Islamic Theology and Philosophy

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Islamic Theology and Philosophy

• Presented by
• Jenny Runner
• Josh Runner

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Theology

• Theology that derived from the Quran and the
  Prophetic traditions called Hadiths
• Basis of faith in Islam No god but Allah and
  Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
• Allah is indivisible and absolutely transcendent
  He is almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the
  universe

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Shia Islamic Theology

• Five Basic Elements
• 1. Tawhid Oneness of Allah
• 2. Adalah Justice of Allah
• 3. Nubuwwah Prophethood Allah has appointed
  perfect and infallible prophets and messengers to
  teach mankind the religion
• Muhammad the most important of the Prophets

• 4. Imamah Leadership Allah has appointed
  specific leaders to lead and guide mankind
• Shia believes in 12 Imams 11 have been killed
  but believe the twelfth is still alive
• 5. Qiyamah Day of Judgment
• There will be a resurrection of souls where human
  deeds will be judged by Allah will be rewards
  and punishments

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Islamic Philosophy
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• Main sources of classical or early Islamic
  philosophy are the religion of Islam itself (the
  Quran) and Greek philosophy.
• In early Islamic thought, there were two main
  currents Kalam and Falsafa.

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Schools of Dogmatic Theology - Sunni (Kalam)
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• 1. Mutazilah School
• 2. Ashariyyah School
• 3. Maturidiyyah School

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1. Mutazilah School

• Arose in the early part of the 8th century CE
• Emphasize human free will over predestination and
  God's justice over God's omnipotence
• Believe in the use of logic to deduct the true
  meanings of the Quran
• When combined with the principle of ljtihad, it
  allows for the Dynamic Fiqh (taking time,
  location into account) when making religious
  laws.

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2. Ashariyyah School

• In the 10th century CE, in reaction against the
  Mutazilah, the Sunni movement arose.
• It drastically changed the direction of Islamic
  theology and helped to separate it from the
  theology of the Christians.
• Its major figure was Abu al-Hasan al-Ashari.
• His school, the Ashari school, came to dominate
  the orthodox position in the Sunni Muslim world.

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2. Ashariyyah School (cont.)

• Followers attempted to demonstrate the existence
  and nature of God through rational argument,
  while affirming the eternal, uncreated nature of
  the Quran
• Comprehension of unique nature and
  characteristics of Allah were beyond human
  capability
• They were accused by the Mu'tazilah of believing
  in predestination because they claimed the human
  capacity for action was only acquired at the very
  moment of action.

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3. Maturidiyyah School

• Named after Abu Mansur Muhammad al-Maturidi, its
  founder
• Characterized by reliance on the Quran with
  minimal reasoning and little scope for
  interpretation
• Emphasize human free will over predestination
• Believed in the use of logic to deduct the true
  meanings of the Quran
• Asserted that a Muslim who sincerely performed
  all religious duties as prescribed in the Qur'an
  was assured of a place in heaven

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Differences between Shia and Sunni Doctrines

• Unlike (most) Sunni, Shia believe that the
  Prophet Muhammad and the 12 Imams are immaculate
  from sin
• Shia also believe that faith has an outer meaning
  accessible to all through study of commentaries
  and an inner meaning is accessible only through
  the Prophet and Imams
• A difference also comes with the hadith they
  both pray 5x a day. Shia sometimes worship 2x
  consecutively they do not perform non-obligatory
  prayers in congregation

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Falsafa

• Ibn Sina Iranian scientist and philosopher who
  founded the school of Avicennism
• From 9th c. CE and onward, Greek philosophy was
  introduced among the Persians and Arabs

• During Abbasid caliphate, a number of thinkers
  and scientists played a role in transmitting
  Greek, Hindu, and other pre-Islamic knowledge to
  the Christian world.
• Persians al-Farabi and Avicenna and the Arab,
  al-Kindi combined Aristotelianism and
  Neoplatonism with other ideas introduced through
  Islam

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Contemporary Islamic Philosophy

• Teaching of hikmat has continued and flourished
• Entered the world through Greek cultural
  diffusion in 8th and 9th c.
• Arabic word meaning wisdom
• Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) notable
  Muslim philosopher, poet and scholar from
  Pakistan
• He helped to reshape and revitalize Islamic
  philosophy amongst the Muslims in the 20th c.

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The Five Pillars of Islam

• Creed-Shahadah
• Prayer-Salat
• Charity to the Poor-Zakat
• Fasting During Ramadan
• Pilgrimmage to Mecca

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Creed-Shahadah

• There is no God, but Allah and Muhammad is his
  Prophet.

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Prayer-Salat

• Pray 5 times a day towards Mecca (the Kabba)
• Before dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset,
  nighttime
• Announced by a muezzin from a minaret
• Ritual cleansing
• Friday is the public day of prayer

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Charity to the Poor-Zakat

• Giving 2.5 of income to the poor
• Perform acts of charity everyday to those in need

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Fasting During Ramadan

• Abstain from eating during daylight hours
• No sex at night
• Discipline
• Develop sympathy for poor
• Devotion to Allah
• Muhammad receives his revelations

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Pilgrimage to Mecca-Hajj

• Birthplace of Muhammad
• Should make trip at least once during lifetime
• Only Muslims can visit city
• Greatest month is dhul-Hijjah
• Purification process includes uniforms for
  clothing and special prayers

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Bibliography

• www.islamfortoday.com
• www.muslimphilosophy.com
• www.falsafa.com
• www.uga.edu/islam/faith.html
• Dr. Lyons notes