The Ash’ari Compromise:Figurative interpretation of God’s attributesSpeculation allowed to prevent heretical beliefsMu’tazilite tools used to achieve Sunni Literalist resultsLiteralist/Ahl al-Hadith:No speculation, no rational toolsBut heretical beliefs not the correct literal readings! MENA 160A1 1st Edition Lecture 7Outline of Current Lecture I. Leadership of the community - Who is the rightful leader?II. Relationship between faith and deeds- Problem of “the grave sinner”III. Qadar (power) - Free will vs. pre-determinismIV. God’s Attributes (sifat)- Relationship to God’s essenceCurrent LectureGoal of Theology- To explain the faith for believers and defend it against attacks from outsiders- Approaches to theology:-‘ilm al-kalam: “science of discourse” -‘aqida: “creed” – normative approach- Gradual emergence of theological schoolsThe Flow of Islamic Theological History 800 CE 950 CE on…Adios…except f for Shiites SunniRationalist/Mu’tazilite • God is rational god• Reason tells us what is possible and impossible in belief• Hadith not reliable enough for doctrineLiteralistsahl al-sunnaNo speculationFollow hadith in doctrineSunniTheological schools/Positions- Major Schools:1. Mu‘tazali -Became dominant Shi`i position-Arose in the early part of the 8th century -Emphasize human free will over predestination and God's justice over God's omnipotence -Believe in the use of logic to deduct the true meanings of the Qur’an2. Ash‘ari - Became dominant Sunni position -In the 10th century, in reaction against the Mu’tazila -It drastically changed the direction of Islamic theology. -Its major figure was Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari.1. His school, the Ash’ari school, came to dominate the orthodox position in the Sunni Muslim world.-Followers attempted to demonstrate the existence and nature of God through rational argument, while affirming the eternal, uncreated nature of the Qur’an -Comprehension of unique nature and characteristics of God were beyond human capability -They were accused by the Mu’tazila of believing in predestination because they claimed the human capacity for action was only acquired at the very moment of action. - Other positions:1. Ibn Hanbal and the traditionalists-an exemplary defender of the hadith-most famous for heroically enduring torture and imprisonment during Mu’tazilite inquisition-because he endured the torture was a sign of loyalty to the Qur’an as theuncreated Word of God2. Muslim philosophersDevelopment of Sunni Theology- Emphasis on representing consensus (“orthodox”)- “My community will never agree upon an error” - Opposed theological “innovation” (bid‘a) - Creed of Al-Ash‘ari 1. God has 7 eternal attributes (without asking how) 2. God creates actions, humans acquire them (kasb) 3. Qur’an is uncreated4. Heaven and Hell are a reality5. Grave sinner is still believer6. Intercession of Prophet Muhammad on Day of JudgmentDevelopment of Shi`i Theology- “Five Principles” of the Mu`tazila 1. Divine unity (tawhid)-Negation of the Divine Attributes (sifat)2. Divine justice (‘adl) - Necessity of human free will (since God is not oppressive)3. The promise and threat (al-wa‘d wa-l-wa‘id)4. Intermediary status of the perpetrator of grave sins5. Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrongFaith and Deeds/Works- Major concern of the theologians is who is a Muslim and how could one determine if they were-path was pretty straightforward, involving a simple statement of faith-there is noGod, but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God-along with the submission if duties that followed from that confession- Some important heresies:-Kharijites: known as disbelievers (kafir); insisted that to be Muslim one must actlike a Muslim and if one does not act like one, he or she is an unbeliever and an apostate-Ash’aris: Believer (mu’minin)1. Dominant view-Mu’tazalis: “the intermediate position” – sinnerNature of Faith- Murji’ite: “The Hopers” = faith is a knowledge and belief, actions can’t affect it…. Supposedly held by Abu Hanifa. (they were politically conservative) - Kharijites: faith is both belief in the heart (based on knowledge of course) and deeds & deeds indicate it 100%! (hardliners)- Ahl al-Hadith: faith is “belief in the heart, a statement by the tongue and acting on the pillars” à denying an essential duty is disbelief! (doctrinal literalists) Freewill and Determinism: Debate- The hadith literature reflects a strikingly deterministic mood, summed up in the tradition, “everyone is guided to that for which he was created.”- The ethical problem of determinism is that if God has already knows what will happen tous in advance, what is the point of doing anything about it- There is also a moral problem because God is rewarding and punishing those for their deeds that he himself made them do- Question of Qadar (power, degree, determinism)- Ibn Hanbal: - Emphasis on God’s omnipotence - Qadariyya/Mu’tazalis: ((liberal, rational and revolutionary) - Emphasis on God’s justice - Ash‘aris: - God creates actions; humans acquire them (kasb)Major Issues of Contention:- Number 1-Free Will vs. Predestination: political origins?1. Quran supports both…-“God does not change the condition of a people until they change themselves” -Anfal 422. Mu’tazilite Position: man must have free will because it would not be just for Godto judge people for what they were predestined to do.3. Original Sunni Position: pre-destination… but don’t ask!4. Sunni Position/Ash’ari Compromise: God creates man’s actions, but we “acquire them” and that’s what we’re judged for- Number 2-The Fate of the Grave Sinner: political?1. Kharijite: grave sinner is an unbeliever2. Mu’tazilite Position: Muslims who commit grave sins and die without repentance are not considered as mu’mins (believers), nor are they considered kafirs (non-believers), but in an intermediate position between the two. However, the fate ofthose who commit grave sins and die without repentance is Hell. Those in theintermediate position, though in Hell, would have a lesser punishment because of their belief and other good deeds.3. Sunni Position: a grave sinner is still a Muslim, and if God wishes He can forgive him (or not)Bigger question: what is