“The sheikh of the translators”

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-175
Author(s):  
Ghada Osman
Keyword(s):  
Original Writing ◽  
Golden Age ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Eighth Century ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
The West ◽  
Islamic History ◽  
Science Philosophy ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Muslim Scholars

With the ascension to power of the Abbasid dynasty in 750 CE and the transfer of the capital of the Muslim Empire to the newly-created city of Baghdad, the middle of the eighth century heralded an era that in Islamic history is referred to as the “Golden Age,” during which period the Muslim world became an unrivaled intellectual center for science, philosophy, medicine, and education. Approximately eighty years after the dynasty’s rise to power, the Abbasid Caliph (ruler) al-Ma’mun (d. 833 CE) established in Baghdad Bayt al-Hikma (the House of Wisdom), an educational institution where Muslim and non-Muslim scholars together sought to gather the world’s knowledge not only via original writing but also through translation. Probably the most well-known and industrious translator of the era was Hunayn ibn Ishaq (d. 873 CE), known in the West by the Latinized name “Joannitius.” Referred to as “the sheikh of the translators,” he is reported to have mastered the four principal languages of his time: Greek, Syriac, Persian, and Arabic. Hunayn is credited with an immense number of translations, ranging from works on medicine, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics, to magic and oneiromancy. This article looks at Hunayn’s work, briefly places this key figure within the translatorial habitus, discusses his methodology towards translation, as described in his own works, and examines that methodology in light of the sociological and sociolinguistic factors of the time.

Islamic Democracy by Numbers

2017 ◽  
pp. 149-164
Author(s):  
Zaheer Kazmi
Keyword(s):  
Religious Violence ◽  
The West ◽  
Islamic History ◽  
Middle Way ◽  
Muslim Scholars

This chapter focuses on the ideological uses of the concept of al wasatiyya, as a means of propagating moderation, by prominent contemporary Muslim scholars engaged in countering extremism. It focuses on the ways in which, through the idea of the “middle way”, a particular theology combines with a majoritarian narrative of Islamic history, politics and civilization to produce a potent synthetic ideology which often serves to exclude, anathematize or marginalize. While it has become a commonplace among liberals to debate the fluid interpretations of Islamic concepts which legitimize violence, less attention, if any, has been given to the equally unstable categories associated with antidotes to religious violence. By deploying the majoritarian dimensions of a concept like “the middle way”, leading scholars today expose the multivalent and volatile nature of theological categories associated with countering extremism. Perhaps, most significantly, it points to some of the limits encountered in searching for correspondence between Islam and the West by way of such categories.

scholarly journals Islamic Banking

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 220-223
Author(s):  
Muhammad Anwar
Keyword(s):  
Financial Intermediation ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
The West ◽  
Banking And Finance ◽  
Islamic Tradition ◽  
Successive Generations ◽  
Muslim Scholars

Islamic Banking is an outstanding example of collaboration among Muslim and non-Muslim scholars interested in integrating "Western-based literature with that developed in the Islamic tradition." Stating that Islamic banking, although widespread, remains "poorly understood" in the Muslim world and an "enigma" in the West, the authors seek to clarify many matters. The book's main themes are Christian and Islamic positions on usurylriba' (chapter 8); the foundations (chapters 2 and 3), theories (chapter 5), application (chapters 5, 6, 7, and 9), and progress (chapters I and 9) of Islamic banking; and an analysis of Islamic banking in light of current theories of financial intermediation (chapter 4) and corporate gov­ernance (chapter 7). The book highlights Islamic and Christian commonalities on issues pertinent to banking and finance. While stating that Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam prohibit usury, "Islam is the only major religion which maintains a prohibition on usury" due to its prominence in the Qur'an. The issue of riba' is perplexing, for despite warnings of severe consequences to those who engage in it, the Qur'an is silent on its exact nature. Unfortunately, successive generations of scholars have so confused matters that no one can say exactly what riba' is. For example, a majority of scholars regarded bank interest as riba' and, therefore, made the need for an interest-free Islamic banking system inevitable, whereas 21 jurists at Egypt's al-Azhar recently proclaimed a ruling that legit­imizes interest ...

Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-337
Author(s):  
Fawzia Bariun
Keyword(s):  
Muslim World ◽  
Frames Of Reference ◽  
The West ◽  
Cultural Orientations ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Multiple Symptoms ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Muslim Scholars

In the last several decades, Muslim and non-Muslim scholars havestudied the causes of the Muslim ummah‘s decline. As thes scholars havedifferent frames of reference and different political and cultural orientations,each group tends to view the issue according to its own understanding.However, the outcome of these studies are marred by major methadologicaldefects that have made it impossible for the authors to move beyond a merecategorization of the multiple symptoms of that malady.Most non-Muslim scholars ascribe the Muslim world’s backwatdness toIslam. Such a conclusion mflects the confmntational stand of the West towardsthe Muslim world. Although the numerous writings on the subject havebeen called ”scientific” and "academic,” in reality they are mostly defensiveand far fmm truly objective.’Muslim thinkers and reformers, while admitting the fact of the ummah’sdisintegration, have reached a different conclusion: Muslims, not Islam, haveto change? Questions as to how and why this change should take place, aswell as to who should undertake it, have remained largely incomplete andinconclusive for a variety of political and cultural circumstances. One majorweakness was that most of the studies were descriptive, as opposed to analytical,in nature. If there were any analysis at all, it was mainly theoretical andsuperficial. The lack of freedom on different levels also interfered with ...

scholarly journals KHAZANAH SAINS DAN MATEMATIKA DALAM ISLAM

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizqon Halal Syah Aji
Keyword(s):  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Positive Relation ◽  
Religion And Science ◽  
The West ◽  
The Subject ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Muslim Scholars

Abstract: Treasures of Science and Mathematics in Islam. Islam is the religion of the civilized. Islam is not just a religion, but a civilization that can be discerned by empirical (teachings) of the progress of human civilization, as well as the subject of the passage of a civilization. Islam has a treasures science and mathematics that have been claimed by the West as a civilization biggest contribution to science. Muslim scholars contribute ideas to the development of science and mathematics cannot be considered minor and denied. Postulates a positive relation of the essence of mathematics is not separated from the phenomenology of the Qur'an will be a proof on the monotheism. The role of Muslim scientists contributed ideas and findings on various things in the science and math adds proof that no dichotomy between religion and science. Phenomenology teachings of monotheism also provide evidence that the positive relationship between revelations against rationality is not mutually contradictory.   Keywords: Science, Mathematics, Muslim Scientist, Phenomenology Abstrak: Khazanah Sains dan Matematika Dalam Islam. Islam merupakan ajaran agama yang beradab. Islam bukan sekedar agama, namun peradaban yang dapat dicerna secara empirik (ajaran) terhadap kemajuan peradaban manusia, sekaligus subjek dari berjalannya sebuah peradaban. Islam mempunyai khasanah sains dan matematika yang selama ini diklaim oleh Barat sebagai sumbangsih terbesar peradabannya dalam ilmu pengetahuan. Sumbangsih pemikiran sarjana Muslim terhadap perkembangan sains dan matematika tidak bisa dianggap kecil dan dinafikan. Relasi positif dari esensi postulat dalam matematika tidak lepas dari fenomenologi Alquran yang memberikan pembuktian akan sebuah nilai ketauhidan. Peran ilmuwan Muslim memberikan kontribusi pemikiran dan temuan atas berbagai hal dalam sains dan matematika menambah pembuktian bahwa tidak adanya dikotomi antara agama dan ilmu pengetahuan. Fenomenologi ajaran tauhid juga memberikan relasi positif terhadap pembuktian bahwa antara wahyu dengan rasionalitas tidak saling bertentangan. Kata kunci: sains, matematika, ilmuwan Muslim, fenomenologiDOI:10.15408/sjsbs.v1i1.1534

scholarly journals Intellectual Influences between the West and the Muslim World – Religious Authority in Transnational Interaction

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen-Lise Johansen Karman
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
Religious Authority ◽  
The West ◽  
Legal Opinions ◽  
Muslim Scholars

Is the scholarly interrelatedness between Muslim scholars in Western Europe and in the Middle East a one-way mode of communication from the traditional loci for Islamic authority to the West? Or does a multidirectional exchange of ideas exist? These questions are addressed by examination of legal opinions on gender issues.

PRINSIP AL-TAYSĪR DALAM FIQH AL-AQALLIYĀT YŪSUF AL-QARAḌĀWĪ

EMPIRISMA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Wahab Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Legal Issues ◽  
Limited Time ◽  
The West ◽  
Muslim Scholar ◽  
Islamic Jurisprudence ◽  
Friday Prayer ◽  
Muslim Minorities ◽  
Muslim Scholars

The Muslim minorities in the West who are currently dealing with a multitude of problem receives attention from Muslim scholars. Syaikh Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī is the first Muslim scholar who attempted to provide a solution to the problems, especially related to the implementation of religious teachings, as he outlined it in the framework of fiqh al-aqalliyāt. In principle, this is not something new in Islamic jurisprudence, because its legal sources are still the same. Nevertheless, this kind of fiqh is different in the sense that it does not merely talk about legal issues, but also the problems of theology and morals that the Muslim minorities in the West are currently dealing with in their relations with non-Muslims. Fiqh al-aqalliyyāt is also characterized by the use of the principle of al-taysīr as clearly prominent in the fatwās by Syaikh Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, such as on the validity of both performing Friday prayer in the morning due to limited time for religious sermon (khuṭbah) and during ẓuhr time in some countries. This article will explore further this principle of al-taysīr in the Qaraḍāwī’s fiqh al-aqalliyyāt. Keywords: Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, Fiqh al-Aqalliyāt, al-Taysīr

