Book Review: The Bruce B. Lawrence Reader: Islam beyond Borders by Bruce B. Lawrence

 The Bruce B. Lawrence Reader: Islam beyond Borders by Bruce B. Lawrence

Edited and with an introduction by Ali Altaf Mian

Duke University Press, 2021 (462 pages).

 

Reviewed by Dr Mansur Ali, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Cardiff University (AliMM1@cardiff.ac.uk)

Published in Muslim World Book Review 43(3), pp. 31-37.

 

 

In the name of God, Full of Compassion, Ever Compassionate (ch. 21, p. 368).

 

The Bruce B. Lawrence Reader is a window into the mind of a master scholar (‘allamah) who has spent a lifetime learning and teaching that Islam has much to offer to the world if understood properly. Starting off with Islam as his blank canvas, guided by Shaykh Nizamuddin Awliya’ (d. 1325) at his side, with Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406) and Marshall Hodgson (d. 1968) as his methodological architects and Maqbul Fida Husain (d. 2011) as his sculptor, Bruce Lawrence embarks on a mission ‘to stage an argument for the political purchase and analytical value of compassionate, engaged scholarship on Islam and Muslims.’ Ali Altaf Mian, the editor, writes that ‘Lawrence’s scholarship is one that crosses territorial and disciplinary boundaries to account for Islam’s differences and multiplicity.’ The editor Ali Mian is one of the last students of Lawrence. It is he who has put this Reader together, arranging the materials not chronologically but loosely thematically. He should be commended for this service to knowledge. Ali Mian arranges the 24 essays around 6 themes. Each theme follows a methodological approach in the study of religion: theorising, revaluing, translating, deconstructing, networking and reflecting. The 25^th essay is an interview by the editor with Lawrence from 2018 evoking the latter’s stay at Aligarh Muslim University.

 

The afterward is written by a friend and colleague Yasmin Saika who only has the highest praise for Lawrence. What stands out in reading the 25 essays in this book is that it feels like Lawrence oscillates between a scholar of Islam and an Islamic scholar (chapter 12 feels like the type of stuff one would learn in a khanqa at the feet of a Sufi master); just like the afterward which oscillates between a biographical reflection and a classical Muslim hagiography (tadhkira). Divine intervention led the author of the afterward to the door of Lawrence, ‘At that moment it became clear to me that the voice of the elderly man I had heard in India was the voice of Nizamuddin Awliya’ (p. 434).’ The cover has a beautiful illustration from Lawrence’s friend, the metaphysical secularist, MF Husain’s 2008 painting (ch. 23). The editor has a general introduction in the beginning and then an introductory summary of each section highlighted by using a darker shade of paper. Below are summaries of selected chapters from the Reader sprinkled throughout with my reflections.    

 

Part 1: Theorising Islam (p. 25) helps us to break away from the popular understanding of Islam that has haunted the public psyche: one that is strewn with bullets and strained with blood. One where the body of the Muslim woman is a site of contestation. In contrast, Lawrence asks us to think of Islam differently. He cautions readers against reducing Islam to a single entity, proposes a polysemic view of Islam and to think about Islam in its broadest sense as a civilization project. In chapter 1: Introduction to Shattering the Myth (p. 29), Lawrence draws our attention to the fact that Islam is not inherently violent (this is repeated in numerous chapters including chapter 16) and that the larger role for Islam in the world is one of hope. In the section of many faces of Islam (p. 40) he posits that Islam is not only a religion, but also politics and a worldview. He argues that it is the experience of Muslim women that calls for a more nuanced approach to Islam and global change (see also ch. 15 Shah Bano case for a detailed study on a case related to Muslim women, and ch. 24 for a ‘shattering’ view of some Muslim women vis-a-vis reflection of the divine). 

 

Part 2: Revaluing Muslim Comparativists (p. 100). Revaluing and comparisons are two methodological devices used in the study of religion. They help to shed light on ‘self, society and cosmos.’ In this section, Lawrence conducts a ‘metanalysis’ of four Muslim scholars: Al-Biruni (d. 1048), Al-Shahrastani (d. 1153), Ibn Khaldun and Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (d. 1898). In chapter 5: Al-Biruni: Against the Grain (p. 103), Lawrence discusses al-Biruni, a polymath scientist famous for his history of India. Al-Biruni wrote on disparate topics like geology, exotheology, geography and pharmacology. Chapter 6: Shahrastani on Indian Idol Worship (p. 113) addresses the theme of Indian religion. Here Lawrence revalues a more sympathetic voice on Indian religions. Whilst al-Biruni fell into the twin pitfall of intellectual and political imperialism, Lawrence believes that al-Shahrastani is a gentle admiring foe. In his book on heresiology, al-Milal wa-l-Nihal, al-Shahrastani viewed certain Hindu sects (Vaisnavas and Saivas) through the lens of the Qur’anic ‘Sabians’, thus attributing to them the designation of ahl al-kitab. Lawrence argues that one can only arrive at this reading through a detailed study of al-Shahrastani’s understanding of the Sabians and then juxtaposing this with his view on Hinduism in the section of ara’ al-hind. This chapter (and the next) is a remarkable display of Lawrence’s attention to details and his ability to break down complex ideas into beautifully crafted prose.

Chapter 7: Introduction to Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah (p. 124). The Muqaddimah remains Ibn Khaldun's juridically inspired legacy and linguistically channelled genius. With the verve of a wordsmith and the eye of a forensic analyst, Lawrence lays bare for us the analytical purchase of the full title of the Muqaddimah, a simultaneous play on grammar, history and tradition (p.133). For Lawrence, Ibn Khaldun's uniqueness lies in his simultaneously being a jurist as well as a litterateur for whom attention to words, both denotation and connotation, are paramount. His novelty lies in linguistics, to use old terms in new ways and to shed light on words that may reveal deeper layers of reflection. For Lawrence, it is ‘asabiyya, or the collective will, a peculiar type of ijma that permeates the entire Muqaddimah. Harking to the modern period, Lawrence focuses on another educator and thinker, Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (ch. 8, p. 142). The focus of this article is to show that Khan was not antithetical to Sufism and his co-religionists can find in him a worthy paradigm to emulate. Lawrence makes this argument through a quantitative and qualitative study of the writings of Khan pre-1870 especially his zealous favouring of Naqshbandi masters from his own family lineage. It was surprising to read that a modernist like Khan vehemently defended a controversial concept such tasawwur e shaykh (visualising the Sufi master) using rational arguments.  

Part 3 Translating Sufism (p. 161). All translations are acts of interpretation. Translations take up many forms be they translations of dicta from one language to another or translating meaning and culture from one civilisation to another. In this part, Lawrence masterfully translates for us the meaning and essence of institutional Sufism. In chapter 9: Can Sufi Texts be Translated? (p. 165), starting with the idea that an act of translation is closer to speech than writing, Lawrence wrestles with how best to translate Sufi poetry from one hybrid language (Indo-Persian) to another (American English). Should a translation be a surrogate for the source language or depend heavily (i.e., be contingent) on it? Can a coeval translation ever be achieved? Through a demonstration of different iterations of his translation of Nizamuddin Awliya’s Morals of the Heart, Lawrence affirms that it is possible, but not without a linguistic fight. Related to this is another type of translating, one that does not require translating from a source language to a target language but translating the difference between a performative activity and an introspection. In ‘Allah Remembered’ (ch. 12, p. 218), Lawrence raises the problem of translating a single word, ‘dhikr’. Is it an invocation or is it a remembrance? Is dhikr part of an inventory of activities, or is it an intense inward-looking introspection? It should be noted that this difference of understanding of the word ‘dhikr’ also plays out in Islamic law (Qur’an, 62:9). Should the Friday sermon be delivered in Arabic because it is an invocation, or should it be given in the target language of the audience because it is a reminder?

