Law and Politics under the Abbasids
An Intellectual Portrait of al-Juwayni

Explores the eleventh century Abbasid Empire and the intersection between politics, theology, and law in the thought of Abu Ma'ali al-Juwayni.

Sohaira Z. M. Siddiqui (Author)

9781108721950, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 June 2020

329 pages
23 x 15.3 x 2 cm, 0.5 kg

'Siddiqui's first monograph is a seminal contribution and a tremendous achievement that serves as an exemplary intellectual biography and sets the standard for interdisciplinary analysis, meticulous research, intellectual coherence, and engaging prose.' Mariam Sheibani, Journal of Near Eastern Studies

Abu Ma'ali al-Juwayni (d.478/1085) lived in a politically tumultuous period. The rise of powerful dynastic families forced the Abbasid Caliph into a position of titular power, and created instability. He also witnessed intellectual upheavals living amidst great theological and legal diversity. Collectively, these experiences led him to consider questions of religious certainty and social and political continuity. He noted that if political elites are constantly changing, paralleled with shifting intellectual allegiances, what ensures the continuity of religion? He concluded that continuity of society is contingent upon knowledge and practice of the Shari'a. Here, Sohaira Siddiqui explores how scholars grappled with questions of human reason and knowledge, and how their answers to these questions often led them to challenge dominant ideas of what the Shari'a is. By doing this, she highlights the interconnections between al-Juwayni's discussions on theology, law and politics, and the socio-political intellectual landscapes that forged them.

Introduction
Part I. Historical Background: 1. Politics, patronage, and scholarship in Nishapur
2. Al-Juwayni?: life of a scholar
Part II. Epistemology: 3. Intellectual fissures: the Ash?ari?s and the Mu?tazila
4. The epistemology of al-Juwayni?
Part III. Legal Theory: 5. Certainty in legal sources: Hòadi?th
6. Certainty in legal sources: Ijma??
7. The rise of legal uncertainty: Qiya?s al-Ma?na?
8. Coping with legal uncertainty: Qiya?s al-Shabah
Part IV. Political Thought: 9. The search for continuity: al-Juwayni?'s political thought
10. Continuity, custom, and applied epistemology in al-Juwayni?'s political thought
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], History of other lands [HBJQ], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1], General & world history [HBG], History [HB], Humanities [H]