THE ORIGIN OF FIQH SCHOOLS IN AL-ANDALUS: FROM QAIRAWAN TO MEDINA

Abstract

The development of Islam in Mashriq at the beginning of second/eighth century until third/ninth century was becoming golden age of knowledge. In al-Andalus, two centuries were used to find intellectual identity on Iberian peninsula. The scholars of al-Andalus did intellectual journey ( riḥla ‘ilmiyya ) to Mashriq through several intellectual cities. From Shām, Andalusian scholars followed al-Auzā‘ī school, which became official school of the Umayyad dynasty in the early days of ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil. The provocative cities and the cause of conflict for al-Andalus was Iraq region such as Baghdād. As capital city Abbasid dynasty, the rival of the Umayyad, Baghdād and other Iraq cities were not well-intentioned for learning. Some scholars who learned from Iraq and then returned to al-Andalus were forbidden to spread their ideas, schools and books that brought from Iraq. This led Andalusian scholars to seek the center of knowledge in Medina, the city that was considered supporting Umayyad dynasty in al-Andalus. This intellectual network of Medina caused many scholars in al-Andalus became followers of Mālikī school. Later Mālikī school dominated in al-Andalus by replacing al-Auzā‘ī school. The scholars also took the route of knowledge from Qairawān, as agency area before going to Medina. The scholars of Mālikī school, supported by the Umayyad’s government, got authority to ban and censor other schools and books that were incompatible with Mālikiyya. The society of al-Andalus under the rulers of Mālikī school only used and made the Qur’an and Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik as the only references of knowledge. The fiqh network in al-Andalus will determine the types of scientific studies, books and also style of thought that can be studied and learned over there.