If all translations are acts of interpretation, how do we interpret the pendulum swing of the ‘rise and decline’ of institutional Sufism? In chapter 10: What is a Sufi order? (p. 176), Lawrence and his co-author debunk the orientalist ‘golden age syndrome’ in general and Trimingham’s Protestant-inspired tripartite history (ancient-medieval-modern) of the ‘rise and decline of Sufism’ in particular. For them, it is not so much ‘rise and decline’ but an ongoing tension and paradox between utopia and renewal (tajdid). By using the history of the Chishti order as a case study, the authors draw up a five-division historical category based on faithfulness to Chishti norms and values and not on greatness and decline. In similar vein, chapter 11: Sufism and Neo-Sufism (p. 191) is a broad-brush history of Sufism from the 19^th to the 21^st century. The 19^th century has been described as the century of African Sufism, the 20^th as the century of Asian Sufism and the 21^st as the century of Euro-American Sufism. Both 19th and 20^th century Sufis were engrossed in opposition and resistance to colonialism. This debunks the destructive dichotomy of ‘good Muslim/bad Muslim’ with the former being identified with those who are politically inactive, especially Sufism. The 21^st century ushers in the problem of democratization of knowledge and the commercialisation of spirituality and Sufi paraphernalia. It is also the era where Sufism acutely transcends Islam (through the works of the likes Inayat Khan), giving the impression that Sufism is all about feeling good and having a wonderful experience. For this reason, some scholars are now making a distinction between Sufism and tasawwuf, the latter including within it the entire gamut of Sufi practices including self-imposed mujahada (hardship).   

Part 4. Deconstructing religious modernity (p. 229). Deconstruction as a heuristic device helps to break down complex ideas into small segments to pursue microanalysis. This in return leads to a synthesis of ideas to paint a more nuanced and accurate picture of reality. In this section, the chapters are threaded together as a way to challenge the cliché that Islam is a religion of terror. The first three chapters of the section deal with an accurate analysis of why ‘extremism’ exists in Islam, the fourth chapter deals with how Muslims are on the receiving end of extremism. The crux of chapter 13: Fundamentalism as a Religious Ideology in Multiple Contexts (p. 233) is that fundamentalism is an ideology which conjoins truth with meaning. It is modern phenomenon borne out of tensions created by the modern world, and especially the modern nation state.  It has historical antecedents but no ideological precursor. It is religious nevertheless clearly because it borrows from the resources of scripture and religious ideas. This is what distinguishes fundamentalism from other separatist movements. Chapter 15 (p. 262) on Osama bin Laden hones in on this further. Bin Laden is a modernist in the sense that his mission mimics those of secular separatist movements like the Red Brigades and ultra-left groups that practiced terrorism in Europe in the 1970s, but with an Islamic flare. In this sense Bin Laden is a counterterrorist, and his mission can only be understood against the backdrop of American imperialism and foreign policies. The Shah Bano (d. 1992) case, on the other hand (ch. 14, p. 255). highlights the precarious nature of living as a Muslim minority and having parallel legal systems especially when it is applied ad hoc. It also throws light on identity politics, raising the question who has the right to speak on behalf of the Muslim community and also, what is the meaning of subjectivity as a Muslim (woman).

 

In chapter 16: Muslim Engagement with Violence (p. 274), Lawrence traces the genealogy of violence in Islam. He poses several pertinent questions: Do we begin with 9/11 or 611? Is violence waged by an Islamic empire or nation always an expression of jihad or religious violence? Is warfare, when declared by a Muslim ruler, always and everywhere a reflex of Islamic norms and values? Starting with 611, Lawrence draws upon the sirah of the Prophet. There he demonstrates that Muslims were on the receiving end of violence. It was only in the latter 10 years of his ministry that Muhammad used violence as a survival strategy. Though the Prophet had forsaken violence, he did not embrace it (p. 279). For Lawrence, Jihad as a doctrine of military warfare was only fully realised as a reaction to the Crusaders. Jihad was a product of the rise of Islam and not its cause (p. 282). In the modern period, nearly all Islamic violence was a result of European meddling, first in the form of revival, then reform and then fundamentalism. ‘All these revivalist movements were violent, yet they followed a pattern of responsive violence’ (p. 294). Lawrence argues that while on the face of it Bin Laden's mission seems to mimic 611 (Islam being an axis of hope), Bin Laden's hope is deferred since it cannot be achieved in this world. This is where his message separates from the Prophet’s teaching. And it is Lawrence plea to the majority of Muslims to prepare for an eventuality beyond the diatribe of apocalyptic doomsayers. 

 

Part 5 Networking Muslim Citizenship (p. 305). The fifth methodology for the study of Islam used by Lawrence is networking. The ummah is a network of disparate beings with their different beliefs and practices, and yet all are joined through the ummatic node. Lawrence advocates a kaleidoscopic approach where polyvalence is celebrated and prejudice is shunned. In chapter 18: W.D. Muhammad : The Qur’an as a Guide to Racial Equality (p. 327), Lawrence posits that W.D. Muhammad’s (WDM) mission was to lead his community from a separatist black movement to true ‘al-Islam’. In this WDM has the double challenge of plugging into (i.e., networking) a bigger culture (ummah) whilst maintaining his own community’s indigenous identities (as blacks) on the one hand, and to educate wider communities of the perils of racism on the other. For WDM, emancipation can only happen when true Islam and the Qur’an are properly understood. In a brilliant hermeneutical move, WDM relates the rabb al-‘alamin in the opening chapter with knowledge (‘ilm due to the same root). Thus, Allah is the ‘Lord of Systems of Knowledge’. It is this system of knowledge drafted in the cosmic book (i.e., the God created world) that can lead Black Americans to salvation, as it could have led black slaves to emancipation (through learning to navigate the skies) even though they could not read. After all wasn't the Prophet an ummi?

 

Chapter 20: AIDS Victims and Sick Women: Qur’an as Prescriptions for Mercy (p. 345) discusses another type of networking, one that involves horizontal, vertical and electronic networking. ta’widh or amulets have been used by Muslim healers from the beginning of Islam to ward off evil presence or cure ailments. The ta’widh, tied on the neck, is a petition and communication with God to cure the patient. In the age of the Internet and networked computers, cyberspace is not only used as a tool for information, but also a network through the electronic veins of which divine healings are transmitted from healer to patient. In the case of this chapter, they flow from an Indonesian Sufi master to women afflicted with the AIDS virus.

 

Part 6: Reflecting the Divine Other in Words and Images (p. 351). Reflecting as a methodological tool sits at the heart of Islam. What is Islam if not reflection (tadabbur, tafakkur, fiqh, dhikr, ‘ilm, ‘aql)? In chapter 21: Approximating Saj’ in English Rendition of the Qur’an (p. 351), Lawrence raises an interesting point. He argues that Muslim translators are no better than non-Muslim translators in expressing the lyrical prose of the Qur’an. Lawrence shows high regard for Shawkat Toorawa whom he calls, ‘a superb linguist with a musical ear.’ For Lawrence, Toorawa's rendition of the basmala as ‘In the name of God, Full of  Compassion, Ever Compassionate' not only captures the meaning of the verse accurately, but also captures the mood. Rahman and Rahim here are being translated not as derived nouns (ism mushtaq), but qualifying adjectives (sifa) for God, One who not only is full of compassion, but whose compassion is marked by an unending reflex to project compassion.

