Nimrod Hurvitz - The Formation of Hanbalism: Piety into Power

The Formation of anbalism

Piety into Power

CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Series Editor

Ian R. Netton

University of Leeds

This series studies the Middle East through the twin foci of its diverse cultures and civilisations. Comprising original monographs as well as scholarly surveys, it covers topics in the fields of Middle Eastern literature, archaeology, law, history, philosophy, science, folklore, art, architecture and language. While there is a plurality of views, the series presents serious scholarship in a lucid and stimulating fashion.

The Formation of anbalism

Piety into Power

Nimrod Hurvitz

First Published in 2002

by Routledge

This edition by Routledge:

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First issued in paperback 2011

2002 Nimrod Hurvitz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book has been applied for

ISBN10: 0-7007-1507-X (hbk)

ISBN10: 0415-616417 (pbk)

ISBN13: 9780700715077 (hbk)

ISBN13: 9780-415616416 (pbk)

Publishers Note

The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent.

For Dina, Yaara and Hagar

Contents

Acknowledgements

This book grew out of a dissertation under the supervision of Michael Cook, to whom I owe a great debt for the time and patience with which he introduced me to the history of medieval Islam. His guidance during my graduate studies and his meticulous reading of later drafts have made me rethink many ideas, saved me from numerous pitfalls and greatly improved this study.

Conversations over the years with Nurit Tsafrir contributed to the growth of numerous ideas, several of which appear in this book. I would like to thank her for the time she took to read an early draft and the corrections she made.

Several friends and colleagues have read and commented about parts of earlier drafts. I would like to thank Haim Haimes, Sumaiya Hamdani, Israel Gershoni, Sam Kaplan, Yoram Meital, Ehud Toledano and Dror Zeevi, for their remarks, thoughts and criticism.

My gratitude to my family is obviously beyond words. Still, I must thank my parents, Haggai and Adina, for instilling in me the love of books, ideas and intellectual dialogue. My wife and daughters, Dina, Yaara and Hagar, have helped in many ways, but most importantly in placing this project in its right proportions.

I would like to thank the Herzog Centre for providing financial aid in the final stage of this project. I am also grateful to Brenda Malkiel who improved the clarity of this work and Lia Moran who prepared its indices.

Transliteration and Dates

The transliteration follows the system of the Encyclopaedia of Islam with the exception of q in the place of and j in the place dj. The dates in the text are in accordance with the Hijri calendar.

Introduction

A llah strengthened this faith [Islam] with two men and no other A compares with them, Ab Bakr al-Siddq on the day of the ridda [war of apostasy] and Amad ibn anbal on the day of the mina [Inquisition].

This flattering remark was made by Al b. al-Madn (d. 235) who, along with Ahmad b. anbal (d. 241), was one of the leading scholars of his generation when the caliph al-Mamn initiated a wave of interrogations known as the mina (218). When the persecutions ceased fifteen years later, Ibn anbal was the leading spiritual authority of his day, owing to his resistance to the minas administrators and Ibn al-Madn was a disgraced pariah because he collaborated with them. Guilt, or maybe an attempt to stage a comeback to favor, prompted Ibn al-Madn to compare Ibn anbal to Ab Bakr (d. 13), the Prophets political heir. Although the comparison between a scholar and a political leader is a little surprising, Ibn anbal and Ab Bakr do have something in common: Both are remembered as strong-willed individuals who saved the Islamic community from disintegration. According to mainstream Islamic historians, Ab Bakrs firm stand against the apostate tribes during the ridda wars prevented their secession from the burgeoning Islamic community. Ibn anbals ability to withstand torture and defy the caliph and his chief judge captivated the imagination of the masses and led the Traditionists to victory over the deviating sects that controlled the caliphal court. In Islamic collective memory, Ibn anbals defiance of his inquisitors catapulted him from the echelons of Traditionist leadership to the pantheon of historical heroes who are an inspiration to Muslims even today.

The study of Ibn anbal, an orphaned boy from an economically downgraded family who climbed to the heights of spiritual and political influence, highlights several aspects of Islamic society and religiosity. Firstly, Ibn anbals rise to prominence demonstrates a common

Secondly, Ibn anbals position as a religious authority and political leader places him at the heart of some of the cardinal events and processes of the formative period of Islam. His activities enable us to examine and reinterpret three central issues in regard to the newly developed Sunni milieu: The moral trends in Traditionist circles; the early stage of the anbali madhhabs formation; and the mina, one of the decisive events of early Islam.

Finally, personal profiles from the world of medieval Islam are scarce. We know very little about the finances and relationships within specific families or the emotions and personalities of individuals. This portrayal of Ibn anbal is a rare opportunity for a glimpse at some of the mundane aspects of a medieval life.

Sources and Methodology

The foundations of Ibn anbals biographic tradition were put in place by his contemporaries. The bulk of it were anecdotes that go back to his sons ali (d. 265) and Abdallh (d. 290), his cousin anbal b. Ishq (d. 273) and his concubine Husn.

The most copious source of anecdotes about Ibn anbal was his eldest son, li. Many of his stories have been collected into a book, The outstanding feature of this document is the light that it sheds on Ibn anbals feelings, habits, and private life. It tells of his anger and of his relations with his sons and reveals such details as his eating habits. However, lis emotional involvement with his father had a price. At times the Sra reads like an ideological manifesto. The vignettes about Ibn anbals private life are imbued with moral undertones and the descriptions of the mina show him as a victorious defender of Traditionist theological sensibilities. In some instances li goes so far as to describe his own moral failures and his fathers displeasure with him, presumably to enhance Ibn anbals moral image.