Traditionalist Theology (Islam)

Atharī theology or Atharism ( ar, الأثرية: / , " archeological"), otherwise referred to as Traditionalist theology or Scripturalist theology, is one of the main Sunni schools of Islamic theology. It emerged as an Islamic scholarly movement in the late 8th century CE, which rejects the formulation of Islamic doctrine derived from rationalistic Islamic theology ('' kalām'') in favor of strict textualism in interpreting the Quran and the ''ḥadīth''.. "The Atharis can thus be described as a school or movement led by a contingent of scholars ('' ulama''), typically Hanbalite or even Shafi'ite, which retained influence, or at the very least a shared sentiment and conception of piety, well beyond the limited range of Hanbalite communities. This body of scholars continued to reject theology in favor of strict textualism well after Ash'arism had infiltrated the Sunni schools of law. It is for these reasons that we must delineate the existence of a distinct traditionalist, anti-theological movement, which defies strict identification with any particular ''madhhab'', and therefore cannot be described as Hanbalite." The name derives from "tradition" in its technical sense as a translation of the Arabic word '' athar''. It is also sometimes referred to by several other names.

Adherents of Atharī theology believe the '' zahir'' (literal) meaning of the Quran and the ''ḥadīth'' are the sole authorities in matters of belief ('' ʿaqīdah'') and law (''fiqh''); and that the use of rational disputation is forbidden, even if in verifying the truth.. Atharīs oppose the use of metaphorical interpretation regarding the anthropomorphic descriptions and attributes of God (''ta'wil'') and do not attempt to conceptualize the meanings of the Quran rationally since they believe that their realities should be consigned to God alone ('' tafwid'').. In essence, they assert that the literal meaning of the Quran and the ''ḥadīth'' must be accepted without a "how" (i.e. " Bi-la kayfa").

Atharī theology emerged among hadith scholars who eventually coalesced into a movement called '' Ahl al-Ḥadīth'' under the leadership of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855). In matters of faith, they were pitted against Muʿtazilites and other theological Islamic currents and condemned many points of their doctrine as well as the extreme rationalistic methods they used. In the 10th century, al-Ashʿarī and al-Māturīdī found a middle ground between Muʿtazilite rationalism and Hanbalite literalism, using the rationalistic methods championed by Muʿtazilites to defend most tenets of the Atharī doctrine.; Although the mainly Hanbali scholars who rejected that synthesis were in the minority, their emotive, narrative-based approach to faith remained influential among the urban masses in some areas of the Muslim world, particularly in Abbasid Baghdad.

Ashʿarism and Māturīdism are often regarded as the creeds of Sunni "orthodoxy", but Atharī theology has thrived alongside it by laying rival claims to be the orthodox Sunni faith.: "The Ash‘ari school of theology is often called the Sunni 'orthodoxy'. But the original ahl al-hadith, early Sunni creed from which Ash‘arism evolved has continued to thrive alongside it as a rival Sunni 'orthodoxy' as well." In the modern era it has had a disproportionate impact on Islamic theology, having been appropriated by Wahhabi and other traditionalist Salafi currents, and spread well beyond the confines of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence.

Terminology

Several terms are used to refer to Atharī theology or Atharism. They are used inconsistently, and some of them have been subject to criticism.

The designation Traditionalist Theology is derived from the word "tradition" in its technical meaning as translation of the Arabic term ''ḥadīth''. This term is found in a number of reference works. It has been criticized by Marshall Hodgson (who preferred the term ''Hadith folk'') for its potential for confusion between the technical and common meanings of the word "tradition". Oliver Leaman also cautions against misinterpreting the terms "traditionalists" and "rationalists" as implying that the former favored irrationality or that the latter did not use the ''ḥadīth''. Some authors reject the use of these terms as labels for groups of scholars and prefer to speak of "traditionalist" and "rationalist" tendencies instead. Racha el Omari has applied the designation ''traditionalist theology'' in a way that includes both Ashʿarism and Māturīdism.

Atharī (from the Arabic word ''athar'', meaning "remnant" or " effect") is another term that has been used for traditionalist theology. The term Traditionism has also been used in the same sense, although Binyamin Abrahamov reserves the term "traditionists" for scholars of the HadIth, distinguishing it from traditionalism as a theological current. The term " Ahl al-Ḥadīth" ("People of the Tradition") is used by some authors in the same sense as ''Atharī'', while others restrict it to the early stages of this movement, or use it in a broader sense to denote particular enthusiasm towards the ''ḥadīth'' literature.

Since the overwhelming majority of Muslim scholars in the Hanbali school of jurisprudence has adhered to the Atharī creed ('' ʿaqīdah''), many sources refer to it as "Hanbali theology", although Western scholars of Islamic studies remark that it would be incorrect to consider Atharism and Hanbalism as synonymous, since there have been Hanbalite scholars who have explicitly rejected and opposed the Atharī theology. However, others note that some Shafiʽi scholars also belonged to this theological school, while some Hanbalites in law adopted a more rationalist school in theology. Moreover, extreme forms of traditionalism had not been confined within Hanbalism, and is also part of Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanafi schools. Some authors refer to traditionalist theology as "classical Salafism" or "classic Salafiyyah" (from '' salaf'', meaning "(pious) ancestors"). Henri Lauzière has argued that, while the majority Hanbali creed was sometimes identified as "Salafi" in classical-era sources, using the corresponding nouns in this context is anachronistic.

