‛abd al-karīm al-jīLĪ
Download 5.05 Kb. Pdf ko'rish
|
- Bu sahifa navigatsiya:
- Department of Theology and Religion School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law
- University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository
- ABSTRACT
‛ABD AL-KARĪM AL-JĪLĪ: Tawḥīd, Transcendence and Immanence by NICHOLAS LO POLITO A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Theology and Religion School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham September 2010 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The present thesis is an attempt to understand ‛Abd Al-Karīm Al-Jīlī’s thought and to illustrate his original contribution to the development of medieval Islamic mysticism. In particular, it maintains that far from being an obscure disciple of Ibn ‛Arabī, Al-Jīlī was able to overcome the apparent contradiction between the doctrinal assumption of a transcendent God and the perception of divine immanence intrinsic in God’s relational stance vis-à-vis the created world. To achieve this, this thesis places Al-Jīlī historically and culturally within the Sufi context of eighth-ninth/fourteenth-fifteenth centuries Persia, describing the world in which he lived and the influence of theological and philosophical traditions on his writings, both from within and without the Islamic world. A whole chapter is dedicated to the definition of the controversies that afflicted Islamic theology and philosophy over the issue of anthropomorphic representations of God and the relevance that this had on the subject of divine immanence and transcendence. Al-Jīlī’s original contribution to this discussion, summarised in the concept of the Perfect Human Being, is illustrated with the editing and translation of one of Al-Jīlī’s works, The Cave and the Inscription, followed by annotations to the book. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened, for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony. (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, book I) A doctoral thesis on ‘Abd Al-Karīm Al-Jīlī is an exercise in the understanding of a paradox that has afflicted the Islamic world since its inception: how to reconcile God’s indisputable transcendence and God’s perceived immanence. The former is God’s “otherness” that distinguishes the divine Being from the created universe, while the latter is assumed in the same act of creation and in the professed divine presence in the world, in history and in the life of every human being. Al-Jīlī’s in my opinion unique contribution to the debate is here analysed against the background of numerous attempts by others to overcome the impasse generated by the paradox. This paradox constitutes the axis around which the whole structure of this dissertation revolves. As an illustration of Al-Jīlī’s thought on this subject, I have reproduced, edited, translated and explained one of the author’s literary works, Al-Kahf wa-al-raqīm. I am grateful to my supervisor, Prof David Thomas, for encouraging me to pursue this line of research; to the Diocese of Birmingham for giving me the opportunity to take it on; to Michael Mumisa, Wageeh Mikhail and Dhiaa Al Asadi for their assistance in the work of translation; to my family for their patience and support. I hope that this work may contribute to the shedding of some light on a medieval Sufi theologian, philosopher, poet and mystic still largely ignored by much of the relevant scholarship in this field. I also hope that increased knowledge may obtain deeper understanding, and deeper understanding may contribute to an increase “in unison and harmony.” TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction……………………………………………………………….. 1 1. ‛Abd Al-Karīm Al-Jīlī………………………………………………… 9 1. His background……………………………………………….. 10 2. His writings…………………………………………………… 25 2. Interpreting Al-Jīlī…………………………………………………….. 47 1. The legacy of Ibn Sīnā, Al-Suhrawardī and Ibn ‛Arabī………. 49 1.1 Ibn Sīnā……………………………………………………. 49 1.2 Al-Suhrawardī……………………………………………... 55 1.3 Ibn ‛Arabī…………………………………………………...57 2. The Sufi context……………………………………………….. 70 3. Symbolism of the Arabic script………………………………... 84 4. Persian mysticism…………………………………………….... 93 4.1 Persian Sufism……………………………………………... 93 4.2 Shī‛ism……………………………………………………... 96 4.3 Pre-Islamic Persian philosophies……………………………98 5. Other non-Islamic philosophical influences on Al-Jīlī………...102 5.1 Hellenistic influences………………………………………102 5.2 Hindu/Buddhist traditions.....................................................107 3. Controversies about God’s transcendence……………………………..114 1. The Mu‛tazilites ……………………………………………….116 2. The Ash‛arites …………………………………………………122 3. The Mushabbiha ……………………………………………….125 4. Al-Jīlī…………………………………………………………. .130 4. Al-Kahf wa al-raqīm …………………………………………………...138 1. The text in Arabic………………………………………………142 2. Translation…………………………………………………..