A clearly significant objective of political Islam is to assist Muslims to establish a lawful government or caliphate which is in turn capable of safeguarding the interests of the Ummah and the purity of religion as well. Since religion is a most sensitive issue to the Muslim, and more especially to the `Ulama, we find that many of the disturbances and great political unrest occurring in the world of Islam have been, to a large extent, due to the failure of the ruling government to attain this objective. The achievement of the `Abbasid party in the overthrow of the Umayyads in the early decades of the second century Hijri (eight century Masihi) was very much related to such a failure. Thus, this change not only substituted one dynasty for another, but further had substantial and far-reaching political, religious and social consequences. Inasmuch as this study is deeply concerned with the fundamental task of the `Ulama, I have therefore attempted to view and inspect all circumstances in accordance with the orthodox standpoint. Hence, in chapter one of this study, I endeavour to examine the causes which brought the `Abbasids to power, as well as the reasons for the fall of the Umayyad caliphate. Since it is apparent that this change could hardly have succeeded without the cooperation and support of the `Ulama who controlled the masses at that time, in chapter two, a full discussion of the nature, purpose and institution of the `Ulama in the contemporareous Muslim community is provided. This reveals the true features and characteristics of the `Ulama in a real religious sense rather than in the ordinary meaning of `learned men' or `scholars'. Yet, assuming the roles and activities of the `Ulama were extremely wide (while, of necessity, space here is limited), discussion has accordingly been focussed in the following chapters on scrutinizing the central role of the `Ulama in the field of jurisprudence. Thus, in chapter three, the historical development of the different schools of law, as well as the various methodologies introduced and employed by each school, are examined. The effect of these developments is treated in chapter four, where we consider the growth of the four orthodox <i>madhhabs</i> and the points of difference between these schools of law. Chapter five deals exclusively with the development of <i>ijtihad</i>, the key factor which keeps the legal system of Islam functioning, flexible and acceptable. The rise of various problems in the community forced the `Ulama to adopt new solutions, and this made the process of <i>ijtihad</i> alive and variable. But, the glory of this development was disturbed when Caliph al-Ma'mun moved from orthodoxy to rationalism, and started to persecute those who opposed him. The result of this <i>mihnah</i> (inquisition) raised enmity and controversy between the Traditionalists and the Rationalists which consequently effected the development of ijtihad. This is carefully discussed in chapter six in which we also try to review the idea of <i>taql{i}d</i> that seems to have gained ground in the Muslim community at that time. Since this concept was entirely traditionalist, it is therefore hard to accept it as a legitimate rule of <i>shar{i}'a</i>. Thus, in summing up this study, it is concluded that <i>ijtihad</i> was not only important in keeping the law of <i>shar{i}'a</i> up to date, but also served as an effective channel through which the `Ulama could exercise their mental capacities as well as contributing their services to the Ummah.

Thesis--University of Washington. / Vita. Another copy has number: Thesis 27395. Bibliography: leaves [275]-297.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of History, June 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

No description available.

Proefschrift--Leiden.

Thesis--Bonn. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 9-16).

This dissertation tries to study the reign of al-Qadir billah, the `Abbasid caliph who assumed power in 381/991. It deals with political, economic and religious aspects of his reign in an attempt to give a balanced description of his achievement. / When al-Qadir was appointed caliph the `Abbasid caliphate had already declined politically and economically. The political decline was caused mainly by the soldiers' intervention in politics since the reign of al-Mutawakkil (232/847--247/851) onwards and the take over of the state administration and military control by the amir al-umara. The economic decline resulted from two important factors: first, it was caused by a great decrease in revenues coming from the lands since they were now held by the newly emerging principalities. Second, it was due to the military iqṭas which prevailed during Buwayhid rule and damaged the lands so badly that they could no longer be cultivated. / With this political and economic decline al-Qadir was unable to face the encroachment of the Buwayhids. However, with the support of the Ghaznavids and the increasing weakness of the Buwayhids, al-Qadir tried to exert himself. In 390/1000 he sent a letter to the new qaḍi of Jilan asking him to exhort the people to be loyal to the caliph. He rejected Baha' al-Dawla's appointment of the Sharif al-Musawi to the post of the qaḍi al-quḍat in 394/1003. In 401/1010 he ordered Baha' al-Dawla to crush a deviant ally of the `Abbasids, Qirwash b. Muqallad. He criticized Musharrif al-Dawla's initiative to renew the oath of allegiance of the soldiers in 414/1023 without his permission. And during the conflicts in (419/1028) between the soldiers and the Buwayhid amirs, he succeeded in reconciling both parties and prevented them from fighting. Finally, al-Qadir was also able to appoint his successors without first consulting the Buwayhid amirs. / Realizing that his temporal power was limited, al-Qadir embarked on the Sunnite restoration and made a serious attempt for this purpose. In 408/1017 he demanded that the Ḥanafite-Mu`tazilite jurisconsults and qaḍis make public renounciation of Mu`tazilism and Rafid&dotbelow;ism and banned any Discussion and instruction of all other allegedly Deviant Doctrines. In 420/1029 he wrote three epistles in which he acknowledged the excellence of Sunnite orthodoxy, condemned Mu`tazilism and declared that those who believed in the createdness of the Qur'`ān as fasiq. All these epistles which were obviously inspired by the ideas of the Ḥanbalite Traditionalists were called al-I`tiqad al-Qadiri (the Profession or Creed of al-Qadir). / In maintaining his caliphate, al-Qadir established good relations with scholars of the four schools of law, most significantly with the Malikite al-Baqillani, the Shafi`ite al-Mawardi and the H&dotbelow;anbalite Abu Ya`la. Finally, al-Qadir contributed to the literary Development of the theory of the Sunnite imamate.

This thesis examines the religious policy of the caliph al-Mutawakkil ala Allah, the tenth Abbasid caliph, (232-247/847-861). The study focuses on the following headings: the main features of al-Mutawakkil's life and reign; his attitude towards 1) the Ahl al-Kitab, 2) the orthodox Muslims, 3) the Mu'tazila, 4) the Shi'a, and 5) the Sufis. It is suggested that although al-Mutawakkil's policy toward each of these groups was governed by his own strong orthodoxy, the policy was conditioned chiefly by political factors.

No description available.

This dissertation studies the legal theory and historical practice of land taxation in the Iraqi province of Kūfa in the second/eighth and early third/ninth centuries. In a broader sense, it engages land taxation as an investigative tool through which to examine the relationship between law and politics; capital and empire; and land taxation and conquest in early Islam. It begins by drawing on chronicles, administrative texts, and other narrative works to narrate the history of Kūfa, and of the nearby Sawād, the rich, alluvial plains which provided the Abbasid Empire with its primary source of revenue. Due to their proximity to the Sawād and to the imperial center of Baghdad, Kūfan legal scholars were at the forefront of developing legal theories of land taxation. The following chapters analyze legal texts to reconstruct these theories and trace their reception by scholars outside of Kūfa. Finally, “Common Wealth: Land Taxation in Early Islam” connects legal theories of land taxation to themes of post-conquest governance and political jurisdiction over and through land.