Medieval Islam Research Articles

Atheism in the Muslim World: Classical Approach through Medieval Islamic Intellectual and Philosophical Traditions

This research article examines the presence of atheism in the classical and medieval Islamic intellectual and philosophical traditions. In addition, the research explores the current situation of atheism in the Muslim world. The paper explores the historical development of atheism in the Muslim world. This research paper is divided into four sections: the Islamic definition of atheism by Muslim academics, early Muslim history, a description of Ex-Muslim atheists, and modern atheist groups.

ISLAM AND MUSLIMS IN THE ANCIENT PERIOD RUSSIAN LITERATURE

In the article the attitude towards the Islamic religion and Muslims in the ancient Russian literature, first of all the Turks and also the relation to the Islamic religion and Muslim peoples in the literature of the Russian folk art is analyzed. The political, social, spiritual-cultural, literary-philological aspects of the attitude to Islam from ancient times are interpreted. The spread of Islam in Russia by the Khazars, as Turkic community, the positive effect of acquaintance with Islamic culture on Russian culture, relations with the East, statehood, Eastern culture, as well as the Islamic renaissance that began in the 7th-8th centuries AD on Russian culture are explained. In ancient times, the relation to Islam in Russian literature and culture on the formation and essence of philo-orientalism in Russian public opinion in later historical stages is noted. The translation of the Qur'an-i-Karim in Russian literature also has a rich history and the interpretation of this tradition allows us to clarify the historical, political, methodological, philological aspects of the translation of the sacred text and the attitude towards Islam in Russia in general.

The Reflection of Examples of Material Culture in the Classical Works of the Eastern-Islamic Renaissance on Archaeological Materials

The Islamic Renaissance achieved extraordinary successes in the social, political, economic and spiritual life of the eastern world. During this period, new works on a number of sciences were created, and cultural and aesthetic thought entered a new stage of development. Scientific discoveries and works of such geniuses as Fergani, Firdavsi, Nizami, Biruni, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Mahmud Kashgari, Ahmad Yasevi led to revolutionary changes in the development of human thought. The Renaissance also led to the transformation of various states of the East into centres of science and culture, including Azerbaijan, the cities of the Blue River, Khwarazm. This article examines the traces of archaeological and material-cultural monuments reflecting the ancient past of the peoples in the works of Renaissance classics and determines their place and importance in the development of scientific and cultural thought in the eastern world, in the establishment of relations of societies with different cultures. Descriptive and comparative methodology was used to achieve this goal. The original basis of the article is the works of the classics of the Eastern Islamic Renaissance.

Муса Бигиев о разуме в исламском праве

The article evaluates the views of Musa Bigiev regarding the role of reason in Islamic law. Reason (‘Aql) is a special source of law in a number of legal systems. This is what it is in English and Islam-ic law. During the era of the “Golden Age of Islam”, the attitude towards ‘Aql was incomparably more serious than in the subsequent period. Largely thanks to the freedom of the human mind, Is-lamic law developed very actively and fruitfully, creating a strong mechanism for the legal regula-tion of social relations. This attitude ensured the prosperity of science in the Muslim world. There-fore, the author turns to the subject of reason as a source of Islamic law, which is of particular rele-vance. The study of the role of ‘Aql in Islamic law is, primarily, based on comparative legal and his-torical legal research methods. Musa Bigiev perceived the era of the “Golden Age” as an ideal time in the development of Islamic legal science. ‘Aql, that encompassed with its influence the entire system of sources of Islamic law at that time, began to produce new concepts of state and legal de-velopment of the Muslim world. Those concepts were supposed to ensure respect for individual’s rights and protect their legitimate interests, as well as protect human life from unlawful interference by the state. But that did not happen. In the second half of the 13th Zcentury, that era ended. In the Muslim world, reason fell into the dead sleep of the past. The dynamics of the progressive develop-ment of the East was adopted by the West. An analysis of Musa Bigiev’s views shows that he paid tribute to the eras of the European Renaissance and Reformation that were able to restore the great-ness of Western civilization after its thought had been in the “dark ages”. However, he was critical of proposals to hold such events in the Muslim world. M. Bigiev believed that Islam did not need reforms, but, at the same time, he was convinced there was a need to increase the role of reason for the revival of Islamic law.