 

This Reader is only the tip of the iceberg of Lawrence’s intellectual oeuvre. The Reader closes with an annotated bibliography of Lawrence’s writing spanning half a century of scholarship on polar opposite topics such as Sufism and terrorism to controversial public figures like Osama bin Laden and Maqbul Fida Husain. What is missing from his oeuvre is any serious scholarship on Hadith. I would invite the author to also address this area in the future. It was a joy to read this edited collection and I would recommend it to any serious student of Islam.

 

 

Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal of Its Religious and Ideological Foundations: A Review

Review: Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal of Its Religious and Ideological Foundations, by Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, (Sacred Knowledge press, 2015), £6.95.

Reviewed by Mansur Ali

This is an easy to read book written in clear English prose. Shaykh Muhammad Yaqoubi’s methodology is to present a scholarly robust and yet simple rebuttal of the ISIS methodology without resorting to academic pedantry. Unlike similar books on the abstract subject of terrorism, this book is written by keeping in mind those people whose encounter with ISIS is not a distant news report but their bitter ground reality. The book is to appeal to five types of audiences: (1) the vulnerable Muslim youth who sees in the ISIS propaganda a religiously sanctioned outlet for his machismo; (2) The ISIS neophyte who is in dire need of weaning out of his terrible liminality by demonstrating that the ISIS ‘gangster’ methodology has no place in Islam; (3) the average Muslim who is perplexed by some of the theological and legal challenges brought about as a result of the emergence of ISIS; (4) fighters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), to pacify their conscience that not only is it Islamically legitimate to fight ISIS but it’s a religious obligation for those in the region to do so; finally (5) to silence the annoyingly clanging crescendo of Western politicians and critics that Muslim scholars are not speaking out against ISIS.  One only needs to enter the search criterion ‘Muslim scholars condemn ISIS’ in to Google search to see how far from the truth their contention is.  

The crux of the book, which really is a fatwa is simple: ISIS is a modern mutation of the terrorist group which emerged in the formative period of Islam known as the Khawarij. There are differences of opinion regarding the Islam of the Khawarij, however the author opts for the opinion that they are not Muslims ( ch. 2, 5); therefore deems it impermissible to pledge allegiance to ISIS’ self-appointed pseudo-caliph al-Baghdadi (ch. 8). The fatwa, then, is not dissimilar to the fatwa issued by Shaykh Tahirul Qadri previously on extremism and suicide bombing.¹ The implications of the fatwa is far reaching for the FSA. Not only are they allowed to fight ISIS without the niggling fear of raising arms against fellow Muslims, but if they die in the process they will be graced with the lofty rank of martyrdom (ch. 6, 7). A logical corollary of this is that in order to bring back peace in the region, it is permissible to accept the helpful hand extended by non-Muslim governments against ISIS (ch. 9). This is argued by resorting to well-established Prophetic precedence like the pact of the virtuous (hilf al-fudul) as well as more contemporary fatawa like that of Shaykh Bin Baz, the highest Saudi religious authority in his time. The author further adds two helpful chapters, which although not directly related to the issue at hand, are beneficial nevertheless: chapter 10, legal rulings regarding Muslims in Western countries and chapter 11, legal rulings regarding non-Muslims in Muslim countries.

One may argue that the author is pandering to the sensibilities of Western governments in his critique of ISIS. This is far from the truth. Where the book on the one hand is a refutation of ISIS, on the other hand, it is a plea to the international community to look into the causes of violent extremism and to address those conditions which function as fertile grounds for the grooming of terrorists. Unlike the British government’s official narrative of the cause of violent extremism (the conveyor belt theory), the author is nuanced in his examination of these causes. Sustained academic research has revealed that radical extremism leading to terrorism is a construct which culminates in a vicious regress of action and reaction from government and terrorists (Kundnani 2015). Shaykh Yaqoubi’s razor sharp analysis of these causes of terrorism confirms this body of academic literature. In his conclusion, the author identifies four conditions which function as fodder for violent extremism. These conditions should not be construed as a justification of terrorism, but an explanation of why it happens. The first is that the Iraqi government must recognise that alongside the Shia community, Sunnis also reside in Iraq. They must be given their rights in order to flourish as good citizens. Secondly, Bashar Assad must cede authority and stop bloodshed with immediate effect and let the Syrian people decide how they should be ruled. Third, the oppression of Muslim minorities must stop, such as in the case of Muslims in Myanmar. And finally The West must be more responsible and sensible and must not use its powers to disrespect the values and cultures of those who are less militarily and technologically superior to them. They must not hurt deeply-held beliefs of others just because they can. A cursory glance at these four causes reveal that all of them are related to genuine political grievances. These grievances are garbed in the rhetoric of religion which not only gives terrorists the permission to negotiate in the only language they know: violence, but it gives them the blessings from heaven. The author argues that addressing these conditions will go a long way in pruning the growth of violent extremism.

For this reviewer, the original contribution and the most interesting part of the book is its first chapter: ‘In the words of ISIS’. In this chapter, the author is quoting, evaluating and critiquing quotations taken directly from ISIS literature. The media bias against Muslims has created a deep suspicion amongst Muslims regarding anything which the media reports about Islam. This has led many Muslims to take a non-committed position regarding the atrocities of ISIS as they are reported in the media. Shaykh Yaqoubi’s critical interrogation of ISIS literature, his political activism and intimate knowledge of the conditions in the Levant coupled with his deep understanding of the Islamic scholarly tradition should leave no doubts in the minds of Muslims that the way of ISIS is not the way of Islam.   

  

Further reading:

Abu Aaliyah Surkheel Sharif (2015), Khawarij Ideology, ISIS Savagery, in The Humble ‘I’, http://thehumblei.com/2015/08/23/khawarij-ideology-isis-savagery-part-one/

Arun Kundnani (2015), A Decade Lost: Rethinking Radicalization and Extremism (London: Claystone) http://www.claystone.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Claystone-rethinking-radicalisation.pdf

Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti (2005), Defending the Transgressed: Mudafi' al-Mazlum: Fatwa Against the Targeting of Civilians, in http://www.livingislam.org/maa/dcmm_e.html

Sherman Jackson, Al-Gama’ah Al-Islamiyah (2015), Initiative to Stop the Violence: Sadat’s Assassins and the Renunciation of Political Violence, (New Haven and London: Yale University Press).

Yasir Qadhi, Daniel Haqiqatjou (2015),  What Is “Islamic”? A Muslim Response to ISIS and The Atlantic, in http://muslimmatters.org/2015/02/23/what-is-islamic-a-muslim-response-to-isis-and-the-atlantic/

Notes:

1.      1. For my review of Shaykh Tahirul Qadri’s fatwa see: http://mansys.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/review-fatwa-on-terrorism-and-suicide.html

Islam without extremes: a case for Muslim liberty review

Muslim World Book Review, volume 33, issue 3, spring 2013, pp. 44-47

Book Review:

Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty

Mustafa Akyol

New York, W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2011

P.p. 352. ISBN 978-039070866

Reviewed by Dr Mansur Ali

Cardiff University

Since the emergence of Islam on the modern political scene starting; from the Islamic revolution of Iran through the Rushdie affair to September 11 and beyond, a plethora of apologetic literature, both popular and academic, were produced to balance the existing bias with regards to public perception of Islam. Akyol’s Islam Without Extreme: A Muslim Case for Liberty attempts to go beyond apology. It is an attempt by the author to show to the world that where Islam has become synonymous with extremism, at least an interpretation of Islam can conform to ideas of Western liberal democracy.