History

Origins

Muslim historians and jurists theorized that the companion Zubayr ibn al-Awwam was one of the earliest traditionalist and textualist scholars who influenced later Atharī scholasticism. Zubair's method of proto-textualism precedently influenced the scholars of '' Ahl al-Ḥadīth.'' This was characterized by their approach to literal adherence to the texts of the Quran and ''ḥadīth'', while largely rejecting the '' Qiyas'' (analogy) methodology of '' Ahl al-Ra'y'' (scholars of logic). This strict view expressed by az-Zubayr regarding the exegetical interpretation of the Quran was recorded in his primary biographies compiled by Islamic scholars. These include the statements of az-Zubayr such as his advice to one of his children to never argue about the text of the Quran with logic. According to az-Zubayr, the interpretations of the Quran should be strictly binded with the traditional understanding of the ''ḥadīth'' and '' sunnah''. Such anti-rationalistic, traditionalistic, and ''ḥadīth''-oriented views were also shared by many influential scholars in history that reached the rank of '' mujtahid mūtlaq'' (advanced scholars who founded their own ''madhhab'') such as the Shafiʽite scholar Ibn Kathir, Hanbalite scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Hazm, Bukhari-independent school, and also scholars from the Jariri and Zahiri schools.

Another companion who was known to hold this textualist stance was 'Abdullah ibn Umar. When enquired by a group of his Tabi'in disciples regarding his views on the Qadariyah, Ibn 'Umar responded with subtle ''takfīr'' (excommunication from Islam) towards the Qadariyah for their rejection of '' qadar'' (predestination). He also condemned their usage of analogical method (''Qiyas''). According to contemporary scholars, the reason for the condemnation of the Qadariyah by Ibn 'Umar was the similarity between their doctrines and those of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism due to their respective dualistic cosmologies, which are in line with one ''ḥadīth'' that recites: "''Qadariyah'' were Magi of this Ummah".

Formation

Atharism materialized as a formal distinct school of thought towards the end of the 8th century CE among Muslim scholars of the ''ḥadīth'' who held the Quran and the authentic ''ḥadīth'' to be the only acceptable sources in matters of law and creed. Alongside Malik ibn Anas, Islamic scholar Ibn Idris al-Shafi'i is widely regarded among the earliest leaders of the Atharī school. In the debates between rationalists and the traditionalists, al-Shafi'i was able to successfully uphold the superiority of the ''ḥadīth'' over other devices (such as rational arguments, local traditions, customs, ''ra'y'', etc. ) as the source of theological knowledge and Quranic interpretation. From this school would emerge a vigorous traditionalist movement against the ''Ahl al-Ra'y'' and its various manifestations. The doctrines of these early Shafi'ite theologians would be revived in the treatises of later Hanbali scholars.

At first these scholars formed minorities within existing religious study circles, but by the early 9th century CE they coalesced into a separate traditionalist scholastic movement, commonly called '' Ahl al-Ḥadīth'', under the leadership of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Another major leader of the traditionalist camp during this era was Dawud ibn Khalaf, the founder of the Zahirite (literalist) school. Under the leadership of these two scholars, the Atharite camp gained ascendancy. In legal matters, these traditionalists criticized the use of personal opinion (''ra'y'') common among the Hanafite jurists of Iraq as well as the reliance on living local traditions by Malikite jurists of Medina. They emphasised the superiority of Scriptural proofs, denouncing the role of '' 'Aql'' (human intellect) and also rejected methods of jurisprudence not based on literal reading of scriptures. Unlike mainstream traditionalists, Dawud would go as far as to declare all forms of '' Qiyas'' (analogical reasoning) to be completely invalid. In matters of faith, traditionalists were pitted against Mu'tazilites and other theological currents, condemning many points of their doctrines as well as the rationalistic methods they used in defending them.

Traditionalists were also characterized by their avoidance of all state patronage and by their social activism. They attempted to follow the injunction of " commanding good and forbidding evil" by preaching asceticism and launching vigilante attacks to break wine bottles, musical instruments and chessboards. In 833, the caliph al-Ma'mun tried to impose Mu'tazilite theology on all religious scholars and instituted an inquisition ('' mihna'') which required them to accept the Mu'tazilite doctrine that the Quran was created and therefore not co-eternal with God, which implicitly made it subject to interpretation by caliphs and scholars. Ibn Hanbal led traditionalist resistance to this policy, affirming under torture that the Quran was uncreated and hence co-eternal with God. Although Mu'tazilism remained state doctrine until 851, the efforts to impose it only served to politicize and harden the theological controversy. The failure of the '' Mihna'' campaign symbolised the total defeat of the Mu'tazilites and the doctrinal triumph of the persecuted traditionalists, who had gained popular support. Apart from the universal condemnation of the doctrine of Qur'anic createdness; '' 'Aql'' (human intellect) was denied any independent role in religious interpretations and driven compliant to '' Wahy'' (Revelation) in Sunni hermeneutical paradigm.