Факторы доверия и недоверия в общественном сознании молодого поколения дагестанцев религиозным институтам

The Islamic renaissance, the increased role of the confessional component in modern Dagestani so-ciety, the orientation towards religious postulates characteristic of Dagestani population and their introduction into public consciousness requires an analysis of the presence/absence of trust in reli-gious institutions. The realities indicate that the population adheres to the provisions of Islamic teachings in a personal model of behavior in various spheres (family, marriage, political, economic, ethical). The article analyzes the level of trust in spiritual institutions, in this context, the republican Muftiate, existing in the public consciousness of the younger generation of Dagestanis. Gender, age, and educational differences are shown in demonstrating trust in and distrust of the Muftiate. The empirical material obtained indicates the presence of a high level of trust in the Muftiate in the pub-lic consciousness of the Dagestani youth surveyed. Through the prism of attitudes towards religion, analytics states the difference in the attitudes of respondents by type of religiosity: an overwhelming majority of those who associate as convinced believers and believers demonstrate trust, unlike the sub-masses of waverers, non-believers and convinced non-believers. The “control question” on the basis of distrust of the republican Muftiate shows that the younger generation of Dagestanis consid-er the destructive role of this organization in religious life, the opposition of Dagestani Muslims, which contributed to the intra-Islamic split and groundless accusations of “undesirable persons of Wahhabism and Salafism” to be the main reason for its existence. The material confirming a high degree of trust in the religious institute among the young Dagestanis interviewed is a natural result of the Muftiate’s active efforts, which consist in the introduction of Islamic postulates into the mass consciousness. In particular, there is an active participation of Islamic clerics in the political and ed-ucational processes of contemporary Dagestani society. The activity of religious persons, the latent imposition of a model of relationships based on Muslim rules, may, firstly, destabilize Dagestani so-ciety, and secondly, form the principles of religious intolerance therein.

Lisa Nielson, Music and Musicians in the Medieval Islamicate World. A Social History

Lisa Nielson, Music and Musicians in the Medieval Islamicate World. A Social History

Mary’s Prophethood Reassessed: Overlooked Medieval Islamic Perspectives in Contemporary Scholarship

This paper offers a reevaluation of contemporary Western scholarship concerning the historical discourse on Mary’s prophethood within Islamic tradition. Recent research has primarily focused on Andalusian scholars, such as Ibn Ḥazm and al-Qurṭubī, and has neglected an essential aspect: the acknowledgement of Mary’s prophethood by Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ash‘arī, one of the founders of Orthodox Sunni theology. As a result, modern studies have reached conclusions lacking a solid foundation, due to their failure to consider this significant perspective. By incorporating this overlooked perspective, this study seeks to provide a more thorough and coherent understanding of the historical debates surrounding Mary’s prophethood.

ARABIC LANGUAGE, LOGIC AND CIVILIZATION, ANY BRIDGE TO CROSS?

Thinking and using reasoning are proofs of mental engagement by an individual, whose intellect varies, and whose share of it fluctuates according to its development through knowledge and enrichment with sciences. Hence, the connection between language and the mind is evident, and the connection between the mind and knowledge is necessary or theoretical within an interactive relationship. Objectives: This study aims to explore the relationship between the mind and language, examine the connection between language and logic, investigate the relationship between logic, philosophy, and sciences among Moroccan scholars, and analyze the impact of language, knowledge, and philosophy on civilization. Research question: What is the role of logic in shaping the scientific mind of Moroccan scholars? What is the impact of logic on their language when classifying sciences and delving into the reasonable and transmitted aspects of arts? Outline: The research will attempt to reveal the impact of logic on scholars, and its impact on shaping their language and knowledge through the following axes. 1.The role of logic in shaping the scientific language of Moroccan scholars. 2.Uses of logic in definitions, boundaries, and sciences. 3.The reflection of language, knowledge, and logic on civilization.

EXPLORING THE PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF ABU RAYHAN AL-BIRUNI: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS

Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, a polymath of the Islamic Golden Age, made significant contributions to various fields, including astronomy, mathematics, geography, anthropology, and philosophy. Among his multifaceted endeavors, his philosophical inquiries stand out, offering profound insights into the nature of existence, knowledge, and the universe. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of al-Biruni's philosophical views, examining his thoughts on epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and the relationship between science and religion. By delving into his works, including "The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology" and "The Chronology of Ancient Nations," we illuminate al-Biruni's philosophical legacy and its relevance to contemporary discourse.

SISTEM PEMERINTAHAN DESENTRALISASI

The Abbasid Caliphate was one of the powers of the Muslim Ummah. Its emergence after the non-Arab movement fought for equality with the Arabs which was not obtained during the leadership of the Umayyad Daulah. The advantages possessed by the 'Abbasid Daulah besides being symbolized as the golden age of Islam, it turned out that the cause of its collapse was the application of decentralization in running the government, by one of the caliphs of the 'Abbasid Daulah named al-Mutawakkil. This type of research is a literature study or known as Library Research, using a descriptive approach to the findings or references from primary data, relating to the leadership of the 'Abbasid Daulah and the history of Islamic civilization. The decentralized government system applied by al-Mutawakkil was the main cause of the collapse of the 'Abbasid Daulah, this application was due to one of the emergence of small dynasties that wanted to break away from the 'Abbasid Daulah. In addition, al-Mutawakkli's lifestyle was a major factor, namely living in luxury, squandering wealth and so on.

