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И И И г ш ш ш ш И И И Ф | И И И | И И И Є Є Є Є Є Є џџџџ The contemporary relevance of an archaic Islamic discipline
By Auwais Rafudeen
Classical Islamic theology, known in Arabic as ilm ul kalam, is an often anonymous and at times even maligned discipline in contemporary Islam. Once a hallmark of the Islamic sciences, and a blazing symbol of a vibrant Muslim intellectual culture, it has been overshadowed in the last 200 years or so by a more practical and literal approach to the body of Islamic knowledge. But a new book on the field, I believe, gives us a renewed respect for the discipline and its contemporary relevance. The Cambridge Companion to Islamic Theology (edited by Tim Winter, Cambridge University Press, 2008) not only provides a guide to a rich Islamic intellectual tradition but suggests important ways in which the field can enhance how we approach our contemporary situation.
Islamic theology is fundamentally God-talk. The Arabic is literally translated as the science of talking, speaking and debating. And all this talking is at the bottom line about a proper conception of Allah. This whole branch of knowledge initially arose to establish an understanding of Allah that was rooted not only in the Quran but on firm rational foundations. More widely, theology also came to incorporate discussion regarding all fundamental Islamic beliefs.
The majority of ordinary Muslims would not need such an overtly rational approach to the religion. And there is absolutely no problem in this. Ilm ul kalam was mainly meant for the ulama. The considerable majority of people do not analyse Allah, they need to feel Allah and they therefore find resonance with the Islamic branches of knowledge that make this connection, such as hadith or Sufism.
So why are there increasing calls by a number of ulama to resurrect this branch of knowledge? For one thing, its never good for a field to be so out of sight so as to almost be forgotten by the broader Muslim public. There could be many members of this public who would want a more philosophical or analytical understanding of what they believe in and this field may hold answers to their perplexing questions. But aside from such personal resonance, classical Islamic theology can considerably enrich reflections on our contemporary situation.
A case in point is the notion of causality. Whoever knows the causes of things is happy goes a saying. Classical Islamic theology made a detailed study of the relationship between the Ultimate Cause of things (Allah) and secondary causes (things that cause other things- or the law of cause and effect). The dominant view balanced a respect for secondary causes with a full awareness that the Almighty was nevertheless the Cause of every act. Applied to todays tumultuous circumstances, such a view teaches Muslims to pay heed to the laws of cause and effect if they are going to prosper materially. At the same time, by making us understand that Allah is truly and fully in control of every thing and every event it provides perspective to issues, whether these issues are political, social or personal. As an Islamic scholar reminds us, history is in good hands. It is important to realize that this not merely psychological reassurance: classical Islamic theologians showed through sustained logical demonstration why this is factually the case. To have a view other than this was to be at odds with reality.
Classical Islamic theology also enriches the way we currently engage with the other. Muslim theologians freely borrowed concepts from ancient Greek thought and Islamized them, and they become a standard part of the syllabus at higher institutions of Islamic learning. The fact that Muslim theologians often had profound disagreements with one another did not stop them from benefiting from each other. As the book shows, mainstream Muslim theology was never rejectionist, but incorporated the methods and insights of its opponents in the development of its teachings.
Another area where the field may help us is in understanding the relationship between the various Islamic disciplines. Here the book is particularly insightful. Islamic disciplines such as tafsir (Quranic commentary), fiqh (Islamic law), hadith (Prophetic sayings and deeds), tasawwuf (Islamic spirituality) and Islamic theology itself are not islands unto themselves but intimately connected to each. There is no discipline that is expendable and a well-rounded Muslim individual should have at least a basic grasp, if not competence, of each to be able to apply it to a relevant area in his or her life. For example, every one of us should ideally know enough Islamic theology to rationally defend our beliefs, enough tassawuf to cultivate our spiritual side, enough fiqh to carry out our daily activities in accordance with Allahs laws, together with continuously exploring the Quran and hadith ideally with scholars or commentaries- to enrich our understanding of the other three dimensions. This will of course help cultivate the ideal of a balanced personality. Sometimes we can perhaps become too legalist, too intellectual or even over-zealously spiritual at the expense of our holistic development.
These dimensions also flow into one another, leading to the achievement of such balance. It is here that Islamic theology, focused as it is on the intellect (the aql), becomes so important. Paying due attention to the intellect leads to a proper engagement with spirituality. (The book, in fact, shows the close nexus that developed between Islamic theology and Islamic spirituality (tassawuf) in Islamic history). And a proper engagement with spirituality leads to an increased awareness to keep within the boundaries of the Shariah by being aware of the rules of fiqh.
Perhaps this integrative approach to Islamic knowledge is the most important lesson that ilm-ul-kalam communicates to us today. An ability to see each sphere of knowledge as part of a bigger picture, never to be rejected in itself, will surely help towards healing unnecessary ideological rifts between Muslims.
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џџџџџџџџџџџџ 1 T a b l e џџџџ W o r d D o c u m e n t џџџџ ., S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n ( џџџџџџџџџџџџ ' D o c u m e n t S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n 8 џџџџџџџџ / C o m p O b j џџџџџџџџџџџџ q џџџџџџџџџџџџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ ўџ
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