The book is divided into three sections. Starting with autobiographical anecdotes, the author sets the contours of the book. As an eight year old, the author frequented his grandfather’s place to learn Arabic and the fundamentals of his religion. One day in his grandfather’s library he stumbled upon a prayer book which had three quotes written on the back. The two from the Qur’an deeply touched him whereas the one from the hadith (about beating children when they don’t pray) horrified and troubled him. He could not fathom his grandfather talking rudely to him let alone beat him. Not satisfied with his grandfather’s explanation, the author, 30 years later, after extensive study of Islam comes to realise that this oppressive mind-set has permeated the core of Muslim scholarship and society. He asks, ‘is this what really Islam enjoins?’

After thorough research, he comes to the conclusion that Islam is not to be blamed for this oppressive mind-set. Under two further sub-headings: ‘understanding just how brutal Islam is,’ and ‘understanding how brutal non-Islam can be’, he comes to the conclusion that authoritarianism is not associated with Islam a priori. Rather authoritarianism is a symptom of an illiberal mind-set due to deep seated political cultures and social structures in that part of the world. This is also the case with non-Muslim countries such as Russia and China. In other words could authoritarian Muslims be authoritarians who just happened to be Muslims? Through personal experience, the author is convinced that the only way that Muslims will flourish is through embracing liberty in all its manifestations. The rest of the book is an attempt to prove why this is not impossible.

In part 1, Akyol explains how Islam started off as an apolitical movement and how throughout the life of the Prophet a spirit of pluralism dominated the teachings of the Prophet. He then goes onto to discuss how Muslims, post- the Prophet, developed an illiberal reductionist understanding of the religion. The culprit to be blamed for this is Mr Hanbal (sic) ‘the radical cleric’ and a ‘petty landlord’ the chief of the literalists (ahl al-Hadith). A literalist reading of the Qur’an coupled with excessive reliance on hadith texts, which was like a ‘telephone game’, created a culture that heavily imposed limitations on the intellect. In contrast, the Murji’ites (postponers) in particular Abu Hanifa (?) were true pluralists as they postponed judgements about people to God. Their offshoot the Qadrites and the Mu’tazilites (the rationalists), through their arguments for the freedom of will and ontological truth and justice sowed the first seed towards an Islamic liberalism. However with the literalist gaining the upper hand Islamdom was reduced to a ‘Hadith wasteland’.

The defenders of reason stood no chance against their opponents. How could they when even the forces of nature were against them? Akyol believes that the war of ideas between the rationalists and their opponents is only the tip of the iceberg. The real cause of difference lies in the ‘desert beneath the iceberg’ and even as deep down as the environment. To put it simply, hadith scholars where of Arab Bedouin stock, fatalistic, tribal, ‘dislike changes as per Arab culture’ , ‘communal in nature’, ‘anti-luxurious’ had a penchant for the concrete and an aversion for the abstract iqta’ loving landlords who lacked dynamism and were followed by the less-educated classes. In contrast, the rationalists where non-Arabs from the merchant class who were well-educated, cosmopolitan intellectuals with an exposure to various traditions, philosophies and people. The arid land of the Middle East with its flat topography is also, at rock bottom, a perpetrator in fashioning this illiberal mind-set.

This analysis leads the author to ask that if the lack of economic dynamism was a cause for the stagnation of Islam, can Islamic liberalism be revived through a rebirth of economic dynamism in the Islamic lands? To answer this question the author turns his attention, in part two of the book, to the case of modern Turkey.

For the author, Turkey is a synthesis of Islam, democracy and capitalism with its free market economy. The reason for this is that the seat of the Ottoman power was in a geo-strategic position as it was on the fringe of the Muslim world bordering Christendom. Since Turkey didn’t have the same experience of being colonized like the Arab countries it was able to learn from the West the value of freedom and liberty. He blames colonization for the disintegration of ijtihad and individualism and the rise of jihad and communitarianism in the Muslim world. The author believes that Turkey is the new way forward towards a middle-class culture which revitalises Islamic values with the modern context. However, this will not come without any hindrance. And in the next section the author posits some ‘signposts on the liberal road.’

Section three is an exposition of three key areas which the author had identified as hindrance towards a theology of liberty: They are freedom from the State, freedom to sin and freedom from Islam. Through an analysis of textual and historical sources, he arrives at the conclusion that for an individual to prosper in spiritual growth, no outside forces can interfere with his relation to God. Hence the Islamic State is not a requirement, a person should not be coerced into leaving sins which is not synonymous to crime and a person should be given the liberty of renouncing Islam without the fear of execution.

At this point a few observations are in order. First and foremost, this book is trying to do more than the pages would allow and therefore a lot of the discussions are superficial and not nuanced. For example any discussion on environmental determinism in understanding the mind-set of hadith scholars has to explain the fact that six out of six of the authors of the canonical hadith collections were not Arabs but Central Asians. The author gives the impression that the al-Maturidi was sympathetic towards the Mu’taziltes whereas al-Maturidi wrote no less than five refutations on the Mu’tazilites. There is also an issue of the sources that the author uses. One wonders why the author confines himself to the studies carried out by Schacht, Crone, Lewis on hadith and not consult the works of scholars such as Motzki, Jonathan Brown, Lucas to get the other side of the story. The author argues that the roots of individualism and liberalism are found in the Qur’an. One can argue that this is merely reading into the Qur’an what the author holds to be of value. This is not new, Ameer Ali found in the Qur’an the whole moral code of Victorian England and Muhammad Qutb read the Qur’an through socialist lens. In the last section the author states that alcohol should not be banned and in a country where alcohol is banned it cannot be proven if people are observant of the law. Whilst in theory this is true, how pragmatic is it? Why criminalise drugs or prostitution if it is consensual and there is no exploitation involved?

In conclusion it can be said that if this is an apology for Islam the author has done a good job. On the other hand if this is a serious attempt to reform Islam and is meant for practicing Muslims, the author needs to carry out original research and not weave a narrative out of secondary sources especially the works of anti-Muslims like Bernard Lewis and Bat Ye’or and the tabloid press. One has good examples of this in high quality research carried out by Muslim scholars such as Sherman Jackson.

Mukhtasar al-Quduri review

Muslim World Book Review, volume 33, issue 3, Spring 2013, pp. 78-79

Book Review:

The Mukhtasar al-Quduri: A Manual of Islamic Law According to the Hanafi School

Translated from the Arabic with Introduction and notes by Tahir Mahmood Kiani,

(Taha Publishers LTD. 2010). Pages 761. ISBN 9781897940709

Reviewed by Dr Mansur Ali

Cardiff University

This is the translation of small opuscule, al-Mukhtasar, written by the head of the Baghdadi Hanafi guild Abu ‘l-Husayn al-Quduri (d. 428/1037); and is one of the first works of the Mukhtasar genre only to be preceded by al-Tahawi (d. 321/933). Books in the Mukhtasar genre were used to quickly train lawyers in the sacred law as well as for memorization for reference purposes. The Mukhatsar of al-Quduri gained much popularity in the Hanafi School of thought due to the position its author held in the guild as well as the superior arrangement of its contents, which hitherto was missing from legal text books. It was incorporated into the Darse Nizami syllabus taught in the religious seminaries of the Asian sub-continent as well as their affiliate seminaries in the Western world as an elementary text of Islamic sacred law.

