A Critique of Parameters of Relation between Shiism and Sufism in Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabiri’s View

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Shiite Studies, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Ahl al-Bayt Studies, al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran

3 Associate professor, Department of Shiite Studies, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabiri (1936-2010) is a contemporary Arab intellectual who particularly contributed to developments of understanding the history of Islam. Al-Jabiri’s Shiite studies are results of his research about Shiism which can be found here and there in his work. This paper seeks to answer the following question: What are parameters of relation between Shiism and Sufism in al-Jabiri’s view? The paper aims at providing an articulation of al-Jabiri’s view of the identity of factors leading to origination of Shiism and Sufism, as well as his identification of Shiism and Sufism. Then we embark on a critique of al-Jabiri’s view. The method of this paper is to formulate al-Jabiri’s view of Shiism-Sufism relation and to criticize it by providing an analysis thereof. Al-Jabiri has a flawed understanding of Shiism, and as a consequence, his account of Shiism is defective. He enumerates certain parameters of the two intellectual currents in order to ground their identification, but his parameters do not suffice to support the identification claim. Therefore, al-Jabiri’s conception of Shiism and Sufism is susceptible to serious objections.

Keywords

References

Ibn al-Manzur, Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn al-Mukarram. 1994. Lisan al-‘Arab [Language of the Arab]. Beirut: Dar Sadir. [In Arabic]
Tanhayi, Husayn. 2008 (1387 SH). “Andishih va Nazar: Tasavvuf va Tashayyu‘; Chand Nuktih darbari-yi Musahibi-yi Duktur Hamid Algar” [Thought and Opinion: Sufism and Shiism; Some Points concerning Dr. Hamid Algar’s Interview]. In Ittila‘at-i Hikmat va Ma‘rifat [Wisdom and Knowledge Information] 3, no. 7: 63-64. [In Persian]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 1992a. Bunyat al-‘Aql al-‘Arabi [Foundation of the Arabic Reason]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Second edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 1992b. al-‘Aql al-Siyasi al-‘Arabi [The Arabic Political Reason]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Second edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 1994. Takwin al-‘Aql al-‘Arabi [Genesis of the Arabic Reason]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Second edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 2005. Ishkaliyyat al-Fikr al-‘Arabiyy al-Mu‘asir [Problems of the Contemporary Arabic Thought]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Fifth edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 2006. Al-Turath wa-l-Hidatha: Dirasat wa Munaqashat [Heritage and Modernity: Studies and Controversies]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Third edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 2007a. Madkhal ila-l-Qur’an al-Karim fi-l-Ta‘rif bi-l-Qur’an [An Introduction to the Qur’an: On Definition by the Qur’an]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Second edition. [In Arabic]
Al-Jabiri, Muhammad ‘Abid. 2007b. Fikr Ibn Khaldun: al-‘Asabiyya wa-l-Dawla Ma‘alim Nazariyya Khalduniyya fi-l-Tarikh al-Islami [Ibn Khaldun’s Thought Bias and the Government: Highlights of Khaldun’s Theory of Islamic History]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. Eighth edition. [In Arabic]
Jadidi, Nasir. 2016 (1395 SH). “Tasavvuf va Tashayyu‘: az Vagarayi ta Hamgarayi” [Sufism and Shiism: from Divergence to Convergence]. In Pazhuhish-Nami-yi Tarikh [Journal of History Research] 11, no. 42: 95-110. [In Persian]
Dihqani, Riza. 2011 (1390 SH). “Chisti-yi Naqd-i Tarikhi” [What Historical Criticism Is]. In ‘Ayar-i Pazhuhish dar ‘Ulum-i Insani [Criterion of Research in Human Sciences] 3, no. 1: 145-174. [In Persian]
Al-Shaybi, Kamil Mustafa. 2008 (1387 SH). Tashayyu‘ va Tasavvuf ta Aghaz-i Sadi-yi Davazdahum-i Hijri [Shiism and Sufism until early Twelfth Century after Hijra]. Translated by ‘Aliriza Zikavati Garaguzlu. Tehran: Amir Kabir. [In Persian]
Schimmel, Annemarie. 2006. Al-Ab‘ad al-Sufiyya fi-l-Islam wa Tarikh al-Tasawwuf [Sufi Dimensions in Islam and the History of Sufism]. Baghdad: Manshurat al-Jumal. First edition. [In Arabic]
Saliba, Jamil. 1987 (1366 SH). Farhang-i Falsafi [Philosophical Dictionary]. Tehran: Hikmat. [In Persian]
Tarabichi, Georges. 2011. Al-‘Aql al-Mustaqil fi-l-Islam [The Independent Mind in Islam]. Beirut: Dar al-Saqi. Second edition. [In Arabic]
‘Abduh, Muhammad; ‘Abd al-Halim, Tariq. N.d. al-Sufiyya: Nash’atuha wa Tatawwuruha [Sufism: Its Origin and Development]. Kuwait: Dar al-Arqam. [In Arabic]
Al-Farahidi, Khalil ibn Ahmad. 1988 (1409 AH). Kitab al-‘Ayn, Qom: Dar al-Hijra. [In Arabic]
Firuzabadi, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub. 1982 (1403 AH). Qamus al-Muhit [The Comprehensive Dictionary]. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr. [In Arabic]
Al-Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub. 1986 (1365 SH). Al-Kafi [The Sufficient]. Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya. [In Arabic]
Gutas, Dimitri. 2003. Al-Fikr al-Yunani wa-l-Thiqafat al-‘Arabiyya [The Greek Thought and the Arabic Culture]. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdat al-‘Arabiyya. [In Arabic]
Lalande, André. 1998 (1377 SH). Farhang-i ‘Ilmi va Intiqadi-yi Falsafi [The Scholarly and Critical Dictionary of Philosophy]. Tehran: Firdowsi Publication Institute. [In Persian]
Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir. 1983 (1404 AH). Bihar al-Anwar [Seas of the Lights]. Beirut: Mu’assisat al-Wafa’. [In Arabic]
Nuri, Sayyid Muhammad ‘Ali. 2019 (1398 SH). Tahlil va Naqd-i Didgah-i Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabiri darbari-yi Tashayyu‘ [An Analysis and Critique of Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabiri’s View of Shiism]. PhD dissertation. Supervisor: Ni‘mat Allah Safari Furushani. College of Shiite Studies. Qom: University of Religions and Denominations. [In Persian]

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics