This study examines the relationship of Sir Sayyid Ahmad $ underline{ rm Kh}$an with the Indian $ sp{ rm c}$ulama'. As part of his reform movement, and in particular through his journal Tahzibu'l-Akhlaq, Sir Sayyid launched a severe attack on the $ sp{ rm c}$ulama'. He held the $ sp{ rm c}$ulama' directly responsible for leading the community to the verge of disintegration. For their part, the $ sp{ rm c}$ulama' thinspace's opposition to Sir Sayyid seems to have been inspired not so much by the theological ideas of Sir Sayyid as by the $ sp{ rm c}$ulama' thinspace's perception that Sir Sayyid's ideas, criticism and his reform movement in general were a challenge to their position and role in society. / The $ sp{ rm c}$ulama' thinspace's opposition was venomous but, for a variety of reasons, it did not prove strong enough to deal a mortal blow to the reform movement of Sir Sayyid.

Miskawayh's theory of intellect is the subject of this thesis; in addition, the historical and conceptual sources--Greek and Islamic--that were to shape Miskawayh's noetic are examined. The first part of this thesis examines the Greek tradition and its first most complete work dealing with the intellect, Aristotle's De Anima. Then, Alexander of Aphrodisias' noetic, as it is found in his Risalah fi/ 'Aql, Plotinus' conception of Intelligence, as it occurs in his Theologia Aristotelis and Proclus' conception of Intelligence, as it occurs in his Liber de Causis and finally, Themistius' noetic which is elaborated in his commentary of Aristotle's De Anima will be examined and evaluated in relation to Miskawayh's noetic. The second part of this thesis examines the Islamic tradition. The noetics of al-Kindiand of al-Farabi elaborated in their respective Risalah fi al-'Aql, are examined. In spite of Miskawayh's apparent shunning of his Islamic tradition, he is greatly influenced by it. The last part of this thesis examines Miskawayh's noetic as it can be reconstructed from his works: the Risalah fi al-Nafs wa al-'Aql, the al-Fawz al-Asghar and the Tahdhib al-Akhlaq. However, the use of the Risalah fial- 'Aql wa al-Ma'qul, a text attributed to Miskawayh, for the reconstruction of Miskawayh's noetic is more problematic. At he end of this study, it will appear that Miskawayh's noetic is indebted to both Greek and Islamic traditions. In spite of Miskawayh's explicit emphasis on Aristotelian aspects, he implicitly adheres to cosmological and anthropological speculations belonging to his Islamic tradition, which in turn, are greatly influenced by Neoplatonism. Thus Miskawayh, in an attempt to revive and utilize the Greek heritage, operated a rearticulation of the noeticsphere.

Convinced that "true" Islam had become distorted at the hand of the ahl al-bida' (the innovators) such as the philosophers, the mutakallimun, the sufis and the Shi'ites, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328) not only refutes their fundamental views but also their Qur'anic hermeneutics, especially their ta'wil, through which "un-Islamic" views were imposed on the words of the Qur'an. This concern leads him to write his Muqaddima fi Usul al-Tafsir (An Introduction to Principles of Qur'anic Interpretation) which this thesis focuses on. In his principles, Ibn Taymiyya lays strong emphasis on the tafsir bi al-ma'thur and the authority of the salaf (the Companions of the Prophet and their Followers), adducing many new arguments in support of this position. He believes that the Qur'an had been explained in its entirety by the Prophet to his Companions, and the latter passed this understanding on to the tabi'un. This view leads him to rationalize claiming that the salaf's sayings always can be explained, and to oppose the use of reason in determining the meaning of the scripture. Ibn Taymiyya did not leave behind a complete commentary on the Qur'an. However, his principles of tafsir not only show much originality, they have also been very influential. In fact, his influence in this respect is not limited to medieval thinkers like Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Ibn Kathir, al-Zarkashi and al-Suyuti but extends to modern writers as well.

This thesis studies in a comparative framework the impact of colonial experience on the religious and social thought of two modernists, Ahmad Kh an of India and Ahmad Hassan of Indonesia. At the religious level, both modernists were much concerned with the purification of Islam. They called upon the Muslims to return to the Qur' an and hadith, abandon taqlid and to undertake ijtihad. Ahmad Kh an, influenced by the natural sciences and rationalism of the West, was also inclined to interpret Islam in a naturalistic and rational manner. Ahmad Hassan, on the other hand, was very much preoccupied with the purification of Islam and the return to the Qur' an and hadith, and was little influenced by the Western impact through colonialism. At the social level, both modernists considered education to be the essential means to social betterment. But whereas Ahmad Kh an also believed in cooperation with the British, Ahmad Hassan was opposed to the Dutch. / This study concludes by showing that, given the Western colonial experience, Ahmad Kh an's socio-religious thought was rational, realistic, liberal and dynamic. While Ahmad Hassan too lived in a colonial society, his socio-religious thought was puritanical, defensive and ideological.

This thesis highlights a new interpretation of the writings of Ibn Taymiyya. Previous scholarship has stressed the legalistic, social or religious aspect, often at the expense of the philosophical content of Ibn Taymiyya's works. The explanatory insight of a study on the theory of knowledge, hitherto neglected, is evidenced by its capability to demonstrate the convergence of elementary, religious, intuitive and rational principles. The theory illustrates the concerns of a synthetic mind whose attempt was to broaden and not restrict the domain of knowledge vis-a-vis the Divine. Knowledge is not man's privilege and is available to all of creation. All created entities have the capacity to know their Creator. This thesis attempts to shed light on the mechanisms of the acquisition of knowledge about the Divine in their modes of availability to the creatures and to man. Tensions of the human predicament thus participate in the logical framework of the discussion. The attempt is to define the domain of knowledge, its components, and its parameters in the quest for a perfect acquisition of knowledge.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.