With the steady growth of Islam in the public sphere coupled with the demands for accessibility of classical Islamic literature, translation of classical texts has found a niche in the book market. The translation under review is another example of the steady growth of translations of elementary pedagogical texts.

The translation, mostly, is clear and precise, and is honest to the Arabic. It boasts many benefits to its merit. First of all the inter-linear Arabic text with the English translation makes it easy for novices to compare and contrast the two languages. Where classical Arabic rarely employs punctuations, the translator breaks down large passages into bullet points without compromising the Arabic. He also uses sub-headings to group themes together which are missing in the Arabic. This then adds another layer of contribution to al-Quduri’s already superior arrangement. The translator uses square parenthesis to bring out the ellipses in the, otherwise somewhat obscure, Arabic text. Excessive use of footnotes has been used to clarify and elaborate issues. These take on many forms, from explaining literary conventions (ft. 8) to simple clarification (ft. 118) to making the book relevant for the modern context such as his discussion on Zakat on silver (ft. 169), medicine (ft. 216) and money in the modern context (ft. 295).

The translation has an exhaustive content page without which it would have been difficult to manoeuvre around the 761 pages. It also has endorsements from the author’s teachers as well as from Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowi, who in very eloquent Arabic situates the author and the book in the wider context of the development of Islamic Sacred law. The translator also has a small section on jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) as well as his methodology in translating this text. Finally, he has appended an exhaustive glossary and a useful table on the Zakat of livestock which can be quite mind-numbing to read in the Arabic.

This is a very good and useful translation; however for this reviewer the translation follows the Arabic grammar too closely which at times makes the English archaic. A more idiomatic translation would have read better although the translator acknowledges these limitations in the introduction. This translation is recommended to all those who are thinking of studying Islamic law and is a welcome addendum to the library of translated pedagogical texts.

Review: Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings

With kind permission from Muslim World Book Review, Spring 32, (3), pp. 18-20.

Tahir-ul-Qadri, Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings, (London: Minhaj-ul-Quran International, 2010), pp. 512, £ 19.95


Review by Dr M Mansur Ali

Cambridge Muslim College

This is the translation of an Urdu fatwa (Dahshat gardi awr fitnae khawarij) written by the author primarily to condemn terrorist activities taking place in the Asian sub-continent. In the original Urdu fatwa the author has a disclaimer saying that the writing of this fatwa is not politically motivated but a sincere attempt to rescue Islam from being hijacked by a discourse on terror. His intention is to show the beauty of Islam and that terrorism is not a part of this beauty. It is an exhaustive piece of work and reads like a classical Islamic law manual: first looking at linguistic analysis of key words, seconded by scriptural evidence from the Quran and Hadith and finally followed by the opinions of the legal experts. The English translation first discussed at a ‘historical launch’ press conference in London in March 2010 which was later published as a 512 page monograph in December 2010, had attracted much media attention. The introduction has also been translated into a myriad of languages including Arabic, French, German and Norwegian. It is also accompanied by a website, a Facebook and Twitter page. The English translation of the fatwa is preceded by a forward and an introduction by two eminent scholars in their subject area.

In the forward, Professor John Esposito places the fatwa in its historical context by showing that it is but one from a line of condemnations by Muslim scholars against terrorism and indiscriminate killing. He quotes authorities such as Timothy Winter, Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia. He makes reference to two important initiatives by Muslim scholars worldwide in their collective condemnation of terrorism: the Amman Message (2004-5) and ‘A Common Word Between Us and You’ (2007). Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s fatwa is an important continuation of the Muslim voice against terrorism. The author of the introduction, Dr Joel Hayward, a scholar of war and strategy, expresses his frustration that hitherto condemnations of terrorism have not done anything to convince non-Muslims of the peaceful nature of Islam, neither have they stopped Muslims from being radicalized. He says that in March 2010 he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The fatwa is solidly grounded in the Islamic sources. Its meticulous attention to details covering every single avenue makes it read almost like an encyclopaedia on the ethics of war and justice. It discusses the lexical and etymological meanings of Islam, Iman and Ihsan, the unlawfulness of indiscriminately killing people, Muslim or otherwise. He writes about the unlawfulness of terrorism in all forms, the rules related to the protection of ones religion, life, honour and wealth and the prohibition of rebelling against the government amongst many other things. The fatwa also includes the opinions of Salafi and Deobandi scholars in their condemnation of terrorism.

However, there are two unique features of the fatwa which distinguishes it from other fatwas written on the subject. First of all the author claims that it is ‘an absolute condemnation of terrorism, without any excuses, without any pretext, without any exceptions, without creating any ways of justification, this condemnation is in its totality, in its comprehensiveness, in its absoluteness, [...] a total condemnation of every act of terrorism in every form and every manifestation.’ And the second unique feature which is the main thrust of the fatwa and which the author calls his unique contribution, is his declaration that terrorists are ‘outside the ambit of Islam’ in other words they are kafirs who are not ‘heroes of Islam but the heroes of hell.’

The author comes to this conclusion through three different types of reasoning. First of all through a linguistic analysis of the words ‘Islam’ and ‘Iman’ he concludes that a terrorist acts contrary to what Islam and Iman are and therefore he cannot be from them even though outwardly he is pious and devout (p. 35). The second evidence for declaring terrorists as kafirs is based on Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s reading of the verse ‘whoever kills a person, except as a punishment for murder or disorder in the land, it is as if he killed all of humanity (Quran 5:32). Al-Maturidi’s reading of the verse is based on the understanding that a person who deems it permissible to kill another person (istihlal al-qatl) without recourse to a court of law, in essence is denying the validity of the Quranic verse and as a result of this he is a kafir. This is different from the person who kills out of anger without believing it to be permissible.

The above two reasonings are only preambles to the author’s main reasoning in declaring terrorists as kafirs. His main ammunition against them is that they are the same old evil kharijites with a new name. He dedicates over 145 pages in trying to prove this (chapter 17: today’s terrorists are kharijites, p.385). By identifying similar khariji traits in the modern day terrorists, he declares them to be a modern manifestation of kharijis and then falls back on to higher authorities who have declared kharijites to be out of the fold of Islam (he also honestly documents the opinions of those scholars who did not hold this view). He sincerely believes that the Prophet’s prophecies regarding the description of the kharijites also fit into today’s terrorists. However, in doing so he makes some gross generalizations such as the Prophet saying they will be young, they will have bushy beards, they will wear their trousers way above their ankles and that they will come from the east. He even tries to make acoustic links between the Haruriya (another name for the kharijites) and modern day Hizb al-Tahrir, and al-Qa’diya (one of the names for the kharijites) and al-Qaeda saying that the only difference in the latter is the addition of the letter alif.

Although most readers will agree with the bulk of the fatwa, some may find the author’s main thrust of the fatwa (i.e. declaring the terrorists to be non-Muslims) problematic and difficult to accept from a theological and sociological point of view. First of all one may ask what constitutes istihalal. Modern day terrorists are not deliberately rejecting a ma’lum min al-din bi al-darura (that which is necessarily known from the religion), but they are sincerely upholding an interpretation (yuqatiluna ala al-ta’wil) which mainstream Islam rejects. They are guilty of violating ijma’ and not kufr. Therefore, one may say that the author is too absolute in assuming that rejecting a consensual interpretation constitutes kufr. Similarly the author’s position goes against the Amman message which professor Esposito writes about in the forward. Scholars who signed the Amman message, of which the author is also a signatory, agreed that it is not permissible for anyone to declare a person who believes in Allah and the Prophet as an apostate. Ironically, it categorically mentions that the Ibadis are Muslims, the Ibadis being an offshoot of the historical kharijites.

