12 Islam and the state: Sunnism Flashcards
Muslims rulers dealt with ______ Imams dealt with______
government, army / religious and family matters to do with the shar’ia
the Muslim empire divided into two caliphates-
the Ummayad dynasty and the Abbasid dynasty.
who ruled
The Abbasid Caliphs
what schools of thought supported The Abbasid Caliphs? As long as..
The Hanbalite and Asharite schools of thought supported The Abbasid Caliphs unless they committed acts of apostasy-
why was it very hard to dispose of The Abbasid Caliphs
Even usurpers (people who unjustly take a position of power) were acknowledged.
Doctrine of non resistance prevailed.
The Caliph did not have to be sinless (as in the shi’ia tradition) but only needed to be able to judge disputes and have a sound view of war.
There was no procedure for overthrowing a caliph -
It would only be allowed for serious injustice, imprisonment, physical incapacity.
Who were the Abbasid Caliphs elected by
he Ulama (learned members of the community/ jurists).
Sunni jurist
Al Mawardi
Al Mawardi : ________ are the basis of____-
Religion, kinship and friendship are the basis of social solidarity.
Al Mawardi : opinions on reason and revelation
There should be a superior form of political organisation which is known by revelation (the Qur’an).
- Reason tell us that we should implement justice and strengthen ties of friendship.
- Revelation tells Muslims of other functions of the Leadership i.e. arrangements for communal prayer, pilgrimage, taxation, appointments of religious judges, public morality, land ownership etc..
According to Al-Mawardi - the caliphate should have authority over
The Caliphate should have authority over political and religious matters.
According to Al-Mawardi -the Caliph delegated power to the…
Wazir (government ministers) either with full powers or for specific purposes only.
Sultans - commanders of military affairs but also judicial, financial and religious functions.
What are the powers of a caliph established Redress court
It had right of power which meant that it could give harsher punishments than those prescribed by religious law.
A Caliph also made it easier to get rid of a usurper who did not abide by Islam or justice.
Ultimately what happened was that Sultans…
Sultans carried out the religious functions of the Caliph.
what was the contractual nature of the sunni state in premodern islam
In premodern Islam, the Sunni state was seen as a contractual relationship between the ruler (caliph or sultan) and the Muslim community (ummah).
The ruler was expected to uphold Islamic law, protect the rights of the people, and govern with justice and fairness. In return, the people were expected to obey the ruler, pay taxes, and defend the state when necessary. This contractual nature of the Sunni state meant that the ruler’s power was not absolute, but rather was based on the consent and support of the people. It also meant that the people had certain rights and obligations under Islamic law that the ruler was expected to respect and uphold.
Sunni massive fan of sultans
Nizam al-Mulk
What did N-A mulk do? Who did he accompany? what was the period of his reign called?
He became a chief vizier and accompanied the Sultan Arslan on his travels and campaigns. This period became known as “The destined reign of Nizam”.
For mulk - what was the role of the leader?
Mulk saw the ruler’s role to be to ensure the building of both religious and economic infrastructure such as building canals, bridges and schools.
He also advocated that the Sultan would give land in exchange for taxes and military service.
He saw the ruler to be the ultimate owner of all the land.
He saw the Sultan as one who should care for his people and would be sustained by them by consulting with the elders.
For mulk - what was his idea
His ideal was patrimonial monarchy which combined Iranian norms with Islam very well.
For mulk - what was special about sultans
God gives individuals sovereignty and the virtues and wisdom to rule.
For mulk -what is needed for an ordered society
Mulk believed that religious observance and political success went hand in hand. If religious observance was not kept by the sovereign, then there will be disorder.
How did mulk ensure order in society
Mulk combined religious political order by encouraging the Sultan to support the Abbasid Caliphate. He did this through arranged marriages.
why was Mulk unlike Mawardi
Unlike Mawardi, Mulk did not think that rulers were subordinate to the Caliph.
He believed that both were appointed by God.
The Sultan was the supreme military and political head of Islam.
according to Mulk - who was the sultan dependent on?
The Sultan was dependent on the Ulama (learned community). The ulama/ judges ran the Shariah courts and the chief judge was appointed by the Sultan.
According to Mulk - how should the Sultan help the Ulama
The Sultan was responsible for supporting the education of the Ulama.
what role did Mulk play in legal issues?
Mulk also set up Mazalim courts which were not religious and were run by the sultan himself.
Mulk did not take sides regarding the four Law Schools and his policies were tolerant and these policies were very influential in the Ottoman Empire.
Who was mates with Mulk - what happened?
Ghazali was called by Nizam al-Mulk to teach at the new madras a (school) in Baghdad, the next year Mulk was assassinated. It was during this time that Ghazali suffered his spiritual crisis and retreated for 10 years to experience Sufism.
