REL 102 World Religions: Near East “Islamic Theology and Mysticism”

REL 102World Religions: Near East“Islamic Theologyand Mysticism” Professor Rick Colby May 26, 2010

Outline for Class on 05/26/10 • Issues in Islamic Theology (kalam) • Grave sinner? Free will? God does evil? Status of divine attributes? Qur'an created? • Islamic Philosophy (falsafa) • Key thinkers, tried to reconcile revelation and reason • Islamic Mysticism (tasawwuf = Sufism) • Famous early figures, famous mystical poets • Sufi ritual and mystical orders • REMINDER: Turn in your papers on Friday at 11 am

Islamic Theology (kalam)and Islamic Philosophy (falsafa) • Indebted to Greek metaphysics, to Jewish and Christian "dialectical theology" • Translations into Arabic in the Abbasid capital of Baghdad • Not mere "preservers" of Plato and Aristotle • Flourished among elites in the first six centuries of Islamic history

Issues in Early Theology (kalam) • Status of the grave sinner: still a Muslim? • God as creator of evil? • Free will vs. predestination • Qur'an as God's speech – created or eternal?

Mu'tazili Responses toIssues in Early Theology (kalam) • Status of the grave sinner: still a Muslim? • INTERMEDIATE STATUS (neither in nor out) • God as creator of evil? • GOD IS GOOD, CANNOT BE SOURCE OF EVIL • Free will vs. predestination • HUMANS MUST HAVE FREE WILL • Qur'an as God's speech – created or eternal? • QUR'AN IS CREATED, NOT GOD

Ash'ari Responses toIssues in Early Theology (kalam) • Status of the grave sinner: still a Muslim? • GOD KNOWS; THE MATTER POSTPONED UNTIL JUDGMENT DAY • God as creator of evil? • GOD RESPONSIBLE FOR GOOD AND EVIL • Free will vs. predestination • HUMANS PREDESTINED, BUT.... • Qur'an as God's speech – created or eternal? • QUR'AN IS UNCREATED, DIVINE ATTRIBUTE

Islamic Philosophy (falsafa) • Sought to harmonize revelation & philosophy • use reason to prove the truths of the Qur'an and example of the Prophet (sunna) • Prophet as a type of "philosopher king," dispensing truths in symbolic form palatable to and comprehensible by the masses • Came under attack, decline in many lands

Famous Muslim Philosophers from the Formative Period • AL-FARABI (d. 950) = "Alpharabius" • IBN SINA (d.1037) = "Avicenna" • IBN RUSHD (d.1198) = "Averroes"

AL-GHAZALI (d.1111) known as "Proof of Islam" ; Algazel • Defender of Sunni Islam in Nizamiya madrasa • Ash'ari theologian • Spiritual crisis, journey, enlightenment • Key works: • The Incoherence of the Philosophers • Deliverance from Error • Revival of the Religious Sciences

Definitions of Islamic Mysticism • Recall the definition in World Religions, 404-406 • Remember that Sufism is NOT a theological school NOT a legal school NOT a "sect" • Insider terms and definitions; controversies

Famous Early Sufi Figures • RABI'AH (d.801) • BAYAZID ( =Abu Yazid Bistami, d.ca.848) • HALLAJ (d.922) • JUNAYD (d.910) • SULAMI (d.1021) • QUSHAYRI (d.1074)

Muhyidin IBN 'ARABI (d.1240) • Known as “al-Shaykh al-Akbar” • Educated in al-Andalus, went to central lands • Human beings as manifestation of God's attributes • God: "I was a hidden treasure...." • His major works: • Meccan Revelations • Ring-settings of Wisdom • Interpreter of Desires

ATTAR (d.1220):The Conference of the Birds • Hoopoe leadsthe rest of thebirds on a questfor their King,the Simurgh • Only 30 birdscomplete the questand arrive at theKing’s palace

Jalal al-Din RUMI (d.1273) • Born near Balkh, he and his family came West • Became established in Anatolia • Came to be called "Mevlana" • Contemporary hagiography • His major works, composed in Persian: • Masnavi • In It is What is In It • Divan of Shams

Mevlevi Ritual & the Mevlevi Order as an Example of later Sufism • Mevlevi sama’: one type of “remembrance” (dhikr) • Foundation of theMevlevi order • Rumi's tomb complexin Konya, Turkey • veneration of"saints" asintermediaries

REL 102 World Religions: Near East “Islamic Theology and Mysticism”