….166 3. Annotations……………………………………………………..223 5. Al-Jīlī’s originality……………………………………………………...271 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...286 Glossary……………………………………………………………………...294 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………301 SYSTEM OF REFERENCING AND TRANSLITERATION FROM ARABIC Throughout the present work the Harvard System of Referencing has been adopted (with minor adaptations): author-date system in the body of the thesis, with full reference provided in the Bibliography. With respect to reprints, the date of the original publication is given in square brackets. English quotations from the Qur’ān are my own translation. For transliteration from Arabic - except when quoting authors using a different method - the Library of Congress system has been adopted (adapted), as illustrated below: ’(ﺀ), a (initial ا), b (ب), t (ت), th (ث), j (ج), ḥ (ح), kh (خ), d (د), dh (ذ), r (ر), z (ز), s (س), sh (ش), ṣ (ص), ḍ (ض), ṭ (ط), ẓ (ظ), ‘ (ع), gh (غ), f (ف), q (ق), k (ك), l (ل), m (م), n (ن), h (ه), w (و), y (ي) ة a (at in iḍāfa and ah after alif have been ignored). Article: al- (“sun” letters have been ignored). Long vowels: ā (alif and a.maqṣūra) ī ū. Short vowels: a i u. Diphthongs: aw ay iyy (ī if final) uww (ū if final). Initial hamza: omitted. Some common Arabic names usually quoted in English dictionaries may not be transliterated (e.g., Sufi). 1 INTRODUCTION In an age when the first casual encounter with an author often happens by typing the title of a book on an Internet search engine, it is not at all surprising that enquiring with curiosity on the evocative and intriguing phrase The Perfect Man one should make the acquaintance for the first time with the name of ‘Abd Al-Karīm Al-Jīlī. The reason why this is not surprising resides in the fact that Al-Jīlī – poet, philosopher and mystic - is well known by Muslims and Islamic scholars the world over, primarily for his seminal work Al- Insān Al-Kāmil. Arguably Al-Jīlī deserves more attention and study on the part of scholars than footnote quotations or partial references to his major work and to his self-confessed admiration for that titan of Muslim mysticism, Muḥyī Al-Dīn Ibn ‘Arabī, his spiritual and philosophical master, two hundred years his senior. On the other hand, his obvious devotion to the Andalusian mystic and insistence to refer to him in nearly everything he wrote is probably the reason why his own original contribution to an Islamic spirituality should be lost to many, and be overshadowed by such a gigantic figure as that of Al- Shaykh Al-Akbar . He is nevertheless considered by some to be “undoubtedly the most original thinker and the most remarkable and independent mystical writer … in the ‘school’ of Ibn ‛Arabi” (Knysh 1999, p. 232). The present work consists of an attempt to familiarise the reader with the figure of Al- Jīlī, placing him historically and geographically in the world that shaped him as a mystic and a man of letters. A man of his time, one cannot overestimate the importance that an understanding of the historical circumstances that stand as backdrop to his life and work, have for a correct interpretation of his message. A man of culture, this work will also try to 2 define - if broadly - some of the main cultural influences that have played a role in his formation and in the development of his ideas, as well as the influences derived from his own Muslim faith in the context of the Sufi medieval mystical traditions. The main thrust of this dissertation, however, will reside in a description of what I consider his original contribution to a debate that has plagued the Muslim world for centuries on the apparent paradox to be found in faith in a transcendent God and in the pious Muslims’ perception of a universe imbued with a divine presence not at all detached from, but interacting instead with the created order. Therefore, this dissertation proposes that the issue of the relation between God and the contingent order is central to his philosophy, extending to arguments on the significance of anthropomorphic representations of God in the Qur’ān and in tradition. To this effect, this work contains an Arabic edition, an English translation and annotations on one of Al-Jīlī’s earliest works, in my opinion representative and illustrative of the main elements of his doctrine. Possibly dazzled by the brightness of Ibn ‛Arabī, Islamic and non-Islamic scholarship has tended to overlook Al-Jīlī’s contribution to medieval debates on mysticism and philosophy. This dissertation contends that his teaching deserves to acquire greater influence and authority in such debates, and that his originality has more to it than is usually stated. The significance of the present research, therefore, intends to reside in an attempt to further clarify some of the most obscure