Another problem arising from declaring the terrorists to be non-Muslims is that one may see it as an attempt to shy away from the fact that terrorism is a problem within the Muslim community. A more head-on theological rebuttal to terrorist misreading of the Islamic sources would have been more efficient. And finally one may say that by declaring terrorists as non-Muslims the author is falling into the very same mentality that the kharijites were notorious for. Saying this, the author’s line of argument may help potential terrorists think twice before allowing themselves to be radicalised. We hope this maybe the case.

Abu Hanifa: His Life, Legal Method and Legacy by Shaykh Akram Nadwi

Reproduced here with kind permission from Muslim World Book Review (MWBR)

Review: Abu Hanifa: His Life, Legal Method and Legacy
Mohammad Akram Nadwi, (Markfield: Kube Publishing Ltd., 2010)

Reviewed by: Dr M Mansur Ali
Cardiff University

Muslim World Book Review (MWBR) vol. 31, no. 4, Summer 2011, pp. 29-31.

This very short, albeit highly erudite work of hagiography has been written by a scholar who has engaged with Abu Hanifa and his legacy for a very long time. By using only the most authentic reports found in the classical Islamic prosopographical collections, original Arabic and Urdu sources and core Hanafi legal texts, the author endeavours to understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ Abu Hanifa came to inherit the appellation ‘Al-Imam al-A’zam’ (the greatest one worthy to be followed), an epithet which is worthy of him today as it was in his days.

The book is written in the typical format of a classical Islamic biography work. He discusses, Abu Hanifa’s life, his life style, his erudition and probity, his piety and propriety, his scholarship, his teachers and his students. He talks about him as a jurist, a lawyer, a theologian and a Hadith scholar. The impact of Abu Hanifa’s fiqh and its status in the modern age is discussed in details. All of these discussions take place within the framework of the overall development of Islamic law in general. The quality of the book is further enhanced by the use of diagrams and an annotated reading list. At this juncture, given the plethora of sources found on Abu Hanifa’s life in English in the form of monographs, articles, introductory sections to translated classical texts, translations of Arabic and Urdu books, audio and visual recordings and the internet, the question that looms on this reviewer’s mind is ‘what is the need for yet another biography of Abu Hanifa?’

The reviewer believes that it is what the author wants to do with the biography of Abu Hanifa that justifies the writing of this book. The author deems it pertinent to write this book because of three reasons. Firstly, he takes issues with the many voices from within and outwith Islam shouting for an Islamic reformation. He argues that Islam’s contribution to the modern world especially in trade and commerce has been advanced by people like Abu Hanifa and his ilk. It’s only through understanding and emulating the lives of these pious savants that some of the ethical and moral principles that have been lost can be restored. Secondly, information readily available through high-speed medium is not ‘ilm but short lived, bereft of any substance and missing the personal touch of a wise master. Through this book, the author wants to remind us that true ‘ilm can only be sought through slow and painstaking study where the knowledge is passed from heart to heart.

For this reviewer, the most unique contribution of this book is the author’s third reason for writing the book. The author draws a distinction between Abu Hanifa and later Hanafi scholars. That Abu Hanifa is someone who understood the context as well as the text, that he made a distinction between the spirit of the law and its word and that his understanding of the law is not partial but holistic. He urges Muslim scholars to recover both their intellectual ability as well as their moral authority to understand the Qur,an and Sunna in its entirety and not just in parts. The scholars will find a precedent for this in Abu Hanifa, who paradoxically, was neither a Hanafi nor a professional Hanafi Mufti. This is a streak that one can implicitly see throughout the work (pp. 115-120). The author very subtly tries to rescue Abu Hanifa from Hanafi scholars who are engaged in ‘self-contained discourse’, where the fiqh is presented ‘with reference to itself rather than its sources’, a partial and anachronistic understanding of fiqh that is severed from reality.

Equally unique is the author’s discussion on the development of the sciences of Hadith. One of the major drawbacks, that this reviewer has noticed, in some traditional Islamic circles is that people tend to treat the works of the scholars in a way as if they were all written in the same era; working with the same hermeneutical devices and employing terminologies that are ossified in time. This kind of attitude towards the sources leads to misunderstanding and unfounded criticism as the author has shown. Abu Hanifa cannot be blamed for following a hadith deemed to be weak by later standards if those standards were not available in his day and age. If the Hanafi School is founded upon those standards used by Abu Hanifa, then it is not fair to judge the actions of its followers through later developments. This is a very important subject as it will put a lot of minds at ease as to why seemingly Abu Hanifa does not follow sound Hadith.

A few personal observations. One does not get an inkling of the author’s opinion regarding the authorship of Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar. Abu Zahra opines that some of the topics discussed in the work seem to have developed after Abu Hanifa. It would have been interesting to see how the author reacts to this assertion. The author very brilliantly sheds light on Abu Hanifa as a Hadith scholar. However, this discussion would have been further enhanced if the author addressed the common cliché that Abu Hanifa knew only 17 Hadiths. An assumption that stems from a comment made by Ibn Khaldun in his Prolegomena (although Ibn Khaldun does indicate it to be a weak claim by using the passive perfective verb ‘qeela’). A section on the Hadith works of the school would have nicely complimented the legacy of Abu Hanifa. Finally, ‘Radd al-Mukhtar’ should read ‘Radd al-Muhtar’ (p. 111).

The author has successfully delivered his promise to understand as to ‘why’ and ‘how’ Abu Hanifa came to deserve the title ‘Al-Imam al-A’zam’; it now remains the duty of the scholars to imbibe Abu Hanifa’s teachings in trying to understand the Qur’an and Sunna holistically in both letter and spirit.

Analysing Muslim Traditions: Studies in Legal, Exegetical and Maghazi Hadith by Harald Motzki – Review by Dr. M. Mansur Ali

With kind permission from Muslim World Book Review

Analysing Muslim Traditions: Studies in Legal, Exegetical and Maghazi Hadith
By Harald Motzki, with Nicolet Boekhoff – Van Der Voort and Sean W. Anthony, (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2010). Price: £149.15.

Reviewed by Dr M. Mansur Ali,
Cardiff University


Classical orientalist studies of Hadith generally fell under the studies of the origins of Islam. Hence, the primary focus of these studies was to prove the origins and provenance of Hadith. With the absence of any sources contemporary to the Prophet, Western scholars’ attitude towards the corpus of Hadith was sceptical. In other words, for them, in contrast to the Muslim view of Hadith, every hadith was deemed to be a forgery until it can be proven otherwise. Scholars discarded the Muslim approach to Hadith verification as being too formalistic and based only on external criteria (isnad). Hence, they devised their own methodologies for verifying the authenticity and origins of Hadith. Harald Motzki suggested that it will not be prudent to wholly do away with the chain of narrators as a careful study of these chains can tell us a lot about the provenance of a hadith. Rather, the chain of narrators should be studied in tandem with the text of a hadith, which Motzki calls the isnad-cum-matn approach.

The book under review is a collection of articles written by Motzki over the last three decades. The last two articles in the book were written by the other two co-authors. In its preface, Motzki discusses the contents of the book and the processes the articles went through before being available in English. This book has many merits; firstly, all of Motzki’s articles found in this book are being presented in English for the first time. Secondly, all the articles in the collection employ the isnad-cum-matn approach first formulated by Motzki in his study of the Musannaf of ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-San’ani (d. 211/826). In addition to this most of the articles are responses to other scholars who were/are also engaged in the study of the origins of Hadith: chapters 1 and 6, Schacht; chapter 2, Juynboll, chapters 3 and 4, Irene Schnider and chapter 5, Herbert Berg.

