Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Göttingen, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-155).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Göttingen, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-155).

This thesis has three major objectives which are inter-related. Firstly, it investigates some important aspects of the traditional history of the Malay Archipelago, the early development of Islamic thought, culture and the religious traditions which is represented by the Kitab Jawi. The history and development of the Kitab Jawi and its contribution to the traditional Islamic heritage are explored. This development was accompanied by the emergence of traditional scholars ('ulamā') such as Nūr al-Dīn al-Rānīrī (d. 1666, Acheh), Shams al-Dīn al-Sumatrānī (d. 1630, Sumatra), 'Abd al-Ṣamad al-Falembānī (d. 1764, Palembang), Raja 'Alī al-Hājī (d. 1784, Johor-Riau), Muḥammad Arshad al-Banjārī (b. 1812, Banjarmasin), Dā'ūd b. 'Abd Allah b Idrīs al-Faṭānī (d. 1840, Patani), 'Abd al-Ṣamad b Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ (Tuan Tabal) (d. 1840, Kelantan), Sayyid 'Uthmān b Yaḥyā al-Betāwī (d. 1886, Batavia or Jakarta), and their contribution to the Kitab Jawi tradition is examined in detail. Secondly, the theological discussion among the traditional scholars became a dominant factor in intellectual circles as a result of the popularity of and high demand for theological disciplines among the masses, the high position accorded to these scholars and their close relationship with the sultans or rajas. Among the disciplines of theology is the 'ilm al-Tauḥīd (the Unity of Allah) in which Sanūsī's Umm al-Barāhīn played a very vital role. The most notable feature of this creed is the teaching of Sifat Dua Puluh (the Twenty Attributes of Allah) as the result of which this teaching became the basic religious teaching among the people of the Malay Archipelago. The present study attempts to show how strong the effects of this teaching have been and how it has survived through the centuries. Finally, an annotated translation of a Jawi text of Umm al-Barāhīn is followed by a detailed analysis of the text in relation to the Twenty Attributes. A brief conclusion attempts to draw these strands together and to assess their importance for Islam in the Malay Archipelago.

Originally presented as the editor's thesis (doctoral). / Includes bibliographical references (p. 498-507).

The ancient Arabs used poetry not only to entertain themselves in the midst of their harsh life in the Arabian desert, but also to proclaim their cultural values, which were the moral-spiritual and material basis of their nomad society. Composing poetry therefore was almost a sacred rite for them. Its recitation in particular, was a main feature of certain ritual customs held annually during the aswaq (sg. suq , festival) season. The most common themes touched upon were the attributes of which a tribe may have been particularly proud, such as its victories and generosity to the vanquished, the bravery of its heroes in battle and on hard journeys, the beauty of its women and of nature, the genealogy of the tribe, and prayers to the Almighty. / Through verse the ancient Arabs expressed how they conceived of their deities, whether, idols representing various gods and goddesses, or Allah. These verses make it clear that Allah alone was not represented by any idol, allowing us to infer that He was regarded as superior to other deities. This thesis, therefore, attempts to show how the ancient Arabs expressed through poetry their belief in Allah as the Lord of Gods, which was the true nature of their ancestral belief, the h&dotbelow;anifiyya, the religion of their forefathers Abraham and Ishmael.

No description available.

This thesis will examine how the Islamic concept of tawḥid ("monotheism") was understood, and perhaps more importantly, experienced by the 12th/13th Sufi, Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240), also known as al-Shaykh al-Akbar ("The Greatest Master"). It has been argued that tawḥid is not simply a belief but also an operation, that is to say, a continual process whereby the literal meaning of tawḥid ("asserting oneness") is upheld. This understanding of tawḥid implies a certain dualism which for Ibn 'Arabi is a reflection of the two perspectives which express God's oneness, namely, tanzih ("transcendence"), which literally means "declaring something to be pure and free of something else," and tashbih ("immanence"), of which the literal meaning is "declaring something to be similar to something else." As can be seen, tanzih and tashbih are mutually contradictory and thus present tawḥid as a paradox. However, for Ibn 'Arabi, it is essential to not ignore any one perspective in favor of the other. For him, the paradox can and must be reconciled through the power of khayal, or imagination, which alone has the ability to combine opposites and thus, bridge the gap between tanzih and tashbih , thereby allowing for the experience of tawḥid .

No description available.

This study is purposed to show how the Christian and Islamic concepts of monotheism are paradigms and thus, argues that the concept of paradigm, as a method of inquiry, can be a basis for analysing and exposing the conflictive differences and seeming similarities between the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism.  Taking its ideas of the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism from the Christian Trinity and Islamic Tawhid respectively, this study argues that the Christians and Muslims construct their identities from these paradigms as Trinitarian faith and Tawhidic faith respectively.  It investigates the fundamental principles of Islam and Christianity as constituting the <i>belief formulae</i> wrapped in the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism. Therefore, analysing the issues of identity and alterity, the ideological oppositions, and orthodoxy claims intertwined in the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism, this study examines the conflict of interpretations with reference to the nature of God, Christology/<i>’Isalogy</i>, Maryology and the lines of defining Christians and Muslims as ‘binary opposites’.  It further argues for a transformational intersubjectivity as a necessary condition to authentic communication between Christians and Muslims by analysing the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism from the philosophies of dialogue. Using in places the framework of critical discourse analysis (CDA), this study analyses the empirical data of  <i>A Common Word</i> and reavels the underlying problems of ideologies, dichotomies, identity constructions and orthodoxy claims that are associated with the paradigms of Trinitarianism and Tawhidism.  This study observes that groups of Christians and Muslims, through various conferences and workshops were able to reach some compromise on interfaith matters.

The problem of Divine Attributes had been one of the most central issues in the theological disuussions of the Muslims over which (along with other issues) the world of Islam was divided into numerous sects. In the present study we have tried to look at the problem through the discussions of al-Ghazali who is the most representative of orthodox Islam. Indeed, until the coming of al-Ghazâli in the 11th and l2th centuries no serious thinker after al-Ashtari was able to challenge the Muctazilah sect over the matters of creed. The core of this thesis is the translation of the part pertinent to the problems of Divine Attributes in his book Al-Iqtisad fil Iticad which he hlmself considered the most authoritative statement on the creed. While translating we showed the variations among the different manuscripts; thus our translation, we hope, also bears the characteristics of an edition critique. In order to make our rendering of al-Ghazâli intelligible, an attempt has been made to elucidate the method employed by al-Ghazâli. Our purpose, besides studying al-Ghazâli has been to show also the development of the theological thinking, both historically and philosophically, around the problem of Divine Attributes; thus we hope to have offered a better understanding of al-Ghazali, the philosopher-theologian, and also to have looked into the problem in a general and comprehensive way.