The Canonization of al-Bukhārī and Muslim

Brown, Jonathan

doi:10.1163/ej.9789004158399.i-431

Cited by 124 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…34 Overall, the Umayyads were not universally opposed by the scholars, nor did they indiscriminately assail the scholarly class for their pro-ʿAli sentiments: "The scholars as well as the rulers could tolerate a range of opinions and attitudes. " 35 Notable among the Umayyad rulers was 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Aziz (r. [99][100][101] whose enthusiastic support for traditionalist scholarly pursuits and encouragement for the preservation of the Sunnah resulted in the formation of sirah (biography) of the Prophet (s) as a field of knowledge, something discouraged by previous Umayyad caliphs. 36 Ibn Ishaq (d. 151) is wellknown as the author of an early sirah text.…”

Section: Section 2: the Civil Warsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Muslim Intellectual History

Pervez

2023

AJIS

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This article strives to chart the intellectual history of Muslims and the trans-civilizational, discursive tradition of Islam spanning fourteen centuries. It chronicles the scholarly projects shaping Islamic thought as they developed in the wake of the Prophet’s (s) death and intensified in the ensuing centuries despite the numerous changes and tumultuous times the Muslim ummah encountered. Together with an accompanying map and visual timeline, it endeavors to empower students of Islam in general and Islamic Studies programs in particular with an appreciation of the breadth and depth of Muslim intellectual history. The article begins by tracing the foundation of early regional centers, the side-by-side formation of disciplines, the development of the various legal schools as well as the many strains of Islamic thought, and how they not only influenced one another but also became absorbed into mainstream Islam, ending with an overview of the impact of modernity on Islamic thought. Through this effort, I hope that students will be able to cultivate a rudimentary understanding of Islamic scholarship in its historical context, make interdisciplinary connections, critically engage with the individual disciplines in their focused study, and gain an overall nuanced reverence for the collective Muslim intellectual legacy across 1400 years along with the diversified scholarly struggles to diligently honor and observe the message received from the Prophet Muhammad (s). The map and timeline accompanying the present survey of Muslim intellectual history are available here.

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Section: Section 2: the Civil Warsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Muslim Intellectual History

Pervez

2023

AJIS

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“…In the absence of such a history, we run the risk of theorizing without attending to the actual reception and circulation of the physical book, something that is considered essential in the wider field of canon studies. 26 To overcome this problem in the short-term, we can examine the role that Nahj al-balāgha played in different stages of the evolution of Imāmī Shīʿism. Furthermore, if we can differentiate between the relative significance of different stages and choose one that is more important to the overall formation of tradition, then our admittedly tentative conclusions will be stronger.…”

Section: Furthermorementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within this diversity, however, canon studies has recognized that when communities authorize texts this involves common historical processes that change the way these texts function and are used. 10 Second, at least some of the skepticism of canon is rooted in the adage "There is no church in Islam. " For example, in his masterful study of Sunnī jurisprudence, Bernard Weiss states that, " [God] guides no council of elders or divines in the formation of a sacred canon…" 11 In other words, because "Islam has had no machinery comparable to the Ecumenical Councils of the Christian Church, " talk of canons (and indeed orthodoxy) is inappropriate.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…12 This, however, is a narrow understanding of canon, one that only treats canon on "the ethereal plane of religious authority" with little regard for the actual circulation of texts. 13 Moreover, in light of the role of the marjaʿiyya in contemporary Imāmī Shīʿism, the adage seems more like a wish than an inference. Finally, in the case of Nahj al-balāgha in particular, it is important not to reduce the notion of canon to "a criterion between truth and falsehood, inspired and uninspired. "…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Canonization of Nahj al‑Balāgha between Najaf and Ḥilla: Sistani and the Iconic Authority of the Marājiʿ

Ali¹

2021

JCSI

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Despite the relatively narrow construction of their authority in substantive law, there is ample evidence from which to conclude that the marājiʿ wield authority in other realms too. While much of the scholarship on the marjaʿiyya has focused on their political authority in Muslim-majority societies, their status as cultural icons is arguably more important for understanding their global influence. This article examines how marājiʿ use their "iconic authority" to shape canons. In particular, it focuses on a recent statement by al-Sayyid ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī al-Sīstānī that describes Nahj al-balāgha as an explanation of the meanings of the Quran. It is argued that, by seeking to organize and regulate reading practices, al-Sīstānī's statement contributes to the canonization of Nahj al-balāgha. To fully appreciate the significance of al-Sīstānī's statement, however, one needs to situate it within the history of the text. I argue that the School of Ḥilla is an excellent vantage point from which to view the history of the canonization of Nahj al-balaghah because it can be considered the formative period of Imāmī tradition in important respects. Evidence from the School of Ḥillah confirms that Nahj al-balāghah played a role in the organization and representation of Imāmī tradition, but there is little evidence of the notion that it is an explanation of the meanings of the Quran. Drawing upon J. Z. Smith's classic treatment of canon, I conclude that the novelty of this view is further evidence that Nahj al-balāgha is canonical.

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“…A third option, adopted by several contemporary scholars, such as Fatima Mernissi (1991) and Khadija Bitar (2003), is to use traditional critical techniques of Islamic scholarship to undermine the validity of certain hadiths which are generally accepted by Sunnis as sound. Finally, the fourth approach, pursued primarily by the controversial salafi scholar Nasir al‐Din al‐Albani (d. 1999), is to compose new critical collections of hadith and to edit classical works with a sharp eye toward the authenticity of their narrations (Brown 2007, 321–34).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“PERHAPS YOU ONLY KISSED HER?”: A Contrapuntal Reading of the Penalties for Illicit Sex in the Sunni Hadith Literature

Lucas¹

2011

Journal of Religious Ethics

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The goal of this essay is to illustrate how Ebrahim Moosa's method of "contrapuntal reading" can be applied fruitfully to the Sunni hadith literature. My case study is the set of penalties (hudud) for illicit sex, which include flogging, stoning, and banishment. I propose a fresh reading of these sacred texts that brings to the fore the ethical dimension of Prophet Muhammad's conduct, especially his strong reluctance to apply these measures. I conclude by identifying four ethical problems that the stoning penalty raises and suggest how the hadith literature can be read to argue against the validity of this specific punishment.

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The Canonization of al-Bukhārī and Muslim

Cited by 124 publications

References 4 publications

Muslim Intellectual History

Muslim Intellectual History

The Canonization of Nahj al‑Balāgha between Najaf and Ḥilla: Sistani and the Iconic Authority of the Marājiʿ

“PERHAPS YOU ONLY KISSED HER?”: A Contrapuntal Reading of the Penalties for Illicit Sex in the Sunni Hadith Literature

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