Chapter 1 functions as the methodological introduction to the book, while the rest of the chapters are an application of this method. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 take the application of the isnad-cum-matnmethod out of the legal domain to other disciplines such as tafsir and maghazi. They show that theisnad-cum-matn approach can easily be extended to other disciplines and yield similar results unlike Schacht’s method which yielded erroneous results when taken outside the legal traditions, as Cook has shown. The author of chapter 6 has done us kind by providing the Arabic script whilst comparing different versions of a hadith as it is a daunting task to follow slight orthographical changes whilst reading the transliteration. The author of chapter 7 has a wonderful introduction to historiography in general in the introduction to his article.

For this reviewer, the most original and interesting contribution in this book is chapter 2. Over the years, GHA Juynboll has developed, expanded and polished Schacht’s common-link theory to the extent that, for Juynboll it has become the only methodology (usul al-Hadith) worthy of studying Hadith with. Juynboll used this methodology to study the six canonical Hadith collections. It has also been employed by Muslim feminists such as Nevin Reda to prove the authenticity of Hadithrelated to female leading the prayer in a mixed congregation. However elaborate the theory is, in this chapter, Motzki proves that it nevertheless suffers from many methodological and epistemological flaws. This is the most rigorous critique of Juynboll’s common-link theory and a must read for the serious students of Hadith. He shows that in order for the common-link theory to work, every strand of the chain of narrators for a particular hadith text needs to be scrutinised. Without doing this the common-link theory will not yield accurate results. He demonstrates that Juynboll’s over reliance on the chains of narrators found in al-Mizzi’s (d. 742/1341) Tuhfat al-Ashraf (which is only restricted to collecting the chains of narrators found in the six canonical collections and a few other books), is what lead Juynboll to make erroneous conclusions such as denying the historical Nafi’ the client of Ibn ‘Umar (d. 117/735).

Contrary to what some Muslims believe, orientalists are not there to deconstruct and dismantle the foundations Islam. In the absence of any early writings, they try to make an objective and honest attempt to understand what really happened in this early period of Islam. However, it becomes problematic when scholars hold on to their methods religiously even though the fallacy of their approach has been proved. Motzki has obviated all of Juynboll’s arguments and yet, Juynboll makes no attempt to modify his theory as can be seen in his latest work such as The Encyclopaedia of Canonical Collections.

Motzki’s works are highly valued amongst Muslim circles as it comes close to their own scholarship. However, accepting or rejecting Motzki’s thesis will depend on how much reliance one is willing to place on the chain of narrators. At a cost of £149.15 it is not your average coffee table book nor is it an easy read. However, if one can patiently wade through the welter of names and dates, the results are satisfactory. Finally, few orthographical mistakes do not detract from the excellent scholarship displayed in the book. (p.3) ‘Annahu sami’ituhu yaqul’ should read ‘annahu samia’hu yaqul’, (p. 10) ‘first quarter second century’ should read ‘first quarter of the second century’, (p. 23) ‘any of theses types’ should be ‘these types’.


Reference: M. Mansur Ali, Muslim World Book Review (MWBR), Vol. 31, issue 3, spring 2011, pp. 20-21.

Review of translation: Al-La Madhhabiyya, Abandoning the Madhhabs

By Mansur Ali.

Review of translation: Al-La Madhhabiyya, Abandoning the Madhhabs is the most dangerous Bid’ah Threatning the Islamic Shari’ah, by Sheikh al-Buti, translated by M. Merza, M.A. Absi and S. Abdul Aziz. (Damascus: Sunni Publications, 2007), pp. 180, size 14x21 cm, £9.49.

There are three types of people with regards to their attitude towards the Quran and Sunna: first of all there is the literalist who does not see beyond the ink, secondly there is the intellectual who believes his rational thinking is not bound by the scriptures and finally there is the aesthetic who is drowned in the inner beauty of the words and is unable to come up to the surface. It is only through a fine fusion of the three that a perfect equilibrium can be maintained. However an imbalance in the first one would lead, in its extreme, towards khawarij type doctrines and, in its moderation, towards a superficial understanding like the literalists. A disproportionate leaning in the second one will lead to the beliefs of peripatetic philosophers in extreme cases or towards I’tizaal (rationalist thinking) in a lesser extreme case. And finally unevenness in the last one will produce heretic sufis and charlatans. Sunni orthodoxy (the epitome of perfection) has fought tooth and nail to maintain this equilibrium and has always been quick to defend it. Sheikh al-Buti’s Al-La Madhhabiyya, written in the 70’s, is yet another brilliant manifestation of this defence.

In recent times, from different quarters of the west, myriads of voices are developing in to a crescendo in their united polemics against sunni orthodoxy. Once again the Ulama are picking up their pens to maintain the equilibrium; therefore this translation is much welcomed and much applauded as it fulfils one of the exigencies of the time (although originally it has been written for the Ulama).

The 3rd edition of the book has been used for the translation. The translation is easy and lucid and makes one believe that Sheikh al-Buti’s original Arabic work must have been so simple. The translators’ have not used any footnotes to elaborate, make observations or pass comments on the text. However, they have employed square parenthesis in the text to keep the flow of thought in motion.

In my opinion, the translation ‘Non-Madhhabism’ would have been a more accurate translation of the title ‘al-La Madhhabiyya.’ The only shortcoming of the book is that it seems that the bibliography has been written in haste. The importance of a proper bibliography is not unknown to the serious scholar. I think had the translator translated the author’s content page in its entirety it would have been easier to manoeuvre through the book. And finally a more accurate translation of the passage ‘This book of Schacht is one of the primary books that are taught…’ (p.56) is ‘This book of Schacht is the primary book taught…’

Overall the translation can boast to be another excellent addendum to the science of polemics (ilm al-munazara) and is a must to have for the serious defenders of truth.

Mansur Ali. 2008

Review of al-Fiqh al-Akbar

By Mansur Ali

Review:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, ImÁm Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained, (California: White Thread Press, 2007). Pp. 239. £ 12.99