Sainthood and Social Boundary Crossing in Medieval Islamic North Africa

ABSTRACT This article considers how the spread of new modes of religiosity in the twelfth-century Maghrib, namely pietistic mysticism or Ṣūfism, enabled groups previously excluded from the ranks of religious 'professionals'. It did this by placing a premium on charismatic rather than solely book-based approaches to religion. As a result, men and some women of rural and non-Arabic literate backgrounds were able to cross boundaries that had been difficult to breach.

“Siyah Öfke: Ortaçağ İslam Dünyasında Zenci Kölelerin İsyanı (869-883)” adlı kitabın dəyərləndirilməsi

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Demirci's monograph "Black Rage: The Rebellion of Negro Slaves in the Medieval Islamic World (869-883)" on the 'Zanj rebellion' that took place between 869-883 A.D., during the Abbasid period, and was led by the Ali b. Muhammad, is one of the most important studies both in terms of its subject matter and the author's approach and perspective on the subject. The study, which was prepared with a rich academic literature using basic sources and modern research on the subject, deals with issues such as the geography of the event, the causes and spread of the rebellion, the wars and warfare techniques to suppress the rebellion, the short and long-term effects of the damage left behind by the rebellion from an academic perspective in chronological order. The Zanj revolt started in the marshes of Basra in 869 as a result of Ali b. Muhammad (d. 883), who was originally white and claimed to be a descendant of Ali, organizing black slaves working under difficult conditions in the large farms in and around Basra, and the rebellion grew and spread in a short time. Muwaffak Billāh (843-891), the brother of the Abbasid Caliph Mu’temid Alallâh (843-892), who was assigned to suppress the revolt, was victorious against the rebels after tough struggles, and the revolt ended with the killing of the leader of the rebellion, Ali b. Muhammad, in 883.

Quatrains of Many Receptions: A Survey of Perceptions of ‘Omar Khayyām in Ottoman and Turkish Translations

AbstractThis article explores the wide range of responses to Persian polymath and poet ‘Omar Khayyām (d. ca. 526/1132) in Ottoman and Turkish literary sources. A great number of intellectuals, past and present, translated Khayyām's famed quatrains into Turkish, albeit with differing motivations regarding subject, style, message, and literary reception. Social critics like Abdullah Cevdet employed Khayyām's quatrains as a vehicle for proving that liberal and progressive mindsets were accommodated in classical Islam. On the other hand, literary scholars like Rıza Tevfik [Bölükbaşı], Ḥüseyin Dāniş, and Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı chose to focus on the intellectual origins of Khayyām's thought, as well as on his connections to Islamic philosophical traditions. In the first decades of the Turkish Republic, there was another wave of interest in Khayyām's quatrains related to prosody, message, and what his legacy and poetic disposition represented with regard to the Islamic past. Whereas poets like Yahya Kemal and Âsaf Hâlet Çelebi regarded him as a paragon of libertine lyrics and Sufi mysticism, Turkish leftist intellectuals such as Nâzım Hikmet, Sabahattin Eyuboğlu, and A. Kadir set him as a socialist or materialist humanist who was a staunch critic of religious bigotry and fanaticism.

Abu-Sahl al-Masihi (960-1010 AD) and His Description of the Heart

Since the Old Testament era, medicine has drawn scientists from around the world. Persian physicians have played an undeniable role in the advancement of medicine worldwide and their books have been taught as medical textbooks in the East and the West for years. In the Islamic Golden Age (9th to 12th century AD), Abu-Sahl al-Masihi (960-1010 AD), was one of the great Persian scholars contemporary to Avicenna and Al-Biruni. He wrote several valuable works on medicine, philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy in Arabic. The two books titled Al-Mia fil-Tibb (Book of the Hundred [on Medicine]) and Ezhar al-Hekmat Allah Ta’ala fi Khalgh al-Ensan (Manifestations of God’s Wisdom in the Creation of Mankind) also known as Tashrih Badan al-Ensan (Human Anatomy) are among his important works in medicine. Particularly, in Tashrih Badan al-Ensan, Abu-Sahl detailed the structure and function of each organ within the human body. On heart anatomy, he presented interesting, and even innovative views. Despite the significance of his views on medicine among physicians of the Islamic era, his works have failed to be translated into Latin or other languages for unknown reasons, leaving him veiled in academic spheres. This paper aims to describe Abu-Sahl al-Masihi's opinions on heart anatomy.

ABU RAYHAN AL-BIRUNI: PIONEER OF SCIENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP

Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, an eminent scholar of the medieval Islamic world, made significant contributions to various fields of science and scholarship during the 11th century. His work encompassed astronomy, mathematics, geography, anthropology, history, and pharmacology, among others. This article explores the enduring legacy of al-Biruni, highlighting his groundbreaking contributions to the advancement of human knowledge and his enduring influence on subsequent generations of scientists and thinkers.

