqlid and ittibi', the infallibility of religious scholars, the grounds on which one legal opinion might be preferred over another, and whether or not laymen can be expected to perform ijtihad. Ibn Qayyim's legal theory is a formidable reformulation of traditionalist Hanbalism, a legal-theological tradition that has always maintained a distinctive character in Islamic history and that is now growing more influential due to modern interest in the Wahhabi movement and in Ibn Taymiyya, whose legal and theological thought was edited and refined by his student, Ibn Qayyim. In his introduction to the translation, Mustafa critically reviews the scholarship on taqlid and outlines Ibn Qayyim's legal theory and the importance of taqlid within it. Taqlid continues to generate controversy amongst educated Muslims and particularly academics, as Salafi interpretations of Islam, which are generally 'anti-taqlid,' come into conflict with the generally 'pro-taqlid' stance of traditional schools such as the Hanafis. Mustafa's translation of a classic account of Islamic legal theory and strong critique of the dominant legal culture are timely contributions to an increasingly heated debate.
Compilation Series: The Principles of Shari’ah: Texts and Materials is a solid, application-oriented text for students taking law subjects focusing on the Shari’ah matters. Many new features make this edition a richer and stronger learning resource for students. Several factors motivated the authors to write this book. After having the experience in legal field and teaching for more than 20 years, it became clear that there was a definite need for more detail materials in this area. In addition, there was need for a book which would give full recognition to an easier method and the authors felt it was time for a text which would develop the ideas and methods with this in mind. This book covers a thorough discussion of the development of Islamic Law in Malaysia. A major audience for the book will be students studying the law subjects. The order of topics, however, provides a degree of flexibility, so that the book can be of interest to different readers through basic concepts until the advanced concepts (i.e. the discussion of the areas in a very comprehensive manner). The purpose of this book is to take the readers on an introduction to the principles of Shari’ah by which the meaning of such subject at basic level is better understood. Hopefully, this book can be benefited by the readers in their journey to success.
The major theme of this book is authority in Shi`ism with special emphasis on its institutionalization in different historic periods from the beginning of Shi`ism in the Middle Ages to the present. Part I presents new material on important or neglected issues that are at the center of current scholarly debate, including the fundamental relationship between knowledge and authority in pristine Shi`ism, aspects of popular culture in medieval Shi`ism, the institutionalization of religious authority in Shi`ite Iran from the 16th to 18th centuries, and the centralization of religious authority in the 19th century. The editor provides an analysis of the ideological revolution in Shi`ism during the 1970s and 1980s. Important documents and primary sources have been selected for Part II representing the major trends in the history of Shi`ism. With two exceptions, these sources have neither been available in English translation nor easily accessible in the original Arabic or Persian. An extensive introduction by the editor effectively connects Parts I and II of the book.
Over the last two decades we have seen a vast number of books published in the West that treat Islamic fundamentalism as a rising threat to the western values of secularism and democracy. In the last decade scholars began proclaiming an existent or emerging "clash" between East and West, Islam and Christianity, or in the case of Benjamin R. Barber, "Jihad and "McWorld." More recently, some western scholars have offered another interpretation. Focusing on the work of contemporary Muslim intellectuals, these scholars have begun to argue that what we are witnessing, in Islamic contexts, is tantamount to a Reformation. An Islamic Reformation attempts to evaluate this claim through the work of emerging and top scholars in the fields of political science, philosophy, anthropology, religion, history and Middle Eastern studies. The overall goal of this volume is to question the impact of various reformist trends throughout the Middle East. Are we witnessing a growth in fundamentalism or the emergence of an Islamic Reformation? What does religious practice in this region reflect? What is the usefulness of approaching these questions through Christian/Islamic and West/East dichotomies? Unique in its focus and scope, An Islamic Reformation represents an emerging vanguard in the discussion of Islamic religious heritage and practice and its effect on world politics.
Considers the work of nineteenth-century theologian Ibrahim al- B?j?r? and contests the notion of intellectual decline in Islamic thought from the thirteenth through nineteenth centuries. This is a rare study of a late premodern Islamic thinker, Ibrahim al- B?j?r?, a nineteenth-century scholar and rector of Cairos al-Azhar University. Aaron Spevack explores al- B?j?r?s legal, theological, and mystical thought, highlighting its originality and vibrancy in relation to the millennium of scholarship that preceded and informed it, and also detailing its continuing legacy. The book makes a case for the normativity of the Gabrielian Paradigm, the study of law, rational theology, and Sufism, in the person of al- B?j?r?. Soon after his death in 1860, this typical pattern of scholarship would face significant challenges from modernists, reformers, and fundamentalists. Spevack challenges beliefs that rational theology, syllogistic logic, and Sufism were not part of the predominant conception of orthodox scholarship and shows this scholarly archetype has not disappeared as an ideal. In addition, the book contests prevailing beliefs in academic and Muslim circles about intellectual decline from the thirteenth through nineteenth centuries. Spevacks trailblazing book is a lucid survey and deep analysis of the works and ideas of al-B?j?r?. Spevack shows precisely how al-B?j?r? served as an archetypal Sunn? scholar. In the process, he succeeds in evoking the subtlety, sophistication, and dynamism of the postclassical Islamic traditions of theology, mysticism, and jurisprudence. Robert Wisnovsky, McGill University Here is a readable and comprehensive introduction to the intellectual production of one of the last giants of the Sunn? legal tradition in the nineteenth century. Sensitive to the scholars strong affiliation with a millennium-long tradition, this introduction will be appreciated by seasoned scholars and newcomers alike. Ahmad Atif Ahmad, University of California, Santa Barbara Spevacks book is an important corrective to Eurocentric narratives of the nineteenth century that focus solely on Islamic thinkers whose main concern is with European modernity and its challenges while breezily ignoring the continuing tradition of madrasah scholarship in the modern period. Khaled El-Rouayheb, Harvard University
The problem of who should succeed the Prophet has plagued the Islamic community since the time of his death. The Shiites have decided on a successor, but that does not solve who is the lawful marja (or grand ayatollah) of all the Shi'a.
Fakhr al-Din al- Razi (1148 - 1210) wrote prolifically in the disciplines of theology, Quranic exegesis, and philosophy; composing treatises on jurisprudence, medicine, physiognomy, astronomy, and astrology. His body of work marks a momentous turning point in the Islamic tradition and his influence is striking within the post-classical Islamic tradition. Razi investigates his transformative contributions to the Islamic intellectual tradition.