Emergence of ''Kalām''

The next two centuries saw an emergence of broad compromises in both law and creed within Sunni Islam. In jurisprudence, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools all gradually came to accept both the traditionalist reliance on the Quran and ''ḥadīth'' and the use of controlled reasoning in the form of '' qiyas''. In theology, al-Ashʿarī (874-936) found a middle ground between Mu'tazilite rationalism and Hanbalite literalism, using the rationalistic methods championed by Mu'tazilites to defend most tenets of the traditionalist doctrine. A rival compromise between rationalism and traditionalism emerged from the work of al-Māturīdī (d. c. 944), and one of these two schools of theology was accepted by members of all the Sunni schools of jurisprudence, with the exception of most Hanbalite and some Shafi'i scholars, who ostensibly persisted in their rejection of ''kalām'', although they often resorted to rationalistic arguments themselves, even while claiming to rely on the literal text of the Islamic scriptures.

Traditionalist response

Although the traditionalist scholars who rejected the Ashʿarī- Māturīdī synthesis were in the minority, their emotive, narrative-based approach to faith remained influential among the urban masses in some areas, particularly in Abbasid Baghdad.. Its popularity manifested itself repeatedly from the late 9th to 11th centuries, when crowds shouted down preachers who publicly expounded rationalistic theology. After the caliph al-Mutawakkil suspended the rationalist inquisition, Abbasid caliphs came to rely on an alliance with traditionalists to buttress popular support. In the early 11th century, the caliph al-Qadir made a series of proclamations that sought to prevent public preaching of rationalistic theology. In turn, the Seljuq vizier Nizam al-Mulk in the late 11th century encouraged Ashʿarite theologians in order to counterbalance caliphal traditionalism, inviting a number of them to preach in Baghdad over the years. One such occasion led to five months of rioting in the city in 1077.

Modern and contemporary era

While Ashʿarism and Māturīdism are often called the Sunni "orthodoxy", Atharī theology has thrived alongside it, laying rival claims to be the orthodox Sunni faith. In the modern era it has had a disproportionate impact on Islamic theology, having been appropriated by Wahhabi and other traditionalist Salafi currents and spread well beyond the confines of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence. The works of 19th century Sunni Yemeni theologian Muhammad Al-Shawkani (d. 1839 C.E/ 1255 A.H) has contributed heavily to the revival of traditionalist theology in the contemporary era.

Traditionalist scripturalism also exerts significant influence within the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, such as the Hanafite scholar Ibn Abi al-Izz's '' sharh'' on al-Tahawi's creedal treatise '' Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya''. This treatise would become popular amongst the adherents of the later '' Salafiyya'' movement, who regard it as a true representation of the Hanafi creed free from the influence of Māturīdī theology. Numerous contemporary Salafi scholars have produced supercommentaries and annotations on the ''sharh'', including Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, and Saleh al-Fawzan, and it is taught as a standard text at the Islamic University of Madinah.

Beliefs

Athari doctrine is grounded on the following propositions:

* Strict compliance to the sources of Islamic law; i.e., ''Qur'an'', '' Sunnah'' and '' 'Ijma'' (scholarly consensus)
* Uniformity of foundational creedal principles extracted from these sources
* Deference to qualified scholars of hadith capable of deriving rulings from ''hadith''
* Strong hostility towards various forms of '' bid'ah'' (religious innovations)

On ''Taqlid''

The traditionalists' attitudes towards religious principles led them to differentiate two similar terms: '' Taqlid'' and ''Ittiba''. ''Taqlid'' which was the practice of blindly following scholars and their opinions (''ra'y'') without scriptural proofs, was harshly condemned. On the other hand, Atharīs understood ''Ittiba'' as following the prophetic teachings by using the scriptural evidences supplied by the scholars. Many traditionalists like Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), a major scholar who articulated '' Ijtihad'' and rejected ''Taqlid'', would use scriptural proofs from the Quran and ''sunnah'' but also in some cases rational proofs.

The Athari denunciations of ''Taqlid'' would reach its zenith in the writings of the 8th/14th-century theologians Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 C.E/ 728 A.H) and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 1350 C.E/751 A.H). According to Ibn Taymiyya, those who depart from the clear texts of ''Qur'an'' and ''Hadith'' to prefer the opinions of other individuals belong to the "Age of Ignorance" ('' Jahiliyyah'') and deserve to be punished. In one of his '' fatwas'' sternly condemning the practice of blind ''Taqlid'', Ibn Taymiyya declares:

One who requires ''taqlīd'' of a particular imām must be asked to repent, and if he refuses, he is to be killed.

On reason

While they promoted strict adherence to the Quran, the ''ḥadīth'', the ''sunnah'', and ''ijma'', and consensus Atharīs did not neglect the use of reason. According to the traditionalists, rational arguments serve as proofs of the divine revelation. Despite the traditionalist criticism of the rationalist Islamic theologians, reason play