Wisdom

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 83-104
Author(s):  
Mohamad Fauzan Noordin
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Golden Age ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Executive Information Systems ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Knowledge Hierarchy ◽  
Muslim Scholars

The levels of knowledge hierarchy (i.e., data, information, knowledge, and wisdom), are described in the Qur’an, the ahadith, and the literature produced during Islamic civilization’s Golden Age. They also have been discussed by western and non-Muslim scholars. However, while implementing and using information and communication technology (ICT), only the first three levels are currently being explored and utilized. Wisdom has not been discussed to any great extent. ICT has designed systems to assist us and has improved our life and work. However, such tools as decision-support systems and executive information systems comprise only data, information, and knowledge. Comprehensiveness does not guarantee the possession of wisdom. Taking things apart is knowledge; putting things together is wisdom. Muslim scholars of the Golden Age analyzed data, drew relationships and interpreted data to create information, identified and determined the pattern to represent knowledge, and understood the foundational principles for the patterns to implement wisdom. Wisdom must be included if ICT is to be complete. People, organizations, and the nation must strive for wisdom as the ultimate goal: from an information society to a knowledge society to a wisdom society, and from information workers to knowledge workers to wisdom workers.

Rashid Rida’s Struggle to Establish A Modern Islamic State

1984 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Assad N. Busool
Keyword(s):  
Tenth Century ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
Reform Movement ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Reform Movements ◽  
Islamic History ◽  
Central Concern ◽  
Arab Muslim ◽  
The World ◽  
Physical Presence

Reform movements are important religious phenomena which haveoccurred throughout Islamic history. Medieval times saw theappearance of religious reformers, such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Taimiyah,Ibn Qayim al-Jawziyah and others; however, these reform activitiesdiffered significantly from the modern reform movement. The medievalreformers worked within Muslim society; it was not necessary to dealwith the external challenge presented by Europe as it was for themodern Muslim reformers after the world of Islam lost its independenceand fell under European rule. The powers of Europe believed that Islamwas the only force that impeded them in their quest for world dominanceand, relying on the strength of their physical presence in Muslimcountries, tried to convince the Muslim peoples tgat Islam was ahindrance to their progress and development.Another problem, no less serious than the first, faced by the modernMuslim reformers was the shocking ignorance of the Muslim peoples oftheir religion and their history. For more than four centuries,scholarship in all areas had been in an unabated state of decline. Thosereligious studies which were produced veered far from the spirit ofIslam, and they were so blurred and burdened with myths and legends,that they served only to confuse the masses.The ‘Ulama were worst of all: strictly rejecting change, they still hadthe mentality of their medieval forebearers against whom al-Ghazali,Ibn Taimiyah and others had fought. Hundreds of years behind thetimes, their central concern was tuqlid (the imitation of that which hadpreceeded them through the ages). For centuries, no one had dared toquestion this heritage or point out the religious innovations it impaired.In conjunction with their questioning of the tuqlid, the modernreformers strove to revive the concept of ijtihad (indmendentjudgement) in religious matters, an idea which had been disallowedsince the tenth century. The first to raiseanew the banner of $tihad inthe Arab Muslim world was Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani; after himSheikh Muhammad ‘Abduh in Egypt, and after him, his friend and ...

A Critique of Modernist Synthesis in Islamic Thought

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-503
Author(s):  
Masudul Alum Choudhury
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Scientific Investigation ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
A Posteriori ◽  
Islamic Thought ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Muslim Scholars

Is it the realm of theoretical constructs or positive applications thatdefines the essence of scientific inquiry? Is there unison between thenormative and the positive, between the inductive and deductivecontents, between perception and reality, between the micro- andmacro-phenomena of reality as technically understood? In short, isthere a possibility for unification of knowledge in modernist epistemologicalcomprehension? Is knowledge perceived in conceptionand application as systemic dichotomy between the purely epistemic(in the metaphysically a priori sense) and the purely ontic (in thepurely positivistically a posteriori sense) at all a reflection of reality?Is knowledge possible in such a dichotomy or plurality?Answers to these foundational questions are primal in order tounderstand a critique of modernist synthesis in Islamic thought thathas been raging among Muslim scholars for some time now. Theconsequences emanating from the modernist approach underlie muchof the nature of development in methodology, thinking, institutions,and behavior in the Muslim world throughout its history. They arefound to pervade more intensively, I will argue here, as the consequenceof a taqlid of modernism among Islamic thinkers. I will thenargue that this debility has arisen not because of a comparativemodem scientific investigation, but due to a failure to fathom theuniqueness of a truly Qur'anic epistemological inquiry in the understandingof the nature of the Islamic socioscientific worldview ...

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document