elements of Al-Jīlī’s doctrine, and at least in part contribute to motivating relevant scholarship to ascribe to him greater 3 relevance in the evolution of Sufi Islamic mysticism and philosophy and their propagation over the centuries throughout the Islamic world. This research on Al-Jīlī draws on available scholarship spanning several decades, from the classic studies of Nicholson and Burckhardt, to more recent publications from Lewisohn and especially from Zaydān Al-Massri and Al-Ḥakīm. More importantly, it is based on a number of texts in Arabic by Al-Jīlī himself. Because works specifically dedicated to Al-Jīlī are still quite limited in number, much of my work is also based on information on Al-Jīlī contained in works investigating primarily the teachings of Ibn ‛ Arabī, his literary production and the development of Sufism over the centuries. From the point of view of methodology, I have attempted a historical analysis locating Al-Jīlī historically in the context of the cultural renaissance that under the Il-Khans and later Tamerlane saw Islamic Persia re-emerge from a long period of economic, social and cultural decadence precipitated by the Mongol invasions. More specifically, I have described the development of mysticism and of the Sufi orders in particular that represented the religious milieu originating in the mystical and philosophical tradition initiated by Ibn ‛Arabī and of which Al-Jīlī is an eloquent and significant representative. Again, I do not believe that it is possible to fully comprehend Al-Jīlī as a man of his times, without an in-depth study of this historical background. However, I have also avoided what I would consider the temptation of reducing a study on Al-Jīlī to being yet another investigation into the already much explored doctrines of Al-Shaykh Al-Akbar. 4 Subsequently, I have examined the cultural environment within which Al-Jīlī finds his legitimate collocation, identified in the philosophical influences from within Islam and from outside of it (namely from the Greek and Hindu-Buddhist traditions) that directly or indirectly affected his development. As an exemplification of our author’s theories, I have then edited, translated and commented on one of his works that although deals with subjects tackled at length and in greater depth in Al-Insān al-kāmil, I have chosen because I consider it representative of Al- Jīlī’s doctrine. It contains a justification of tawḥīd obtained by means of an analytical study of the letters of the alphabet, and of the basmala in particular, thus tackling in an intriguing manner the paradox of divine immanence and transcendence. As explained at the beginning of chapter four, in order to achieve this I have obtained from the University of Cambridge Library an electronic copy of a manuscript in Arabic dated 1040/1631. I have compared it with another manuscript preserved at the Library of the India Office, London, and checked it against an Indian second edition of The Cave and the Inscription published in 1336/1917, and a third edition of 1340/1921 both also kept at the Library of the University of Cambridge. I have had the Arabic text typed by a professional typist in Cairo, and added notes to it, especially with reference to discrepancies with the other versions of the work available to me. I have then translated it into English, with occasional consultation of Arabic speaking friends, trying as much as possible to remain faithful to the original text, attempting however to render the translation fluid enough to be understood by a modern-day reader. In part three of chapter four I have then offered annotations to the text endeavouring to explain the tenets of Al-Jīlī’s doctrine 5 and the terminology he adopted when rendering philosophical and mystical notions, drawing from it conclusions pertinent to the main objectives of this dissertation. I have approached this research with great humility, first of all in the awareness that I would be treading sacred ground, dealing with themes that belong to the sphere of the spiritual; secondly, constantly conscious of the fact that I am not a Muslim, and therefore I have no right to express judgments on traditions that I have not embraced. However, I have also approached this research with great enthusiasm and love, in the growing conviction that much of what Al-Jīlī explored and endeavoured to describe is in fact part of a legacy that goes beyond the boundaries of religious denominations, and belongs instead to the whole of the human race, touching upon elements that I consider universally present in all human beings regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof. I am referring to those elements of the religious discourse that seem to be shared by mystics of all traditions, expressing a longing for the divine which is beyond the experience of our material