Mufti Abdur-Rahman’s translation of the above mentioned book is warmly welcomed as it is the only readily available published translation of al-Fiqh al-Akbar (other translations available – other than the ones that have been mentioned by the author –- are by William Montgomery Watt and Sheikh MuÎammad b. YaÎyÁ al-NinowÐ). It is also commendable as it facilitates for the English speaking students the next level up in studying ÝaqÐda after SÐdÐ Hamza Yusuf’s translation of the al-ÝAqÐda al-ÓaÎÁwiyya and finally it is a waft of fresh air in the midst of non-orthodox dogmas from within Islam, (due to large amount of money being pumped in from the Middle East into sectarian publishing houses to promote a bigoted, non-tolerant and politically motivated version of ÝaqÐda).
The translation initially took form as the translator’s thesis for his degree program. It is in reality a translation of few books glossed together with informative notes from the translator. The book consists of a detailed introduction, the text of al-Fiqh al-Akbar with its commentary, a bibliography and a useful index. The introduction has an excellent discussion on the authorship of the text. In contrast to A.J. Wensinck and ÝAllÁmÁ ShiblÐ NuÝmÁnÐ, the translator brings convincing proofs, calling upon Ibn al-NadÐm, KÁtib †elebi, ÝÀrif Íikmat and ÝAllÁma ZÁhid al-KawtharÐ amongst others to prove the attribution of the text to ImÁm AbÙ ÍanÐfa. It goes without saying that this conclusion is based upon external criteria and not form analysis used in literary studies.
The text of al-Fiqh al-Akbar is slightly more advanced and more philosophical than the text of al-ÝAqÐda al-ÓaÎÁwiyya. Apart from being a primer on ÝaqÐda, it also reflects some of the intellectual tensions that were around at that time, such as the issue of wiping over leather socks and the concept of bilÁ kayf (without a modality) also known as balkafa. The balkafa was introduced as a defence mechanism against the muÝtazilites who explained away many verses of the QurÞÁn and rejected many aÎÁdÐth that were seemingly anthropopathic and anthropomorphic in nature.
The translation is lucid, clear and makes sense unlike some translations of ÝaqÐda texts (I had to use the Arabic to understand Earl Elder’s English translation of al-TaftazÁnÐ’s SharÎ al-ÝAqÁÞid al-Nasafiyya). I love the translation of the term azal al-ÁzÁl as the ‘limitless reaches of past eternity’ (p.13). Flow of ideas and thoughts are smooth and – in my opinion - could have been better if the translator did not take the pain in spraying the translation with Arabic words such as, “[a]quisition (kasb) and creation (khalq)[.]” further on he writes “[QÁrÐ] The difference between acquisition (kasb) and creation (khalq)...” and 12 lines below “and acquisition (kasb) of the servant.” (p. 122). The word ‘mufassirÐn’ is not necessary to know who the commentators of the QurÞÁn are. (p.117).
The translation is idiomatic and loyal to the Arabic language; however, at times loyalty to the translator’s theological orientation (MÁturÐdÐ/AshÝarÐ) can be sensed such as the word ‘countenance’ is used to translate the word ‘wajh’ which literally means face. (p. 99). An even more extreme loyalty to this theological persuasion can be seen in Sheikh NinowÐ’s translation of the same passage,
28- He added to Himself meanings of Yad (literal meaning is a Hand), Wajh (literal meaning is Face), and Nafs (literal meaning is Self); as Allah Ta’ala mentioned in the Qur’an. Hence, what Allah Ta’ala mentioned about the Yad, Wajh, and Nafs, are meanings He added to Himself, without a “how” (modality). (NinowÐ, p. 7)
Apart from imparting knowledge, the commentary also functions as a reading mechanism of the text. Therefore, we find Abdur-Rahman translating the sentence “aÒl al-tawÎÐd wa mÁ yaÒiÎÎ al-iÝtiqÁd Ýalayh an yaqÙl…” as “[[t]his treatise is on] the fundamentals of divine oneness and [tenets] upon which it is correct to base [one’s] belief [.]” (p. 63) is a direct translation of ÝAlÐ al-QÁrÐ’s statement, “hÁdha al-kitÁb asÁs maÝrifat al-haqq ÝalÁ wajh al-ÒawÁb…wa mÁ yaÒiÎÎ iÝtimÁd al-iÝtiqÁd Ýalayh fÐ hÁdha al-bÁb…” Also the word fiÔra (p. 155) literally means natural disposition, however, Abdur-Rahman’s translation of this word as ‘natural faith’ (ÐmÁn fiÔrÐ) is based on al-MaghnÐsÁwÐ’s reading of the text which he contrasts with ‘acquired faith’ (ÐmÁn kasbÐ). (p. 119).
Abdur-Rahman is not only a passive translator, on the contrary he is an active scholar who disagrees with and corrects the materials that he is working with whenever necessary. Therefore we find him correcting al-QÁrÐ’s misunderstanding of the muÝtazilites’ stance regarding the attributes of AllÁh. (p. 75). He points out variations in the different manuscripts and differences between the published work and manuscripts. (See n. 125, 126 on p. 117, also see p. 226, mss. 4405 and 33366). His notes are highly informed and erudite and help to understand the text better (see n. 99 for a good description on the development of state of knowledge regarding AllÁh’s attributes, and n. 117, for an excellent discussion on difference between true waÎdat al-wujÙd, distorted waÎdat al-wujÙd and pantheism). A detailed note on the will and desire of AllÁh could have made the issue easier to understand. (p. 81).
Some methodological flaws in the book are: (a) reference to sources are sometimes mentioned in footnotes and sometimes mentioned in the main body of the book, (e.g. p. 15, p. 17, 20), (b) Few dates of deaths are missing (e.g. p. 20), (c) sometimes inflection in case endings are shown in the transliteration (p. 75) and most of the time not shown. It would have been prudent – in my opinion – on the translator’s part if he were to leave out some of the out-dated, highly abstract, confusing philosophical debates, based on syllogistics and Hellenistic rhetoric, which were surely a product of their time and are of no practical use anymore (other than to the historian of medieval Islamic thought and the serious academic) such as the discussion on the use of the word ‘Kun’ for creation, (p. 79).
Other than these few shortcomings (in my opinion), the book is a great (if not altogether original) contribution to knowledge and is a must to have for the student who wants to take the study of ÝaqÐda one step forward. MuftÐ Abdur-Rahman has once again given us a display of his excellent scholarship and acute erudition. May AllÁh give us the ability to learn from him, and give him the ability to enlighten us with more of his scholarly insight and increase him in knowledge and taqwÁ. ÀmÐn.

Decrypting the Da Vinci Code from an Islamic perspective

By Mansur Ali

Deep in the darkest chambers of the Louvre museum, Dan Brown spins his magnum opus. A myriad of enigmas and cryptic codes, pagan symbolism and Masonic didactics, secret societies dedicated to the sacred feminine. From an array of Vatican conspiracy to gruesome corporal mortification. Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Jacques Saunière, Opus Dei, fleur-de-lis and the dark arts. Dan Brown includes them all in a fascinating and riveting read which made it to the big screen and like a bush fire in strong winds spread to the four corners of the globe. The book has already been translated into Arabic called ‘Shafeer Da Vinci.’
Nevertheless, the most spine chilling part of the book is its shocking conclusion, that our beloved Prophet Sayyiduna Isa (as) left offspring behind him. However entertaining the book or movie might be, but from a religious point of view, both Christian and Muslim, such a sweeping and preposterous theory, even at the level of pure fiction and entertainment, is highly insulting and offensive and to even entertain the very thought of it is deemed blasphemous. Here we go again… a fundamentalist speaking, bent out to obliterate all forms of pleasure from the face of the globe. However, this is not the case. In Islam we have a very good understanding of recreation and entertainment as it includes a part of the right that our body has over us. Saying this, the line has to be drawn. Religion cannot be compromised just to make people laugh or give them entertainment. It is a moral and religious crime to make symbols and aspects of religion that are revered by people as objects of entertainment or satire.
Sayyiduna Isa (as) a distinguished Prophet of Allah lived a very ascetic life, a life of celibacy where he completely annihilated himself to the cause of Allah. He fought no military battles and all his wars were spiritual of nature. Allah raised him to himself in the heavens and just before the end of time he will come back to the earth to become the Imam of the Muslims. He will fulfil aspects of his life as a human being which he did not complete previously, i.e. get married and have children. He will lead the Muslims against the kuffar army and on his hand will the Dajjal breathe his last. His whole life is a miraculous one right from its inception. His astounding birth is one conundrum that professor Langdon or Tom Hanks cannot decipher. Peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he will die and the day he will be resurrected.