Heresy and the Formation of Medieval Islamic Orthodoxy
The Making of Sunnism, from the Eighth to the Eleventh Century

Offers an original account of the formation of medieval Sunnism, emphasising Islamic discourses of heresy and orthodoxy.

Ahmad Khan (Author)

9781009098373, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 2023

450 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.9 cm, 0.79 kg

'Through philological precision, extensive documentation, and originality of approach, Ahmad Khan offers a stimulating reinterpretation of the genesis of Sunnism. By showing that heresy was not a dogmatic category but a discursive process, closely linked to social and political dynamics, he opens new perspectives for the intellectual history of medieval Islam. The attention paid to the production of scholarly memoirs, the transregional circulation of literary genres, and the role of judicial elites in the rehabilitation of Abu Hanifa makes this work a major contribution. With its ambition, clarity, and erudition, Heresy and the Formation of Medieval Islamic Orthodoxy must be considered an essential reference for studies on medieval Islam and, more broadly, for comparative reflection on the formation of religious orthodoxies.' Clément Salah, Bulletin critique des Annales islamologiques (BCAI)

Between the eighth and eleventh centuries, many defining features of classical Sunni Islam began to take shape. Among these was the formation of medieval Sunnism around the belief in the unimpeachable orthodoxy of four eponymous founders and their schools of law. In this original study, Ahmad Khan explores the history and cultural memory of one of these eponymous founders, Abū Ḥanīfa. Showing how Abū Ḥanīfa evolved from being the object of intense religious exclusion to a pillar of Sunni orthodoxy, Khan examines the concepts of orthodoxy and heresy, and outlines their changing meanings over the course of four centuries. He demonstrates that orthodoxy and heresy were neither fixed theological categories, nor pious fictions, but instead were impacted by everything from law and politics, to society and culture. This book illuminates the significant yet often neglected transformations in Islamic social, political and religious thought during this vibrant period.

List of figures
List of tables
Preface
Acknowledgments
Notes on the text
Part I. History of Orthodoxy: 1. Introduction
2. Discourses of heresy I (800-850)
3. Discourses of heresy II (859-950)
Part II. Heresy and Society: 4. Regionalism and topographies of heresy
5. Ethnogenesis and heresy
6. Politics: rebellion and heresy
7. Religion and society
Part III. Unmaking Heresy: Orthodoxy as History-Writing: 8. Manâqib: narratives of orthodoxy I
9. Masânîd: narratives of orthodoxy II
Part IV. The Formation of Classical Sunnism: 10. Consensus and heresy
11. Conclusion
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Islamic studies [JFSR2], Society & culture: general [JF], Islam [HRH], History of religion [HRAX], Medieval history [HBLC1], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]