world, and yet also deep within the soul of every person. For this reason this research has had a great impact on my own spiritual journey. However, I also hope that it will collate in one space most of what has ever been discovered and studied of an author not yet upsurged to the rank shared by the greatest among the medieval Islamic mystics and philosophers. As explained earlier, with this research I intend to illustrate – albeit succinctly, given the fact that I am a rather concise writer and given the wide scope that a work of this type may have if one were given the opportunity to deal with all its constitutive elements, even dedicating entire volumes to each of them - Al-Jīlī’s original contribution to the debate on the reconcilability or otherwise of divine immanence and transcendence. To this purpose, I 6 have divided my work into five chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter sets the background to Al-Jīlī’s life and thought, and is divided into two parts. Part one contains biographical information on our author, and describes and analyses the main historical events that shaped his time and his world. Part two contains brief references to his written works, especially those that I was able to access in their original language. Some attention is given to his masterpiece that has made him famous the world over, Al-Insān al-kāmil, attempting a first description of some of his main concepts. The second chapter is about interpreting Al-Jīlī in the light of the main influences on his doctrines. The chapter is divided into five parts. In the first part of the chapter, Al-Jīlī is seen against the background of the Islamic philosophical traditions that have shaped him, especially the doctrines of Avicenna, Al-Suhrawardī and Ibn ‛Arabī. The second part intends to offer further elements to a more complete interpretation of Al-Jīlī’s thought by offering a brief summary of the development of Sufism up to the time of our author. The third part contains a section dedicated to the mystical valence of the Arabic script in certain Islamic literature, and certainly in Al-Jīlī. As Al-Jīlī was rooted in the Persian environment of his time, part four of this chapter deals with Persian mysticism and its roots in the indigenous expressions of Zoroastrianism first and then Shī‛ism. Other pre-Islamic philosophical influences, namely Hindu/Buddhist and Hellenistic, are also considered in part five. The third chapter finally brings us to the core of the issues on which this work intends to focus, namely Al-Jīlī’s contributions in the centuries-long controversies on divine immanence (tashbīh) and transcendence (tanzīh), and on the corollaries to this debate 7 offered by the questions of the divine attributes and of anthropomorphic descriptions of God in the Qur’ān. The first three sections of this chapter describe the milestones of the arguments and the main groups involved in the disputes. The fourth focuses on Al-Jīlī, his original contribution to the debate but also the influence that it had on his own philosophical formation. Chapter four then follows, with its three parts dedicated respectively to the editing, translation and annotations on one of Al-Jīlī’s works, The Cave and the Inscription, a brief early text, but in my opinion highly significant in providing an exemplification of Al-Jīlī’s contributions to the debate to which the previous chapter referred. The fifth chapter pursues further the case of Al-Jīlī’s own original contribution to the development of medieval Islamic philosophy and mysticism. Having established in the previous two chapters his position with regard to the debates on divine anthropomorphism, this section disputes the apparently widespread assumption that Al-Jīlī is just a mouthpiece for Ibn ‛Arabī’s doctrines re-issued almost two centuries later, showing instead instances of originality even in the refutation of some of his master’s own teachings. Finally, the Conclusion to the present work has offered to me the opportunity to illustrate the repercussions that Al-Jīlī’s doctrines have had in history on some expressions of the Islamic world. Cultural, mystical, philosophical and political reactions - both positive and negative ones - to the content of his writings can be detected throughout the centuries up to the present day. I have tried to capture some of them and to summarise them, thus bringing to a close a hopefully exciting journey through the very stimulating 8 and often inspiring teachings of a master from an age so different from ours that however is rendered close to us by the universal and ageless language of mystical experience. 9 Download 5.05 Kb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
Ma'lumotlar bazasi mualliflik huquqi bilan himoyalangan ©fayllar.org 2024
ma'muriyatiga murojaat qiling
ma'muriyatiga murojaat qiling