A Medieval Islamic Astrolabe with Hebrew Inscriptions in Verona

Abstract This article presents a hitherto unknown remarkable astrolabe from Al-Andalus which likely belonged to the collection of Ludovico Moscardo (1611–1681) assembled in Verona in the seventeenth century. The astrolabe is datable to the eleventh century and features added Hebrew and Latin inscriptions. It underwent many modifications, additions, and adaptations as it changed hands and owners over time thus becoming a palimpsest object. With its added translations from Arabic into Hebrew, the astrolabe closely recalls the recommendations prescribed by the Spanish Jewish polymath Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089–1167) in the earliest surviving treatise on the astrolabe in the Hebrew language written in 1146 precisely in Verona. The astrolabe—today preserved in the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo—stands out as a testimony to the contacts and exchanges among Arabs, Jews and Europeans in the medieval and early modern periods.

Rulers Making Boundaries Clear in the Medieval Islamic West: The Cordoban Umayyads and the Almohads*

ABSTRACT Four events that took place in the medieval Islamic West (al-Andalus and North Africa west of Egypt, second/ninth–eighth/fifteenth centuries) illustrate how rulers intentionally drew clear boundaries between individuals and between groups in ways that were sometimes striking. The first case has to do with the ruler’s body, the second with the way horses were mounted in the army, and the third and fourth – less surprisingly – with clothing and naming. The rulers who strove to make boundaries clear in such cases were the ethnically Arab Cordoban Umayyads (138/756–422/1031) and the ethnically Berber Almohad/Muʾminid caliphs (524/1130–668/1269). The aim of this article is to analyse what the contexts behind the rulers’ actions, the groups affected by their decisions and the boundaries they erected reveal about their concerns and anxieties.

About Avicennа’s modification of Aristotelian hylemorphism: immaterialization of the human soul

The article continues our study of the reception of aristotelian psychology in the philosophy of the greatest thinker of classical Islam — Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980– 1037), which has been begun in this journal (2021, No. 4). Endowing aristotelism with an immortological dimension, the Muslim philosopher transforms hylemorphism into entelechism, justiϐies the substantiality of the soul, its incorporeality and incorruptibility. In avicennian reconstruction of aristotelian treatise “On the Soul” primary attention is paid to criticism of the opinions on the soul as harmony or mixture, as well as to the interpretation of Stagirite’s thesis about the non-magnitudeness of mind in a sense of assertion about soul’s immateriality resulting from its status as a substratum of intelligibles. The article also highlights Ibn-Sina’s modiϐication of the relevant statements regarding the organs of the rational soul.

The Period of Progress of Islamic Civilization

The Islamic civilization's period of advancement from 600-1000 CE, often referred to as the Golden Age of Islam, represents a pivotal era in human history marked by unity in Islamic values, a strong moral foundation, and a cohesive identity among Muslims. This epoch reached its zenith during the times of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Umayyad Dynasty, and the Abbasid Dynasty. Key factors, such as steadfast adherence to Islamic values, laid the groundwork for a robust moral foundation and a detailed Islamic legal system. Cultural heritage emerged as a primary driver for scientific development, with translation centers and universities fostering a dynamic intellectual environment. The Umayyad period witnessed territorial expansion into North Africa, the Middle East, and Spain, leaving a significant impact on cultural and social progress. Despite internal challenges, the Umayyad's success provided a basis for advancements in science, art, and architecture. The Abbasid Golden Age saw the establishment of the House of Wisdom, a translation center that amalgamated classical knowledge. The Abbasids became intellectual and cultural hubs, making strides in science, medicine, art, and architecture. Influential figures such as Ibn Rushd, Al-Ghazali, Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Ibn Sina made monumental contributions across various fields of study. In conclusion, the Islamic Golden Age demonstrated that the harmony between Islamic values, scientific development, and cultural appreciation served as the primary driving force, while future research prospects may explore practical applications in contemporary contexts, supporting positive developments in various aspects of human life.

A Glimpse into Gynecologic Practice During the Islamic Golden Age.

The Islamic Golden Age was the time in history from eighth to fourteenth century. This era was marked by expansion of Islamic world to all the Middle East, North Africa, South and East Europe, and Central Asia. The Islamic world was the wealthiest region in the world at that time and that wealth was utilized to promote great flourishing in the arts, philosophy, science, and medicine. The practice of healing was considered the most noble of human undertakings by Islamic scholars. In this era, many great physician-scientists emerged in the Islamic world, albeit several were not Muslims, who examined prior writings, corrected many, and proceeded to produce their own observations and innovations. This article highlights some of the most important contributions to gynecology of some prominent scholars during this shining phase of medical history.